Top 4 Drone pilot Jobs in Costa Mesa Ca

Mission Operations Specialist (UAS Pilot)
Odys Aviation —Long Beach, CA
- Full-time
- Bachelor's degree
- Senior level
- Python
Freelance Videographer/Editor
SR1 Performance USA —Orange, CA
- $30 - $65 an hour
- Part-time
- Mid-level
- Travel
- In-person
Quick Apply
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UAV Operator, Bolt
Anduril Industries —Costa Mesa, CA
- $113,000 - $155,000 a year
- Email
- Computer science
- Computer Science
- 3 years
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Security Drone Pilot and Editor - FAA License Required
Allied Universal —Wilmington, CA
- $26 an hour
- Full-time
- 18 years or older
- Clean driving record
- Mid-level
- AD&D insurance
- Paid holidays
Quick Apply

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Holistic Touch by Nazra —Los Angeles, CA
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Mission Operations Specialist (UAS Pilot)

Odys Aviation
Long Beach, CA

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Job Details

Full-time

Qualifications

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) engineering projects
Systems integration
Bachelor's degree
Flight operations
Aviation
Transportation safety regulations
Commercial drone operation
Experience in a research and development laboratory environment
Pilot License
Remote Pilot Certificate
Commanding aircraft
Engineering validation

Full Job Description

About Odys

Our mission at Odys is simple - we build safe, sustainable aircraft to cut travel time in half on the world's busiest corridors. Our flagship aircraft Alta enables travelers to skip the big-airport hassle by using city helipads and local airports to connect cities less than 1,000 miles apart (approx 40% of flights). And on average cut CO2 by 76% on tens of billions of flight miles globally.

To get there, we start with our UAV called Laila for commercial logistics, medical transport, humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and defense missions. We’re deploying aircraft with launch partners (Fiji Airways, Honeywell, Aramex, US Navy) beginning in 2026 and already have firm orders for aircraft under contract.

We’re a team of expert engineers from deep tech and aerospace that focus on fast iterations loops (completed transition flight faster than our peers) combined with mastery of the aircraft certification process. Previously, our team developed custom drones, brought multiple automotive platforms into production, and electrified transportation vehicles that magnetically levitate, that roll, that fly. Together, we’ve been learning, developing, building, testing, and preparing for this challenge our entire lives.

We are seeking a highly skilled UAV Pilot to join our Flight Test & Operations team as a Mission Operations Specialist. In this role, you will serve as the primary Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC) for our developmental eVTOL Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platforms, piloting complex, novel aircraft from the Ground Control Station (GCS) during live test events.

Beyond the stick, you will own the operational and regulatory groundwork that makes each flight possible — integrating the GCS, drafting Concepts of Operations (CONOPS), securing flight authorizations, and partnering with engineering to translate test objectives into safe, executable mission profiles. You will leverage your flight test background and deep knowledge of EASA JARUS SORA and FAA Part 107/108 regulations to safely advance our aircraft from early R&D testing through to commercial certification.

Key Responsibilities

Serve as the primary pilot at the Ground Control Station (GCS) during live experimental flight tests, safely executing mission profiles on complex, novel eVTOL UAV architectures.
Translate engineering objectives into safe, executable flight test plans and pilot them dynamically within a rapid prototyping and testing environment.
Lead the development of Concept of Operations (CONOPS) and operational risk assessments. Secure flight authorizations and waivers by applying the EASA JARUS SORA framework alongside FAA Part 107 and FAA Part 108 (BVLOS) regulations.
Take ownership of the integration, testing, and troubleshooting of Ground Control Stations (GCS). Ensure seamless command, control, and telemetry flow between the GCS and aircraft via C2 links and high-bandwidth datalinks.
Manage the integration, functional testing, and operational deployment of various R&D flight test payloads (e.g., telemetry equipment, optical sensors, ballast systems).
Apply established UAS flight test methodologies to optimize test efficiency, safety, and operational procedures for our autonomous eVTOL UAV platforms.
Collaborate closely with R&D engineering teams to analyze post-flight telemetry, evaluate handling qualities, validate C2 link robustness, and refine vehicle design based on real-world flight execution.

Required Qualifications

Active FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate with a proven logbook demonstrating significant flight hours as an RPIC on complex UAS or developmental eVTOL UAV platforms.
Demonstrated hands-on experience piloting complex, multi-rotor, or thrust-vectored vertical lift UAVs in an R&D, experimental, or operational test environment.
Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, Aviation, or a related technical field.
Professional experience in experimental, R&D, or certification flight test programs — whether as a UAV operator/pilot, Flight Test Engineer, or both.
Practical experience executing the EASA JARUS SORA process, coupled with deep expertise in the FAA Part 107 and FAA Part 108 frameworks for complex or Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.
Hands-on experience with Ground Control Station (GCS) integration, specifically focusing on:
- Command and Control (C2) link architecture and performance validation.
- Datalink integration (telemetry, video, and command streams).
- Hardware and software payload integration.

Preferred Qualifications

Familiarity with additional FAA aircraft certification frameworks (e.g., Part 21, Part 23, Part 27).
Experience with flight test data analysis software (e.g., IADS, MATLAB, Python) to support rapid R&D iterations.
Human Factors Evaluation Experience — pilot interface design, workload assessment, GCS ergonomics, or HMI evaluation in flight test settings.

Apply Now

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drone pilot jobs in costa mesa ca

Mission Operations Specialist (UAS Pilot)

Freelance Videographer/Editor

UAV Operator, Bolt

Security Drone Pilot and Editor - FAA License Required

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