Featured News

Trending News

16 May 2023
By Michael Molenda, TDC Editor
The Droning Company's roving reporters Chris Fravel and Elle recorded an astounding 37 interviews with the exhibitors at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.auvsi.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AUVSI</a> Xponential 2023 in Denver, Colorado.
The duo's broad, comprehensive reporting at this important drone convention means The Droning Company readers can dig deep into the strategies, future plans, and critical knowledge dumps from companies such as Draganfly, Autel, BRINC, Honeywell, Iris Automation, NASA, and others. In addition, we met with the FAA, the Pilot Institute, and other drone experts to collect essential data for experienced pilots, aspiring beginners, and technology geeks.
Spinning through our Xponential 2023 YouTube Playlist is like taking a crash course in most all the knowledge you need to succeed.
And while you're absorbing tons of cool content from the big show, please don't forget to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiPevjKgtVfwXU2w9ODsrlQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SUBSCRIBE</a> to The Droning Company YouTube channel.
We are also preparing additional articles on the gear, technology, and companies that attended Xponential 2023, so keep checking <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Droning Company</a> website for updates.
<h5>CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW to Run the Xponential 2023 Playlist!</h5>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLg5vwgmp-5F4fFDjXQiqml41c5FJUDw6T" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/LGUPE27y4WoqfkOrN0YeozknwbKUeliWz4ytQsU9.png" alt="" width="292" height="428" /></a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLg5vwgmp-5F4fFDjXQiqml41c5FJUDw6T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLg5vwgmp-5F4fFDjXQiqml41c5FJUDw6T</a>
&nbsp;

Watch Comprehensive Coverage of AUVSI Xponential 2023!

09 May 2023
While instructors at the Drone Technology Program at San Diego's <a href="https://www.grossmont.edu/academics/programs/drone/program-info.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Grossmont College</a> admit that 90 percent of drone pilots are male, they are seeing a significant influx of women entering the field.&nbsp;
&ldquo;The aviation industry is really male dominated, but women in droves have been changing that,&rdquo; says Grossmont College instructor Rose Ann Denton. &ldquo;Flying a drone is inclusive for everyone.&rdquo;&nbsp;
For example, Summer Piper of the San Diego Humane Society&rsquo;s emergency response team is deploying her drone skills to devise better, safer, and more humane animal rescues.
&ldquo;Drones are another tool in our toolbox that we can really put to good use,&rdquo; she says. "During rescues, we don't have a full 360-degree view from the air to locate animals, but a drone does. In addition, we have animals that are scared, and they have been through a lot. They may be intimidated by a rescuer's presence as they initiate a search to find them. But we can now identify an animal's location using a drone, and then send a rescuer to the right location. It's easier and less harmful for the rescuers, and potentially less stressful for the animal.&rdquo;
If you're in the San Diego area and interested in pursuing a droning career, the Grossmont class is open to pretty much anyone. The eight-week program provides the necessary information for future pilots to pass the FAA 107 Drone Pilot Certification, as well as offer hands-on experience with flying commercial drones. You don't even need to provide your own drone for the course, as the school makes them available to students during training.
&ldquo;This is a great program for learning the basics of safe drone flight,&rdquo; says Denton.
&ldquo;The skills I learned here, I wouldn&rsquo;t have been able to pick that up on my own, or even just watching videos online,&rdquo; adds Piper.
To register for the fall semester, click this link:&nbsp;<a class="Link" style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.grossmont.edu/academics/programs/drone/program-info.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.grossmont.edu/academics/programs/drone/program-info.php</a>.
<h5>Learn More</h5>
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"Women in Droves" Aspiring to be drone pilots

Skills Training

28 April 2023
Professional drone pilots can&rsquo;t see their drones when they get more than 200m away. They become tiny specks in the sky at 100m and in low light they quickly vanish from view.&nbsp;
<a href="https://anarkylabs.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anarky Labs</a> patented software <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://anarkylabs.com/airhud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AirHUD</a> is the first real heads up display solution for professional drone pilots giving them unlimited situational awareness and allowing them to see the drone in the sky at all times.
