{"id":231,"date":"2026-09-25T11:37:36","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T11:37:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dronearchitect.kuduclients.be\/over-jon\/"},"modified":"2026-10-30T09:20:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T09:20:27","slug":"about-jon","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/drone-architect.be\/en\/about-jon\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n About<\/span>

Jon Verbeke<\/h1>

Aerospace engineer and dedicated drone specialist<\/p>

\n Follow Jon on LinkedIn<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n
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\n Our Mission<\/span>

At Drone Architect, we combine integrity, independence, and a no-nonsense approach to guide your drone operations safely and legally.<\/h2>

With expertise across technology, regulations, and operations, we help you make smarter decisions, reduce risks, and create lasting value.<\/p> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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\n \"Jon <\/div>\n
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\n Jon Verbeke<\/span>\n

Jon Verbeke<\/h2>\n

My journey began at 16 with Private Pilot training, followed by an MSc in Aircraft and Helicopter Design at Delft University of Technology, supported by internships with Airbus and the University of Liverpool.<\/p>\n

Extensive drone R&D and pilot experience<\/h2>\n

Since 2010, I have been immersed in drone R&D, designing and building drones across multiple configurations. Earning my drone pilot license in 2016, I have accumulated over 15 years\u2019 experience with both small and big drones in VLOS and BVLOS operations.<\/p>\n

Advanced drone development and regulatory contributions<\/h2>\n

My PhD, completed in 2018, focused on designing a drone capable of autonomously navigating orchards to inspect fruit at close range with sideward cameras. I also played an active role in shaping drone regulations, serving on industry councils to further the field.<\/p>\n<\/div> \n \n

Follow Jon on LinkedIn<\/span>\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n
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Leadership in BVLOS operations at Citymesh<\/h2>\n

From 2018 to 2023, I established a pioneering drone team at Citymesh, conducting over 1,000 BVLOS emergency flights using 5G-enabled, drone-in-a-box technology. Our operations scaled to harbors, cities, and airports. At the end of 2025 they have now deployed 70 drone-in-a-box solutions across Belgium. Since 2018 Citymesh have flown over 3,000 BVLOS flights and 1,000 flight hours mainly for first response missions for fire and police services. In my current role I still support the Citymesh Safety Drones team and their drone supplier Nokia with legal compliance.<\/p>\n

Founder of Drone Architect<\/h2>\n

In 2023, I wanted to expand my horizons and founded Drone Architect, a consultancy firm dedicated to driving innovation in drone applications across diverse industries. My work is fuelled by a deep commitment to be the best in my field and to push the boundaries of drone technology and its applications.<\/p>\n<\/div> \n \n

Connect op LinkedIn<\/span>\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n
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Cleared for take-off<\/h2>

Drone Architect has provided drone solutions, legal compliance and training for \u2026<\/p>

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\n \"Drone <\/div>\n
\n \"Elia\" <\/div>\n
\n \"Joris <\/div>\n
\n \"PZA\" <\/div>\n
\n \"Future <\/div>\n
\n \"Drone <\/div>\n
\n \"Elia\" <\/div>\n
\n \"Joris <\/div>\n
\n \"PZA\" <\/div>\n
\n \"Future <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n
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\n Case studies<\/span>

Case studies and blog<\/h2> <\/div>\n
Read more<\/span>\u2192<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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\n Legal<\/span>

Future Services: Scaling rope-access inspections with drones<\/h3>

Future Services, an expert in offshore rope-access inspections for wind turbines and high-voltage substations, recognised the need for innovation. With an eye on safety, cost reduction, and scalability, Future Services wanted to integrate drones into their inspection workflow – without replacing rope-access entirely. They turned to Drone Architect to design a practical, scalable and regulation-compliant solution that could quickly move from concept to operations. In this case study, we show how Drone Architect helped Future Services achieve scalable Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) drone inspections – both offshore and onshore.<\/p> <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n

\n \"\" Legal<\/span> <\/div>\n
\n Legal<\/span>

Legal drone inspections in high-risk areas<\/h3> <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n
\n \"\" Training<\/span> <\/div>\n
\n Training<\/span>

Empowering BCAA: From standstill to pioneer<\/h3>

In late 2023, the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) was at a pivotal crossroads. While the drone department (UAS cell) had existed for some time, a full internal reshuffle meant that all existing staff were replaced. A completely new team was brought in, eager and motivated, but with no prior experience in drone legislation or operations. At that same moment, the department faced a growing backlog of operational authorisation applications, with some operators waiting up to a year for approval. Yet rather than maintain the status quo, the BCAA seized the moment to bring in a more progressive, pragmatic and transparent approach to the European drone regulation. That's where we came in.<\/p> <\/div>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-231","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nOur Mission - Drone Architect<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/drone-architect.be\/en\/about-jon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Our Mission - Drone Architect\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/drone-architect.be\/en\/about-jon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Drone Architect\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-30T09:20:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/drone-architect.be\/en\/about-jon\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/drone-architect.be\/en\/about-jon\/\",\"name\":\"Our Mission - 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