12 August 2024

By Brent Bernhart

I live in the small town of Fredericksburg, Ohio with my wife and two kids. I am relatively new to the droning community, but I am passionate about drones and eager to learn all that I can about them. I am open to all opportunities that may be thrown at me with hopes of succeeding in this new adventure and building a business to be passed down to my children.

After I met my wife, I realized I needed to put some focus on finding a career so I could be able to support a family. In 2007, I enlisted in the Ohio Army National Guard. In 2008, I was shipped off to basic training at Fort Sill in Oklahoma. After basic training, I was assigned to Fort Knox in Kentucky to complete schooling for Bradley Tank Mechanics. I served 6 years and was stationed out of Ravenna Ohio.

In those six years, I got married and had my daughter, but I still did not know what I wanted to do with my life. I worked odd jobs just to be able to support my family until one day my wife suggested law enforcement as a career. We prayed about it and I was able to enroll into the Kent State Police Academy and successfully completed the Ohio Peace Officer Training in the spring of 2013. I became a certified Law Enforcement Officer that summer after passing the Ohio Peace Officer Commission exam.

I began my law enforcement career at the Wayne County Sheriff's Office. For eight years, I was assigned to the corrections division where during my time, was promoted to Sergeant of the Corrections Division. During that time serving in Wayne County, my son was born. In 2017, I received the Deputy of the Year Award, in which I was chosen by my peers. In 2020, I transferred to the Holmes County Sheriff's Office where I am currently assigned to patrol duties, as well as, being a School Resource Officer during the school year. I aim to develop positive relationships with students and staff. I believe the importance of having positive role models in the lives of our youth, and then changing the perspectives of how people view police. Being a school resource officer is a rewarding experience and I take pride in my accomplishments.

Although I find it rewarding, law enforcement has changed over the years and I needed to find ways to take care of my mental health from long days on the job. Shortly after I got married, I became fascinated with flying model airplanes. My father in law built and flew his own planes and he quickly showed me the ropes. I caught on quickly with using the controls and began flying nightly in a makeshift airstrip in my backyard. Although I had a few crashes, my father in law would always fix the planes up and we would be back at it the next day attempting the same tricks we crashed on the previous night. He still has a few planes that have yet to see flight time, and I still can’t convince him to let me fly them. There is something about those WWII replicas of the P51 Mustang and the F4U Corsair that has his heart.

I first took interest in drones when a close friend, who is an airplane pilot, had mentioned to me about getting my drone pilot license and starting a business. I started researching drones and was able to purchase an Autel Robotics EVO drone. After fiddling around with it for several days, I fell in love with flying. I knew with time and patience I could develop a new career path. After several years, I felt that it was time to hunker down and obtain my part 107 drone license. I ensued countless hours of studying for my part 107 exam. I studied from websites, such as, Drone Launch Academy and Pilot Institute. I took hundreds of practice tests and as soon as I felt comfortable and with the blessing of my family, I scheduled a time to take the official exam. I felt relief and a sense of excitment as soon as I heard that I was successful and passed! I am still currently working with an Autel Robotics EVO drone, which has video and photo capabilities but am eager to upgrade once I get established. Since obtaining my part 107, I have logged over 30 hours of flight time. With my in-laws dairy farm in my backyard, most of my flight time has been capturing the endless fieldwork that a farmer endures. I feel privileged to capture this essence and hope that one day everyone sees the hard work that is put in on a daily basis.  With each flight that I take, I have gained so much knowledge. I look forward to flying every day and enjoy learning something new while I am in the air.

Aside from flying my drone, I enjoy camping and fishing with my family, as well as, just enjoying the great outdoors. I love to take our small boat out on a family pond to spend one on one time with each of my kids, or my wife.  We all enjoy that time together whether we hook a fish or not. There is something special about immersing yourself in nature, navigating through trails with a map, or just soaking up the sun on a lake.  A person learns things about themselves that they could never learn otherwise.  As a small rural farming community, Fredericksburg is a great place to immerse yourself with Ohio history and Amish culture. Being able raise my kids in a small town, along with, teaching them the value and importance of the land is rewarding in itself. Both my kids are heavily involved in sports, I enjoy going to their games and practices and watching them learn new things.  It is always a joy watching them succeed in the things that they do. My son has already taken an interest in flying so I hope to teach him all the tricks and trades of flying drones.

I am also an amateur radio (ham radio) enthusiast. Ever since I was a little kid, I enjoyed walkie-talkies.  I found out about Ham radios, as a child, while at a friends house.  He had a ham radio and I enjoyed listening to the banter that came through from all around the world. I have always been intrigued with ham radios, but I didn’t become licensed until 2022. I enjoy connecting with other radio enthusiasts all over the world.

My mission is to serve others, contribute to society, grow my expertise and learn new skills. I am reliable, dependable and willing to do what it takes to get the job done. I look forward to continuing to grow as a pilot and drone photographer.  Flying drones is now a passion of mine with hopes of turning this hobby into a career. I want to inspire others to follow their dreams and aspirations and continue to work towards achieving the goals that I have set for myself.