About Empire Unmanned
Empire Unmanned offers end-to-end commercial drone services including aerial data collection, processing, analytics and portal reporting available 24/7. Empire Unmanned, LLC, is a division of Empire Airlines, Inc. At the Empire family of companies we are known for our “WE CAN DO THAT!” attitude. We build and fix planes, train and educate flight crews and mechanics, serve major air cargo companies, help startup airline companies succeed, and provide cutting-edge unmanned flight technology and services.
MEET OUR TEAM
Tim Komberec
Chairman & CEO of Empire Holdings, Inc.
tim.komberec@empireairlines.com
Tim Komberec
Chairman & CEO of Empire Holdings, Inc.
Tim Komberec is the Chairman and CEO of Empire Airlines, Inc., headquartered in Hayden, Idaho. He was born and raised in Montana. After high school, Tim moved to Seattle, Washington, where he worked for the Boeing Company as an experimental machinist until entering and serving three years of active duty in the US Army. Upon leaving the Army, Tim returned to Seattle to attend Seattle Community College and to pursue his flying career.
Tim’s career has been exclusively dedicated to aviation since 1971. He has certificated several airlines, flown thousands of hours as an airline pilot, check airman and instructor, and managed airline fleets from small turbo props to large jet aircraft.
Tim currently serves on the Executive Board of Directors of the Regional Airline Association, the Coeur d’Alene Airport Advisory Board and is a board member and past president of the North Idaho College Foundation. He is the past chairman of the Idaho Workforce Development Council and the chairman of Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association. Tim and his wife Linda reside in Athol, Idaho.
tim.komberec@empireairlines.com
Jeff Williams
President & Senior Pilot
Jeff Williams is the President and Senior Pilot for Empire Unmanned, and brings over 16 years of extensive experience in commercial UAS design, development, and flight testing into his role. His professional qualifications include both commercial and military UAS/UAV programs, operations and UAV systems development.
Jeff is the former CEO of Williams Aerospace, Inc. in Hawaii. Serving both government and commercial clients, Jeff was a UAS Flight Test Coordinator and Mission Commander. He also served as Flight Test Program Manager as part of the Office of Naval Research sponsored UAS development program, and as UAV Mission Commander, Test Pilot and Sensor Operator (EO/IR optical turret), with over 650 hours of flight time in Hawaii, Thailand and the Philippines. He has experience with both Piccolo and Kestrel autopilot systems and GCS. Jeff was responsible for leading flight crew teams during preflight, flight and postflight operations, and wrote for companies the test flight, CRM, safety and mishap plans and UAS flight checklists. He analyzed all flight test data and prepared detailed reports to ONR and other agencies.
He served as a Naval Air Crewman and Special Projects Sensor Operator in the U.S. military for over 30 years. Jeff’s military service includes operational experience in aviation and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) mission positions in combat situations in Afghanistan and other countries. Jeff is an expert sensor operator, flight test coordinator, imagery analyst with a solid understanding of GIS products, the intelligence network, covert/overt air operations, and advanced sensor system troubleshooting theory. He also possesses specific expertise in Electrical Optical/IR, SAR, ISAR, Acoustics, Hyperspectral, Laser, ELINT, SIGINT and UAV technologies. Experienced in Secure Military Communications Procedures.
Jeff Williams holds a Masters of Aeronautical Science Degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Degree from the University of Phoenix. Jeff has also served as an adjunct college professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University at the campus located in Kaneohe, Hawaii.