For Lucas Dent 2027, a passion for aviation has always been about more than simply wanting to fly. After discovering Catholic Central’s aviation and drone programs, he found a way to combine that passion with another interest: entrepreneurship.

Last year, Dent completed Catholic Central’s Introduction to Aviation course and drone course, earning his FAA Remote Pilot Certification in the summer of 2026. Now, he is putting that certification to work through his own business, LJDOptics.

“I’ve always had a passion for starting businesses too, on top of aviation,” Dent said. “It kind of just made sense to have a company and fly at the same time.”

Through LJDOptics, Dent provides aerial photography and video services for landscaping companies, real estate businesses and local events. Over the summer, he began building his client base and has already worked on several projects, including a landscaping project for the Ducati dealership in Livonia and promotional video work for a landscaping company.

He has also begun photographing downtown events in Wixom, including the city’s Thursday Family Fun Night events.

Dent’s interest in drones began after taking the aviation classes at Catholic Central. He purchased his first drone for his birthday and quickly discovered how much he enjoyed both flying it and capturing photos and video.

The drone course gave him the foundation to turn that interest into something more.

The semester-long class begins with the basics of drone flight. Students first practice with smaller, less expensive drones before moving on to more advanced equipment. From there, they learn about drone laws and regulations, airspace, temporary flight restrictions and other rules pilots need to understand.

“It’s a really fun class,” Dent said. “You get to fly drones every Friday.”

After completing the course, Dent took the FAA exam and passed, earning his Remote Pilot Certificate and opening the door to commercial drone work.

Starting a business has brought its own set of challenges. Dent has spent time cold-calling potential clients, pitching his services to businesses and working to establish his company while preparing for his senior year.

“It takes a lot of time and effort,” Dent said. “You’re not going to make money the second you start it. So don’t give up.”

He also credits his parents for helping him get started, including helping him purchase the drones he uses for his work. Dent now has two professional-quality drones and has created business cards and other materials to promote LJDOptics.

While his drone business continues to grow, Dent has his sights set even higher in aviation.

After graduating from Catholic Central, he plans to attend flight school and pursue his goal of becoming a professional pilot. He hopes to fly for Delta Air Lines eventually. At the same time, he plans to continue growing LJDOptics.

“I feel like I could grow it into something really big, which would be awesome,” he said.

For other Shamrocks interested in starting a business or turning a passion into something more, Dent advises using the resources available to you.

“Ask your parents for help. Utilize the school,” he said. “School will help you a lot. Just talking to people about it will make it go a lot easier.”