Trinidad and Tobago Flying Labs Joins the Network

By Trinidad and Tobago Flying Labs

For Anand Maharaj, a lifelong fascination with flight began close to home. Growing up in St. Helena Village, Piarco, Trinidad and Tobago, he was close enough to watch aircraft take off and land at what would become the country’s main aviation hub. That early fascination eventually grew into a 40-year career as a pilot. After retiring, Anand turned that same passion toward service: flying to Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa to support Jamaica Flying Labs' relief efforts, and later realizing that Trinidad and Tobago — despite sitting at the southern edge of the Caribbean chain, close to neighbours like Grenada, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana, and Venezuela — had no Flying Labs hub of its own. The June 2026 Venezuela earthquakes, which caused an estimated US$6.7 billion in damage, underscored just how urgently the region needed a nearby, rapidly deployable drone and GIS response capability. From that need, Trinidad & Tobago Flying Labs was born.

Core Priorities

With Daniel Sammy  and Brett Lucas serving as the Coordinators, Trinidad and Tobago Flying Labs will be guided by two core priority areas: disaster response and STEM education. 

By capturing aerial imagery and using geospatial data to assess damage, our team aims to help emergency responders understand what has happened, identify affected areas, and make better-informed decisions when time is critical. We intend to work alongside Trinidad and Tobago’s Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM), the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, and local search-and-rescue teams. Over time, we also hope to contribute to regional mutual-aid efforts through the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), helping make drone-based response capabilities available across national borders when needed.

Trinidad and Tobago Flying Labs also aims to introduce young people to drones and geospatial data as practical tools for learning, exploration, and problem-solving. Beginning in Anand’s own  home community of St. Helena Village, we will help a new generation discover the real-world applications of emerging technologies. We hope to develop partnerships with the Ministry of Education, the University of the West Indies (UWI), and the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) to support this work. 

The Experience We Bring

Trinidad and Tobago Flying Labs brings a wealth of experience to the Flying Labs Network. Here are a few projects we have already carried out:

• Hurricane Melissa response support (Jamaica) — Anand worked directly with Jamaica Flying Labs on drone response efforts, applying the same Standard Operating Procedures discipline from his 40-year aviation career to disaster-context drone operations. This hands-on experience now directly informs the protocols being built for Trinidad and Tobago.
• Post-hurricane solar network assessment (Florida) — We used drone imagery to help a power company restore infrastructure after a hurricane, demonstrating the practical value of aerial data in real-world recovery work.
• Coastal mapping for turtle nesting conservation (Trinidad and Tobago) — We carried out an early local project applying drone mapping to environmental conservation.
• Coastal erosion and mangrove ecosystem mapping (Trinidad and Tobago) — Led by team member Daniel Sammy, we applied drone data to environmental monitoring along the coastline.
• SOP-based training for local volunteers and First Responders (in progress) — Anand is applying structured, aviation-grade training methods to build a skilled local drone team and to train First Responders across Trinidad and Tobago in safe, mission-ready operations, laying the operational foundation we need before scaling up disaster-response work.

In addition to these, we have also proposed a first-of-its-kind national heritage 3D mapping project, which will entail a pioneering collaboration with the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago to fly and create a 3D digital model of a historical site, capturing architecture and cultural practices that reflect how tradition was adapted in a Caribbean context.

Starting Out

In our first six months, Trinidad and Tobago Flying Labs plans to focus on building the relationships, skills, and operational systems needed to grow sustainably. Priorities include engaging national stakeholders such as ODPM, the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Authority (TTCAA), the police, and the Defence Force; developing a search-and-rescue partnership with local teams; and introducing drone and geospatial learning through school visits and community workshops. We will also explore a potential flood-risk mapping project along the Caroni River with ODPM. 

Trinidad and Tobago Flying Labs is honoured to join a global network of locally led technology hubs united by the belief that technology has the greatest potential for good when local people have the skills, knowledge, and agency to put it to work. We look forward to building local and regional capacity to engage with emerging technologies for greater community resilience and environmental stewardship.