We use augmented reality working with augmented reality (AR) glasses such as HoloLens 2 or Meta Quest Pro to raise situational awareness to completely new levels. Our solution can help pilots perform missions or train drone pilots using simulations of drones for a variety of use cases.
<h5>Navigation&nbsp;</h5>
The first example is in navigation, where AR can provide drone operators with a detailed view of their flight path, potential obstacles, and other hazards that they may encounter while flying. AR can also be used to create virtual boundaries or no-fly zones that can alert operators if they enter an area where it is not safe to fly.&nbsp;
AR can be utilised to overlay relevant data on the AR glasses such as speed, altitude, and battery levels - giving pilots a better understanding of their UAV&rsquo;s (unmanned Aerial Vehicle) performance. This greatly enhances the general situational awareness of a drone when the operator is managing the flight.&nbsp;
<h5>Search and Rescue&nbsp;</h5>
Another application for augmented reality for drones is in search and rescue missions. By overlaying data onto the real world environment via the AR glasses, rescuers can have a better understanding of their surroundings when searching for people in need of help. AR could also be used to provide remote assistance during dangerous operations such as firefighting and hazardous materials response.
<h5>Security&nbsp;</h5>
In the military or policing, drones are deployed as surveillance and reconnaissance tools to provide valuable intelligence on potential targets or threats. AR glasses could improve the reconnaissance capabilities, allow smaller drones to fly long distances beyond the visual line of sight and do investigations of dangerous tactical situations. We have a number of police forces using our software.
<h5>Conservation and Research</h5>
In the realm of conservation and research, drones have been instrumental in helping scientists observe wildlife from a distance without disturbing them. They can also be used to monitor environmental conditions such as forest growth or water levels. Using AR glasses pilots can for instance take control of long distance BVLOS flights and see other aviation data many kilometres away from the flight starting point.
<h5>Mining</h5>
The ability to display AR real-time data in hazardous, dark conditions with low ceilings, and obstacles everywhere is very useful in mining environments. For instance, miners can see where their drone is, from around corners, understand the telemetry and help them to identify any potential risks before putting themselves in potential danger. AR also helps visualise digging areas, facilitating the task of identifying the next areas to explore.&nbsp;
<h5>Maintenance and Inspection&nbsp;</h5>
Similarly, maintenance workers could use AR glasses with their drone to quickly locate damaged equipment or infrastructure within large facilities, ships, windmills, agricultural environments and many more difficult to navigate locations. The technology can help reduce human error and enhance safety for workers.
<h5>Watch!</h5>
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<h5>AirHUD Training</h5>
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<a href="https://anarkylabs.com/airhud-drone-training/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AirHUD training</a> is now available for pilots who need to practise their drone flying skills in a safer way. You can fly a simulated drone anywhere you want, in any environment you want, meaning weather conditions don&rsquo;t matter.&nbsp;
The software provides a safe and controlled environment for pilots to hone their skills, without the risk of damaging their drone.
With AirHUD Training, you&rsquo;ll feel as if you&rsquo;re actually flying the drone, making it easier to understand and master the controls.
AirHUD Training is perfect for beginners, hobbyists, and professionals alike. It offers real-time and authentic feedback on the controls, so you can see how your stick movements and other commands affect the flight of the drone. This allows you to make instant adjustments and perfect your flying skills.
This software has a lot of benefits over standard drone training.
