A Little History

Theiss UAV Solutions began as Theiss Aviation, Inc., and was originally founded in 1991. Based in Salem, OH, Theiss Aviation, Inc. designed, built, and tested Light Homebuilt and Ultralight Aircraft for General Aviation. The company developed and refined an inexpensive, lightweight construction method that proved to be very strong and easy to work with for aircraft applications.  Theiss Aviation, Inc. was able to produce aircraft that resembled popular aircraft from the 1920's and 30's, but at a weight and performance level that classified them as Ultralights. Through numerous national and international magazine articles, Theiss Aviation, Inc. was exposed to all realms of aviation and their members.
 
In 1998, The Head of the Tactical Electronic Warfare Division's Offboard Countermeasures Vehicle Research Section for the U.S. Naval Research Laboratories  (Washington, D.C.) contacted Theiss Aviation, Inc. after reading one of the aforementioned magazine articles. The military was in need of lightweight, expendable, Tactical UAV's for use in conjunction with I.T.T., and Theiss Aviation seemed to have the solution! Within 90 days of the first meeting with NRL, Theiss Aviation delivered their first Tactical UAV. 

From that point on the company became committed to supplying the Department of Defense with quality inexpensive, high performance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and their associated Sub-components. Theiss Aviation established itself as a “Leader in Innovative Aircraft Design”, providing services such as UAV designing, prototyping, testing and production for clientele such as I.T.T, the Naval Research Laboratories, NAVAIR, CECOM, the U.S. Army, the Air Force Research Laboratories, NASA, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). 

Shawn Theiss is Founder, Vice President and CTO of Theiss UAV Solutions. He has 30 years of professional experience in all aspects of Aeronautical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Fabrication Processes, Business Management, and Government Regulations. During his nearly three decades in the aviation design and manufacturing industry, Shawn has produced working blueprints, illustrated manuals, technical military operations manuals, visual/oral presentations, and advertising literature, as well as promoted, established, and maintained Client Relations within both Commercial and DoD fields (NRL, AFRL, DARPA, CECOM).
 

Shawn has created and managed testing plans and operational flight plans, and has worked with the FAA to acquire approvals for conducting these UAV operations plans. He also has over 15 years of active UAV piloting and operations experience, and has acted as both a classroom and flight instructor in Theiss UAV Solutions’ UAV Operator Training Programs.

Rachel Theiss is the Chief Executive Officer of Theiss UAV Solutions. Rachel joined the Theiss UAV team in 2015. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Malone University in 2000 and a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership in 2005. She also completed government training and certification in accordance with the National Industrial Security Program in 2017 and holds the position of Facility Security Officer at the company. Her diverse background in the fields of leadership, cybersecurity, facility security and business management have made her a divergent leader in the company and the UAV industry.

Ric Musselman comes to us with an extensive background and over 30 years experience in remote controlled aircraft. From building, flying and competing with giant scale aircraft, to putting together complex multirotor systems, his knowledge and expertise is a perfect match for this growing industry. Ric came to the company in 2014, filling the position of lead flight instructor for both college UAV Pilot students and commercial UAV operators. After working in multiple industries from sales to banking, construction, and even his local church, we at Theiss UAV Solutions are blessed to have Ric as part of our team.