Let us do the heavy lifting

Get your Part 107. All in. Nationwide.

9 Line Flight Systems delivers complete, done-for-you FAA Part 107 certification training, anywhere in the country. Books, testing, and support included. No guesswork, no gaps.

Who is this for?

Whether you're starting from zero or scaling up

Individuals looking to earn their Part 107 and start flying professionally.
Organizations already flying drones that need more certified pilots on staff without slowing down operations.
Engineering, survey, and construction firms tired of farming out drone data to outside vendors. If your team is ready to bring aerial data collection in house, we build the pilots to make that happen.
Unions, associations, and public agencies looking to add a nationally recognized certification to their members' skill sets.

No matter where you're starting, we build the course around your goals.

What's included?

✔Nationwide delivery, we come to you
✔Small class sizes (6 to 12 students)
✔All books and courseware provided
✔IACRA application handled for every student before class
✔FAA knowledge test scheduled at the nearest testing facility
✔9 Line staff on site with you on test day
✔Free retest coverage if a student doesn't pass the first time, plus focused prep for the retake
✔Hands on flight time with real drones during class

Services

Individual Certification

Earn your Part 107 with a program built to get you certified the first time. Small classes, all books and courseware included, and full support through IACRA and test day. If you don't pass, we cover your retest and get you ready for a successful retake.

Team & Organization Training

Bring drone data collection in house instead of farming it out. We train your engineers, surveyors, or field staff as a group, at your facility, so your team walks away certified and ready to fly on day one.

Wingtra Platform Training (Optional)

Part 107 training built specifically around Wingtra operations and workflows. Organizations that complete this track receive a discount on WingtraRAY purchases and accessories, giving you a straight path from certification to full operational capability.

Meet the team

Part 107 Certified Instructors — tap anyone to read their full bio

Our graduates

Certified Part 107 remote pilots trained by 9 Line — tap a photo to browse them all

Ready to get certified?

1600 Sycamore St., Peru, IL 61354 · 815-503-2193 · Brian@9lineflightsystems.com

Meet the Team

Veteran instructors and the certified pilots they've trained.

Founder and Lead Instructor

Brian "Twizz" Layhew

Brian Layhew is a retired United States Air Force Master Sergeant with 23 years of service, including time as a C-130 Crew Chief, Loadmaster, and Flight Engineer, and as an MQ-9 Reaper Sensor Operator. He holds his FAA Part 107 certification and founded 9 Line Aerial Media and 9 Line Flight Systems, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business built around drone training, data collection, and equipment sales.

Brian also teaches aviation and drone operations at Illinois Valley Career Center, bringing the same hands-on, no shortcuts approach to every Part 107 class he leads. His background in aviation safety and military flight operations shapes how 9 Line trains its students: thorough, practical, and focused on getting it right the first time.

Chief Pilot & Instructor

James "Goose" Guetschow

As Chief Pilot for 9 Line Aerial Media, Jim leads precision mapping and LiDAR operations for the company. A Master Sergeant in the Air National Guard with 24 years of service, he spent his first 20 as a C-130 Loadmaster, including multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, before moving into his current role as an MQ-9 sensor operator. Jim isn't just a drone pilot, he's a manned aircraft pilot as well, holding an instrument rating and working toward his commercial pilot certificate. He has been FAA certified under Part 107 since 2018 and serves as a Civil Air Patrol Mission Pilot and drone pilot with the Valparaiso Composite Squadron. He also owns 4 Fans Aerial Photography and is finishing a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics at Liberty University.

A husband and father, when he's not flying, Jim is usually with his family or out chasing the perfect shot with his camera.

Director of Operations

Patrick Lee

Patrick Lee brings a background in agriculture to 9 Line Flight Systems, along with a genuine passion for drone technology and where it's headed. That combination gives him a practical, real world perspective on how UAS data actually gets used in the field, not just how it looks in a demo.

Patrick also performs WingtraRAY onboarding and startup for new customers, helping organizations get their platform up and running and their team confident behind the controls from day one. Sharp, business minded, and fully invested in doing things right, he's the kind of instructor who makes sure every student understands not just how to fly, but why it matters for their operation.

Instructor

Rick Mearse

Rick Mearse brings three decades of aviation leadership and eight years of dedicated drone experience to 9 Line Flight Systems. He has served with the Civil Air Patrol for 30 years, currently holding the role of State Director of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems, a position that reflects both his deep expertise and the trust placed in him to lead UAS programs at a statewide level.

A Part 107 certified pilot with 8 years of hands-on sUAS experience, Rick pairs that flight background with 15 years in home improvement and project estimating, giving him a practical, detail oriented approach to how drone data gets used to plan and execute real projects. That mix of field experience and technical precision makes him a natural fit in the classroom, where he helps students connect the fundamentals of flight to how the work actually gets done on the ground.

Instructor

Rodney Berkheimer

Rodney Berkheimer brings a rare combination of discipline, technical depth, and real world flight time to 9 Line Flight Systems. He served six years in the United States Navy as a submariner, an experience that instilled the kind of precision and attention to detail that carries directly into safe, deliberate drone operations. Rodney went on to build a career as a network engineer at Verizon, where he spent years solving complex technical problems, skills that translate well into troubleshooting equipment and systems in the field.

With 10 years of hands-on drone piloting experience, Rodney is one of the most seasoned operators on the 9 Line team. Driven, methodical, and always looking to sharpen his craft, he brings that same relentless work ethic into the classroom, helping students build the kind of confidence and competence that only comes from someone who has genuinely put in the flight time.

Instructor

Jason "Flock" Fowler

Jason "Flock" Fowler is a Certified Remote Pilot and 28-year veteran of the United States Air Force, bringing decades of aviation expertise to the world of unmanned aircraft systems. Over his military career, he served as an Avionics Technician on KC-10A aircraft, a Flight Engineer on C-130E/H aircraft, and a Navigator on C-130H aircraft, building a rare depth of technical and operational knowledge across multiple aviation disciplines.

Jason holds a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Human Factors from the University of Illinois Institute of Aviation Part 141 program (2006), along with an FAA Commercial Pilot License with a Multi-Engine Land rating and an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. This blend of military aviation experience and civilian certification gives him the practical knowledge and instructional insight to prepare the next generation of remote pilots for success in the field.