<h5>AirHUD Training Benefits</h5>
The software offers a fast return on investment
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Insurance savings as there is no need to take out premiums simply to train to fly the drones</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Travel savings, as currently training is done face to face, often in different countries, it can now be done in your home, office, backyard or in the real environment.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Time savings, as training becomes weather independent</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Fly a simulated drone in the classroom for basic controls training</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Fly a simulated drone outdoors in real environment to hone the skills</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Or Fly a real drone in real environment with the confidence and safety that AirHUD gives you</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Simulate flights that follow EASA / CAA / FAA regulations</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Practise all the complex flying scenarios before you take your real test</li>
</ul>
<h5>AirHUD Training Use Cases</h5>
Inspection Cases. With the AirHUD Training, you can simulate industrial inspections in a safe and controlled environment. Using the AR glasses, you can fly a virtual drone to inspect a real windmill, a bridge, a forest or a telecoms antenna allowing you to get real-time feedback on your performance. This allows you to improve your skills and become confident in your ability to perform industrial inspections before switching to the actual drone.
Industry Pilot Training. The AirHUD Training is an efficient and cost-effective way to train drone pilots.&nbsp;By using the AR glasses, pilots can train anywhere, at their own pace, without the need to travel to training centres in different parts of the world. This saves time and money. In addition, the AirHUD Drone Training provides a safer training environment, as pilots can practise flying and performing inspections without the risk of crashing the drone. This allows pilots to build their confidence and experience in a controlled environment, leading to better performance when flying an actual drone and gain accreditation.
Drone Enthusiasts. The AirHUD Training is an excellent solution for general enthusiasts who are looking to improve their drone flying skills without any risk. Imagine you just got a drone but are a bit worried about crashing it into a tree on your first flight. Augmented Reality (AR) glasses provide a realistic and immersive experience, allowing you to fly a simulated drone and get real-time feedback on your performance. You can train at your own pace and from the comfort of your own home, backyard or forest if you like. You can fly the simulated drone to explore different environments, practice flying in different weather conditions, and work on your aerial photography skills.
<h5>A Word from Our CEO</h5>
<a href="https://anarkylabs.com/airhud/">AirHUD</a> and <a href="https://anarkylabs.com/airhud-drone-training/">AirHUD training</a> are software solutions designed to aid pilots in both learning to fly and actually flying in all the line of sight environments, VLOS, EVLOS and <a href="https://anarkylabs.com/blog/">BVLOS</a>. We&rsquo;re aiming to add our software to more AR glasses and drone platforms in the future but the way we develop is to always try to make the user experience as simple as possible when flying a drone. If you&rsquo;d like a demo <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://anarkylabs.com/#contact-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drop us a line</a> and one of our team will be in touch.&nbsp;

World's First Real Heads-Up Display Solution for Drone Pilots

Above photo: Ashlee Cooper, MLS(ASCP).
13 February 2023
By Michael Molenda, Editor, The Droning Company&nbsp;
The colorful and educational graphic book entitled <a href="https://www.droneversity.org/droneseverywhere" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Drones, Drones, Everywhere!</a> is designed to inspire young pilots about the joys, responsibilities, and technology of droning.&nbsp;
Co-authored by <a href="https://www.droneversity.org/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Droneversity</a> founder and president Ashlee Cooper ("Drone Boss Lady") and lead instructor/Solutionist Faye Paige Edwards, Drones, Drones, Everywhere! uses images of a diverse crew of youngsters and clever rhymes to reveal the various jobs drone do. The book also includes a handy glossary, a helpful "rules of the sky" section, and a self-test for children (and parents) to review their drone knowledge.
Drones, Drones, Everywhere!&nbsp;is scheduled for a March 2023 release, but you can sign up for notification at the Droneversity site <a href="https://www.droneversity.org/droneseverywhere" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HERE</a> when the book is available in bookstores and/or ready to order.
As an exclusive bonus for The Droning Company readers, we were able to get Cooper to land long enough to answer some questions about this wonderful children's book on the field we all love.
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/kWUW7tIwdF9xBLGbMrAyOWvkmLfdep6fBXuojKak.jpg" alt="" width="494" height="494" />
What was the inspiration and potential teaching plan for writing a droning book tailored to very young readers? 
