Jim Santilli
Jim Santilli is the President of American Air Operations and serves as the primary instructor.
Santilli
holds an Airman Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) with a small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) rating. He has more
than 10 years of experience flying multirotor and fixed-wing unmanned
aircraft, and completed private pilot ground school courses. Furthermore, Santilli was trained in drone assessment and response tactics for Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS). Since
2018, Santilli has trained professionals from 260 agencies (federal, state, county, local, tribal, and college/university) and companies in 27 states throughout the United States of America. He's flown
numerous public safety missions, which include: auto theft and drug
trafficking surveillance, fatal and severe injury traffic crashes, fire,
home raid, homicide, natural disaster, officer-involved shooting, and search for
missing and armed persons. Furthermore, he flew missions for Hurricanes Milton (2024), Helene (2024), Idalia (2023), and Ian (2022). Santilli is an
appointed FAA Safety Team Representative, member of the Aircraft Owners
and Pilots Association, and lifetime member of the Air & Space
Forces Association. He previously served on the Michigan Aeronautics
Commissions’ Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Advisory Committee, and was
part of a sheriff aviation unit for 4 years.
Santilli has more
than 24 years of transportation safety experience, much of which
includes working closely with law enforcement and government
leaders to improve traffic safety. He currently serves as the chief executive officer of an
agency; a position he's held since appointed in 2011. Santilli also worked in a variety of public safety positions and as a college criminal justice instructor. His training includes 911 dispatch, child passenger safety, corporate law, criminal and juvenile justice, crisis and emergency management, traffic incident management, Emergency Medical Services Medical First Responder, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), and Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers.
During 2024, Santilli received the Richard H. Austin Long-Term Service Award from the State of Michigan for long-term contributions and commitment to traffic safety. He also was the recipient of Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson’s prestigious ‘Elite 40 Under 40’ leadership award during 2012.
A
lifelong resident of Michigan, Santilli is a graduate of Ferris State
University. At FSU, he earned a Bachelor of
Science in Criminal Justice, received the Torchbearer Leadership Award,
and an award from the Department of Public Safety for many years
dedicated to traffic safety. He is also a proud graduate of Michigan's largest high school, Dakota High School, where he served as student body president.
