CTE Month – February 2026 Spotlight: Pendleton UAS Range

CTE Month – February 2026
Spotlight: Pendleton UAS Range, Interview with Jesse Steele, UAS Range Manager

One of Pendleton’s large economic drivers is something many people never notice. The UAS Range at the Pendleton Airport covers 14,000 square miles and attracts companies from around the world to test their equipment. But most people never see it.

UAS stands for Unmanned Aerial Systems, commonly known as drones. Jesse Steele is the new manager of the range. Retired from the U.S. Navy, he started managing the range in October 2025. Steele describes the range as “a dedicated place where any type of drone company can come to legally and safely test their equipment in a protected environment.” He explains that while the range hosts some large, significant companies, it’s also here to help anyone achieve their dreams. “There are people who just have this really great idea regarding drones and technology and are scraping by to make their dream come true, so we help them with that,” Steele said.

Steele said the range’s staff is small, but their motto is “find a way to say YES.” They are constantly communicating with individuals and companies to keep up with rapidly changing technology in the UAS field so they can best serve their customers. More than 175 companies have worked at the UAS Range, with their employees staying in hotels and eating at restaurants in Pendleton.

Steele said he plans to work with Pendleton High School to eventually re-establish a job shadow/job internship program for students to learn about the UAS career field. He said there are many different types of jobs, from engineering and manufacturing parts of the drone to designing electronics and circuitry to computer coding and drone piloting. Drones are used for precision agriculture, forestry, wildfires, search and rescue, utility inspections, and new uses all the time.

What kinds of classes should students take if they are interested in this career? Steele said any STEM class is good, and math, physics, and engineering are helpful, but “My advice for students is to follow your interests. Don’t feel like you have to be an engineer to get into UAS, don’t see that as a roadblock. You don’t have to earn a four-year engineering degree to do some of the things we do.”

Industry-wide there is a shortage of drone pilots, and initial certification is fairly easy to obtain, said Steele. He often gets asked by companies using the range if he knows anyone with experience in drone piloting.

Soft skills like learning how to talk with adults, presenting yourself, communicating well with others, networking, customer service and learning how to collaborate are also things that Steele said students should strive to learn.

“If you are the entrepreneur with a dream, you are never going to see that dream realized if you don’t know how to interact with the rest of the people required to get there.”