Cooper: My first student was my five-year-old daughter, who now codes and flies drones. STEM [an education system acronym that stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics] will be a natural progression for her. I want that for all young people, regardless of where they live, the quality of their educational system, or what others expect&mdash;or do not expect&mdash;of them.&nbsp;
What is the target age for the book?
Five to eight years old.&nbsp;
What kinds of growth and opportunities do you feel drone piloting provides for children?&nbsp;
Drones are a fun entry to STEAM [another acronym for science, technology, engineering, arts, and math] and aviation. Regarding droning, you only need to be 16 years old and pass an FAA initial aeronautical knowledge test&mdash;prep is taught by Droneversity&mdash;to earn money as a drone pilot. With the Part 107 exam under your belt and a remote pilot license in your wallet, you are ready to earn income in an industry projected to be $58.6 billion in 2026&mdash;which will provide lucrative entry-level jobs part-time and full-time employment. Many drone-related jobs pay at least $50 an hour. There is no age limit&nbsp; to take the FAA TRUST for recreational operation of a drone. You are tested on basic rules for safe flight in the National Airspace.
It must be a challenge to create content on a very technical subject to reach and interest youngsters. Was there a &ldquo;Eureka&rdquo; moment when you discovered you had found the appropriate voice to both entertain and educate young people about drones?
Our Eureka moment happened at the start of our business, when we realized we had the skill set to provide the clearest explanations for non-aviators. If you thoroughly understand a subject, you can drill down to concise, clear language. Our core business is curriculum development and instruction in preparation for the FAA Part 107 exam prep. Our success has been in the ability of our team to write courses in lay language.&nbsp;
Of course, young children don&rsquo;t purchase books&mdash;parents buy them. Are there any marketing and/or editorial strategies to get parents to pick up the book, and then have them trust the book is just right for their children?
Some children&rsquo;s books are more interesting for adults than others. Drones are a topic that interests all ages. The graphics are exciting and the content explains the many uses of drones. We will promote the book at gatherings where students and parents are&mdash;such as our newly launched Delaware Drone Soccer League in association with the Delaware YMCA. Co-ed teams with players at least 12 years old will learn to fly, code, and repair&nbsp;quadcopters in a plastic casing that forms the drone soccer ball. It is the newest eSport. In addition, we plan to share this with students, schools, libraries, and community-based organizations participating in our STEMulated programs.&nbsp;&nbsp;
<h5>Learn About Drone Soccer</h5>
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&nbsp;How did you illustrate the book?&nbsp;
I used Midjourney and Adobe Photoshop to create digital illustrations. This was the perfect creative control needed to bring my vision to life.&nbsp;
You taught your young daughter, SaVannah Rose about drones. What types of things initially thrilled her about piloting, and what operations were perhaps a little more challenging for her to grasp?
This generation loves phones, tablet, and video games. So, there was a natural interest and gravitation. Her curiosity of a flying robot&nbsp; was an opportunity for teaching. I use technical terms with her like throttle and pitch in repetition with hands on application to make it stick. Her generation grasps such concepts more quickly. She refers to herself as a drone pilot and loves sharing what she knows&mdash;hence the second page in the book. She knows the safety rules!
How young is the optimum age to introduce a child to droning?
SaVannah was three, so that is easily an optimum age. Of course, propellor guards, a safe flying space, close supervision, and attentiveness are required.&nbsp;
What are the most important aspects of droning that a child should learn, and what do you feel are the most valuable experiences for young pilots?
Safety must be the major commitment. Parents should take the <a href="https://www.shawncreviston.net/FAATrustExam.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TRUST</a> test at <a href="https://www.droneversity.org/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dronevesity.org</a>. While the TRUST test has no age limit, young pilots will need parents to explain its contents in simplicity&mdash;such as "don&rsquo;t fly too high" and "never spy." Our book offers great simple questions to ensure an appropriate takeaway.
What do you hope your book achieves?
