LDC Top 50 2025
Siôn Roberts
Founder and CEO
Eagle Eye Innovations
Siôn Roberts joined the RAF at 18 and spent 22 years operating everything from Nimrod MR2s to UAVs. “I saw an opportunity to build a drone training and consultancy business, using my skill set as my USP.” In 2014, he started Lincoln-based Eagle Eye Innovations, which has since trained thousands of people – from farmers to the Game of Thrones crew – to operate drones.
Eagle Eye also partners with The Air League to offer drone scholarships and bring new talent into the industry. “No other UK company has our credentials or experience. I want to show that drones are a safer, greener and cheaper alternative to traditional aircraft.”
I want to shift public perception and show that drones are a safer, greener and cheaper alternative to traditional aircraft.”
Q&A
How did Eagle Eye Innovations begin?
When I left the RAF at 39, I had a head full of ideas but no business experience. I was naïve but, in hindsight, that was a superpower. I didn’t listen to naysayers and took risks. I started Eagle Eye in 2014, building a business around my background as a drone instructor. There were few competitors at the time, and none with my operational RAF experience. I used to joke that more men had walked on the moon than had been an RAF drone instructor! That military discipline shaped the company, from punctuality to safety standards.
Where do you see the most exciting opportunities for drone technology?
The big opportunity lies in ‘beyond visual line of sight’ (BVLOS) flying, when drones can travel without the pilot seeing them. That opens up industries previously dominated by aircraft, from logistics to environmental monitoring. We’re moving from drones as gadgets to drones as essential infrastructure. Dubai, for instance, is piloting passenger-carrying drones – called air taxis – as part of its smart city ambitions. If we can reach the point where a Class A drone is seen on par with a traditional aircraft, the potential applications are endless.
How are you helping young people break into the industry?
I still remember being a kid in Wales and thinking aviation was out of reach. Through our work with The Air League, we offer fully funded drone scholarships, giving young people from all backgrounds the chance to gain their pilot qualifications. We’ve also partnered with local colleges like the ASI in Newark, delivering courses and hands-on drone demonstrations. Once students see the technology in action, they’re hooked. There’s still an elitist edge to aviation but we want to change that.
