Dave Whitehouse — Thermal Drone Pilot & Search and Rescue Professional
Dave Whitehouse is the owner and operator of Drone-Search and an FAA Part 107-certified remote pilot based in Eau Claire and New Auburn, Wisconsin. A retired Eau Claire Fire Department Captain with more than 35 years of Search & Rescue experience, Dave combines decades of real-world search experience with aerial thermal imaging technology to help locate lost pets, recover deer, conduct wildlife surveys, and assist with other search needs throughout Western Wisconsin.
35+ Years of Search & Rescue Experience
Dave's search experience began long before Drone-Search. During more than 35 years with the Eau Claire Fire Department, including service as a Fire Captain, he gained extensive experience in Search & Rescue operations and locating people in difficult environments.
His experience includes organizing and conducting ground searches, using structured search patterns, operating sonar during water searches, and applying aerial search techniques. Those same search principles—understanding terrain, systematically covering an area, interpreting clues, and adapting the search as new information develops—are now an important part of every Drone-Search mission.
From Search & Rescue to Thermal Drone Search
Drone-Search combines Dave's decades of search experience with modern aerial thermal imaging and high-resolution camera technology. Rather than simply flying over an area and looking for a heat signature, each mission involves evaluating the last known location, terrain, likely travel routes, environmental conditions, and other available information to develop an effective search strategy.
From missing dogs and deer recovery to wildlife surveys and public safety assistance, Dave applies proven search principles while using the drone to cover large or difficult areas efficiently from the air.
FAA Part 107-Certified Thermal Drone Pilot
Dave is an FAA Part 107-certified remote pilot and operates Drone-Search missions with an emphasis on safe, responsible flight operations. He uses professional thermal imaging and high-resolution aerial camera technology to search from the air while adapting flight altitude, viewing angle, and search patterns to the terrain and conditions of each mission.
Thermal imaging detects differences in surface temperature and does not see through solid objects. Experience interpreting thermal imagery and changing the drone's viewing angle can be especially important when searching wooded areas, brush, tall vegetation, wetlands, and other challenging terrain.
A Lifelong Hunter, Dog Lover & Wisconsin Outdoorsman
Dave is a lifelong hunter, dog lover, and Wisconsin outdoorsman who understands both the urgency of a missing pet and the responsibility hunters feel to recover an animal after the shot. That personal experience helps shape Drone-Search's approach to every mission—with patience, practical field experience, and respect for the animal, the landowner, and the people involved.
Whether searching for a frightened dog, helping a hunter determine what happened after a shot, or surveying wildlife from the air, Dave approaches each search with the goal of gathering useful information while minimizing unnecessary ground disturbance.
Serving Western Wisconsin from Eau Claire & New Auburn
Drone-Search is based in Eau Claire and New Auburn, Wisconsin, providing thermal drone search services throughout Western Wisconsin. Our primary service area includes Eau Claire, Chippewa, Dunn, Buffalo, Rusk, Trempealeau, and Clark Counties, with searches outside the primary service area considered depending on availability.
From these two locations, Dave responds to lost-pet searches, deer recovery searches, wildlife surveys, and other thermal drone search needs across the region.