That it will inspire curiosity and a love of learning about drones, their capabilities, and how they&rsquo;re used in many industries. The hope is that more children than we can imagine will decide that STEM is fun, and that it is a space that says you and your imagination are welcome here.
<h5>Sneak Peek! See Possible Multimedia Pages&nbsp;</h5>
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<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.youtube.com/@droningcompany9844/shorts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&nbsp;CLICK TO VIEW SHORTS: https://www.youtube.com/@droningcompany9844/shorts</a>
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Children's Book on Drones Set to Launch in March

5 February 2023
<a href="https://www.alphartk.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AlphaRTK</a>&mdash;a four-constellation real-time kinematic (RTK) network service provider&mdash;formally announced today it will provide students and faculty of Rutgers University, West Chester University, and Warren County Community College access to its global navigation satellite system (GNSS) correction network.&nbsp;
Launched in the summer of 2021, as the most affordable RTK subscription network to fully support four-constellation GNSS corrections, AlphaRTK is currently available for use in New Jersey, as well as both the New York City and Philadelphia metropolitan areas.
&ldquo;These educational institutions perform a tremendous amount of geospatial research and instruction,&rdquo; says AlphaRTK founder Chris Kahn.&nbsp; &ldquo;We believe they should be equipped with this powerful resource, as it will enhance their abilities to perform modern geospatial data collection.&rdquo;
A real-time kinematic (RTK) network, like Alpha RTK, is a network of base stations that uses data from navigation satellites (GPS and others) to provide centimeter-accurate horizontal and vertical real-time coordinate data to users in such fields as GIS (geographic information systems), engineering, construction, agriculture, environmental, municipalities and utilities.
&ldquo;Warren specializes in precision agriculture using drones,&rdquo; says Dr. Will Austin, Warren County Community College President. &ldquo;The AlphaRTK network will provide our fleet with centimeter accuracy, further enhancing our analytical capabilities.&rdquo;
Typically, field technicians use wireless data in their phones or tablets to receive the correction data directly into a mapping application, such as <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/arcgis-field-maps/overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Esri ArcGIS Field Maps</a>. However, AlphaRTK also records raw RINEX data that can be used for post-processing workflows, such as with PPK drones. Additionally, in southern New Jersey where wireless coverage is weak, Alpha RTK has added UHF radio transmitters to broadcast real-time data wirelessly.
&ldquo;The use of the AlphaRTK network with our turf farm research is a game changer,&rdquo; says Dr. James Murphy, a plant biology professor at Rutgers University. &ldquo;We have tens of thousands of individual turf specimens spaced only inches apart on our farms. The location accuracy from the AlphaRTK service enables us to map and analyze growth patterns with unprecedented accuracy.&rdquo;
One key feature of an RTK base-station network is its centimeter-level accuracy. This is achieved using advanced algorithms that continuously compare the reference station's measurements to the satellite signals, and make real-time corrections as needed.&nbsp; The resulting accuracy enables extremely high precision in research projects, such as those conducted by Dr. Murphy and his peers.
&ldquo;I am excited to utilize the AlphaRTK network this spring in my geophysics course,&rdquo; says Dr. Martin Helmke, a West Chester University geology professor.&nbsp; &ldquo;Students will be using RTK technology when they graduate, so it&rsquo;s important to give them exposure to this technology now.&rdquo;&nbsp;
&ldquo;At AlphaRTK, we view supporting the Geospatial Community as a responsibility,&rdquo; says Kahn. &ldquo;Educational institutions are encouraged to contact us about our partner program.&rdquo;
<h5>Watch for Info on the Warren UAS Program</h5>
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AlphaRTK Announces Free Educational RTK Access

26 December 2022
So, you want to become a drone pilot?&nbsp;
Welcome to one of the fastest growing and exciting industries in the world. The industry is absolutely exploding. In the words of Carl Berndtson who organizes The Commercial UAV Expo held in Las Vegas at the beginning of September every year, the drone industry can best be described as &ldquo;Coiled."
