From commanding 100-ton tanks in the desert to piloting helicopters over the North Sea, Rowley Cory-Wright brings a wealth of high-stakes operational experience to StirlingX. As our Head of Flight Operations, Rowley is responsible for bridging the gap between cutting-edge drone technology and the practical, safe execution of complex data-gathering missions.

We sat down with Rowley to discuss his journey from the Royal Dragoon Guards to the cockpit, and how his “planning-first” philosophy is shaping the future of drone swarms and Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.

From Heavy Cavalry to High-Altitude Surveillance

Q: Your career started in a very different kind of vehicle – the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank. What was that experience like?

Rowley: I was commissioned into the Royal Dragoon Guards as a troop leader, commanding three Challenger 2 tanks. It was an incredible learning curve. By the time we were operating in Basra, those tanks weighed nearly 100 tonnes. My role involved managing a four-person crew – driver, gunner, loader, and radio operator – while coordinating with a troop sergeant and corporal.

Q: You also spent time in Land Rovers doing “force protection.” How did that prepare you for logistics and operations?

Rowley: That was during Operation TELIC. We were responsible for protecting convoys carrying essential supplies like food and water from the Kuwaiti border. It taught me everything about identifying “vulnerable points” – places like road junctions where things slow down and risks increase. It was all about keeping the move fluid and safe, which is exactly what we do in flight ops today.

Q: What prompted the move from tanks to the cockpit?

Rowley: I simply wanted to fly! After training, I joined the Army Air Corps, eventually becoming the second in command of a manned airborne surveillance Rotary Wing Squadron in Northern Ireland. I supported counter-terrorism operations nationwide, flying in very demanding environments.

The Transition to Civilian Aviation and Drones

Q: You have over 3,000 flying hours. How did that lead you to the drone industry?

Rowley: After the military, I flew transport helicopters (specifically the AW139) to gas rigs out of Norwich. While I loved flying, civilian transport can be repetitive – you’re often just flying from A to B. I wanted something more tech-focused and fast-paced.

I joined Hexcam in 2016, took over operations in 2017, and eventually ran the company until we merged with StirlingX in 2025. Drones allow me to stay in the aviation world while solving brand-new problems every day.

Operations at StirlingX

Q: What does “Operations” actually look like at StirlingX on a day-to-day basis?

Rowley: It’s about getting out there and gathering data on Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) assets effectively and safely. We might be on a wind farm one day and in the middle of London or Sheffield the next. Great operations are often invisible to the customer – if we’ve flown safely and efficiently without them even knowing we were there, we’ve done our job.

Q: What is the biggest operational challenge you are tackling this year?

Rowley: BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight). The regulations are finally at a point where we can trial these operations safely. We are using our work in Norfolk as a “cookie-cutter” model to scale these lessons to sites in Wales, Scotland, and beyond.

Q: What’s your philosophy when it comes to scaling operations?

Rowley: Safety comes first – always.

You need the right supervision, the right people and the right processes before you scale. Efficiency matters, but never at the expense of safety. The aim is to build systems that allow scale without increasing risk.

Q: What is your “dream” setup for the future of flight ops?

Rowley: A 1-to-many swarm formation. In this model, an aircraft captain in a control room monitors the mission while a co-pilot and ground handler manage multiple drones on-site. Instead of one drone flying a corridor five times, a swarm flies it once. This massively increases flight efficiency and reduces what I call “link time” – the downtime spent moving people and setting up equipment.

Q: What is the most important lesson you’ve carried over from your military career?

Rowley: Planning. I learned the hard way that not enough planning leads to inefficiency. In the drone world, you can spend 20 minutes flying but two hours setting up and moving. My goal is to minimize that “link time” through meticulous prep.

Q: What do you look for when building a high-performing team?

Rowley: I look for people who can think outside the box and bring enthusiasm, but I want a measured approach. I don’t want “gung-ho” operators; I want people who think deeply before throwing a drone into the air.

Quick Hits with Rowley

• Lives: Norwich.
• Family: Married with two kids.
• Volunteer Work: Instructor for the Duke of Edinburgh Award.