Propeller Drones co-founders Col. (res.) Itamar Kohali (L) and Tal Yadin (R) (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)Building an operational bridge, not another drone<\/p>\n
But rather than competing with Israel’s established drone manufacturers, the two concluded that the industry’s next challenge would be operational adoption.<\/p>\n
“We are not tech people; we are operational,” said Yadin, co-founder and the company’s chief business officer. “We wanted to be the bridge between technology and the industries.”<\/p>\n
It was that philosophy that has shaped the company’s business model, they told The Post. Today, Propeller Drones employs around 80 people and operates as a dual-use drone services provider, supporting both commercial and defense customers.<\/p>\n
Its activities span three primary areas: drone pilot training<\/a>, aerial data acquisition, and operational support for advanced drone systems.<\/p>\n Training the workforce behind Israel\u2019s drone expansion<\/p>\n The company’s academy in central Israel trains over 1,000 drone operators each year, making it, according to the company, one of the country’s largest drone training organizations. Customers include the IDF, the Israel Prison Service, Magen David Adom, the Israel Electric Corporation, and more. Several of Israel’s largest defense companies, including Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, and XTEND, also use the academy for pilot training.<\/p>\n The academy has also partnered with Mercaz Kivun on a program aimed at introducing haredi (ultra-Orthodox) men to careers in the drone industry.<\/p>\n “We see ourselves as a gate for haredim,” Kohali said. “Come work as a drone pilot.”<\/p>\n Beyond training, the company also conducts aerial mapping, surveying, and infrastructure inspections using drones equipped with specialized sensors. One application involves collecting thermal imagery from solar installations and generating inspection reports for customers’ annual regulatory requirements.<\/p>\n And like many other dual-use drone companies, defense has become another major focus. Rather than developing military drone systems itself, Propeller Drones embeds operational teams with technology developers, supporting testing, demonstrations, and other activities throughout a program’s development cycle.<\/p>\n “We live the program,” Yadin said, describing the company’s role in helping developers translate new capabilities into operational use.<\/p>\n Autodrone and the push toward autonomous operations<\/p>\nPropeller Drones simulation room (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)<\/p>\n