When I started The Droning Company in 2020 there were 150,000 drone pilots that had their FAA Part 107 certificates. Two years later, there are over 300,000. According to Research and Markets the demand for drone pilots is expected to grow by 51.1 percent over the next five years.
Being an independent drone operator is a great way to earn a living and there are quite a few hoops you&rsquo;ll have to jump through to get there, but I can promise you the journey will be an exciting one. The first task is to decide what drone to purchase to get you started on your path. There are two lines of thought on this subject. Whether to buy a high-quality drone that you&rsquo;ll be able to use to complete the jobs you&rsquo;ll get or to buy a cheap throw away drone and learn to fly it first. Let me take a few minutes of your time to relay my experience to help you make this choice.
<h5>Deciding Which Drone to Buy</h5>
Once I&rsquo;d made my decision to become a drone operator and I&rsquo;d talked to other pilots in the know, I opted to jump right in and purchase the hot, new, (at the time), top of the line consumer drone which was the DJI Mavic Pro 2. The day it arrived I watched a couple of videos on YouTube on how to calibrate it and then after excitedly unboxing my new drone, I powered it up to try it out in my back garden. On my first attempt I almost dunked it in the swimming pool, reversed it into one of my pygmy palm trees, and then proceeded to plow it straight into my back door. Luckily, all I suffered were a couple of broken propellers, but my lesson had been learned. I needed to know what the hell I was doing before I decided to fly this thing again. The next day I took it to a local park and very carefully, in tripod mode, (the slowest setting) learned to take it off, land it and get a feel for the controls.&nbsp;
This was not to be the last time I had a mishap with the drone. Once I&rsquo;d got reasonably proficient with flying it, and being over confident, I decided to turn off the radar avoidance feature to be able to fly between some trees and subsequently crashed it again. This time the damage was more serious, but luckily, I&rsquo;d purchased DJI Care Refresh, so the drone was replaced. Back then, there were not a lot of options, but nowadays drone technology has come a long way, and you can purchase a drone for a few hundred dollars so you can really get to master flying it before you upgrade to a more professional model. I would advise going with this route because without fail you are going to have a few accidents in the beginning.
<h5>Rules and Regulations</h5>
So now you&rsquo;re the proud owner of a professional grade drone and want to get started on your journey of making a living doing what you love.
Not so fast!&nbsp;
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/nXm4GWQUxWGA0dotqdetItLWbJcHCN8LzI7ebhDx.jpg" alt="" width="283" height="212" />
Firstly, if your drone is 0.55 pounds or more you have to register it with the FAA. This costs $5.00 and you can register it here: <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://faadronezone-access.faa.gov/#/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://faadronezone-access.faa.gov/#/</a>
Even if you want to fly your drone just for recreational use as a hobby and not for capital gain, the FAA requires you to pass The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST). This is free of charge, but you will have to do some studying first. You can find more info here:&nbsp; <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_flyers/knowledge_test_updates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_flyers/knowledge_test_updates</a>
If you are planning to go out a professional drone pilot and charge for your services, you must, without fail, obtain your FAA Part 107 Commercial Drone Pilots License. If you get caught flying for profit without this certification the fines can range from $10,000 upwards. As more and more drones become available on the market, and they become more readily available, it is only common sense to know what you are doing. Flying where you are not meant to be can have severe if not fatal consequences.
To pass this test is going to take at least 20 hours of serious study and The Droning Company highly recommends that you take an online course with such institutions as <a href="https://www.warren.edu/drones/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Warren County Community College</a>, <a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/blog/embry-riddle-helps-drone-pilots-meet-the-needs-of-a-changing-industry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Embry Riddle</a>, or <a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/blog/droneversity-teaches-drone-skills-and-expands-career-options-for-all" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Droneversity</a>.
Some of the requirements to obtain a Part 107 are:
You must be at least 16 years old.
Be able to read, speak and write English.
Be in a physical and mental condition to safely fly a drone.
<h5>Watch for More FAA Info</h5>
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Once you have completed the necessary study you need to make an appointment with an FAA-approved Knowledge Testing Center, <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://faa.psiexams.com/faa/login" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://faa.psiexams.com/faa/login</a> and turn up with a government issued ID. The test costs a flat fee of $175.
Once you have passed your test you will be issued a temporary certificate till you receive your permanent one in the mail. Every two years, you will need to take a Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent Test, <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/ALC/CourseLanding.aspx?cID=677" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.faasafety.gov/gslac/ALC/CourseLanding.aspx?cID=677</a>, which is free of charge and you must also notify any change of address to the FAA within 30 days of moving.
<h5>Let&rsquo;s Limit Liability</h5>
As you can probably imagine, flying a drone comes with a litany of risks as sometimes flights take place in areas with many obstacles. It&rsquo;s a responsible drone pilot&rsquo;s job to mitigate these risks through a variety of methods available to them. Getting drone insurance is essential. Although it is not mandatory by law most clients that hire our pilots insist on them having insurance in case of an accident and again this is just common sense. The last thing you want is to become entangled in a lawsuit because your drone has damaged some property or seriously injured someone. The Droning Company recommends <a href="https://www.moreton.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Morton &amp; Company </a>for their fast and affordable service. Drone insurance can be purchased by the day for around $25, or around $500 for the year for a small drone.
<h5>Ready To Rock</h5>
Now you have your Part 107 and are ready to start your new career. At this point you need to decide on what aspect of the drone industry you want to be a part of. There are so many avenues available it&rsquo;s mind boggling. There are myriad ways for drone pilots to make income such as real estate, roofing and solar panel inspections, cell tower inspections, movie and commercial making, FPV drones, search &amp; rescue, the oil and gas industry, 3D mapping, LIDAR, thermal, advertising, construction, security, teaching, Part 107 lessons, event filming, agriculture, selling drone footage, powerline, and golf course and insurance inspections, as well as countless others.
With the exception of FPV drones most of these jobs can be accomplished by most of the commercial drones on the market today. As with any business, it is always worthwhile to have a plan to grow your fledgling drone enterprise. Doing jobs for real estate agents and roofing contractors can bring you around $2,000 a week, but having a plan to take some courses in LIDAR, 3D Mapping, or Thermal&mdash;and with the purchase of some of the necessary equipment&mdash;you could end up getting jobs that would bring you $2,000 per day.
<h5>FPV Drones</h5>
I excluded FPV, (First Person View), drones because these are a completely different animal. I&rsquo;m sure you&rsquo;ve all seen the wild footage on Instagram and YouTube of these pilots wearing racing goggles flying their drones at insane speeds through abandoned factories or screaming down the side of a mountain. These are FPV drones, and FPV pilots are considered to be the rock-star mavericks of the drone industry. Unlike a standard commercial drone which will just hover until you tell it to do something else, an FPV drone needs to be constantly joggled just to keep it in the air. They take hours of training on a simulator to learn how to control, but the final footage obtained can be spectacular.
Originally FPV drones were started by drone-racing hobbyists, more often than not, being built from the ground up by the pilots themselves. But with the advent of the movie Red Notice starring The Rock, where an FPV pilot was hired to film the crazed footage of the chase scenes, FPV drone skills are in high demand. They are used to film sporting events, car commercials, movies, and even real estate.&nbsp; This is another avenue to consider in deciding what sort of drone pilot you want to become.
<h5>Final Thoughts</h5>
The UAV industry is one of the fastest-growing in the world&mdash;no less the United States. If you are considering becoming a drone pilot, whether it be for recreation or a career path, then you should be prepared for a very fluid industry, jam-packed with plenty of opportunity and change.
You should also consider signing up to become a member of The Droning Company. Gain access to drone jobs via our online job board and build a pilot profile that you can use as a resume and portfolio for jobs you want not listed on our website.
Good luck and happy flying!
<h5>Learn More</h5>
How to Find Drone Jobs:&nbsp;<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/blog/how-to-find-drone-jobs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.thedroningcompany.com/blog/how-to-find-drone-jobs</a>

How to Become a Drone Pilot Now

19 December 2022
By Stuart Smith, CEO, The Droning Company
If you have decided to explore the option to become a drone pilot you&rsquo;ve made a great decision. The industry is absolutely exploding. In the words of Carl Berndtson&mdash;who organizes The Commercial UAV Expo held in Las Vegas at the beginning of September every year&mdash;the drone industry can best be described as &ldquo;Coiled."
When I started The Droning Company in 2020, there were 150,000 drone pilots that had their FAA Part 107 certificates. Two years later, there are more than 300,000. According to Research and Markets, the demand for drone pilots is expected to grow by 51.1 percent over the next five years.
Before I explain how to find the high-paying drone jobs out there, let me talk a bit about the many avenues this industry offers and how to get started on this exciting path. Drones are literally taking over nearly every industry there is.&nbsp;
The number-one hirer of commercial drone pilots in the country is roofing contractors. Before drones came along, they had to send a couple of people up onto the roof to photograph it, and laboriously take dimensions&mdash;one person holding the end of a tape measure while the other precariously reeled it out and wrote down the measurements.
This was not only time consuming but dangerous.&nbsp;
Nowadays, they hire a drone pilot who flies it over the roof for 15 minutes. The craft not only takes high-quality video and photographs, but also collects all the measurements accurate to within half a millimeter. Roofing inspections by drone generally cost between $200 to up to $650, when you get into thermal inspections.
Secondly, there are real-estate agents who hire pilots to fly around the neighborhood, then spiral into a house. The pilots will sometimes use the drone with its steady-cam gimbal to photograph the interior, or actually fly an FPV drone through the house to get a very unique view of the property. Drone shoots for realtors cost from $150 for basic filming, and up to $1,000, if you also have to edit and produce a finished video. Photoshop and video-editing skills are a must for any drone pilot. Again, these are general figures. Your final quote will be based on the location, the type of real estate, and the logistics involved.
New trends taking off&mdash;much to the benefit of drone pilots&mdash;are scattering ashes and baby-reveal parties. With the purchase of a distribution system such as <a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/blog/stork-plate-revolutionizes-drone-delivery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Stork Plate</a>&mdash;which was originally designed to drop a fishing lure further than the angler could cast&mdash;you can get into this very lucrative market. This inexpensive piece of equipment is basically a box that sits below the drone that is filled with the departed loved-one&rsquo;s ashes. On a cue from the pilot, the box will open and release the ashes over the desired location.
The other fashionable trend is that people hire a drone pilot to fly over a baby gender-reveal party and drop pink or blue confetti from the drone to show whether it&rsquo;s a boy or a girl. Be advised though that the FAA frowns upon dropping anything from a drone, so even though you may be only releasing confetti, it might be a good idea to mark off an area that people are not allowed in. Ashes scattering and baby-reveal parties generally pay about $500.
As I stated earlier, drones are becoming more and more involved with nearly every industry there is. As opposed to hiring a helicopter and pilot for $35,000 a day, movie and television commercial makers are employing independent drone pilots for $2,000 a day to do the same job. Also, when filming wildlife for nature documentaries, a drone can get much closer without scaring the animals. If you&rsquo;re familiar with how a drone flies, you can see the evidence of this in nearly every aerial shot on Netflix.
Apart from the previous opportunities stated, there are myriad other ways for drone pilots to make income, such as cell tower inspections, search and rescue, the oil and gas industry, 3D mapping, LIDAR, advertising, construction, security, teaching, Part 107 lessons, event filming, agriculture, and selling drone footage, as well as powerline, golf course, and insurance inspections. You just have to find your niche and get your name out there.
A few more points that I&rsquo;d like to put in your mind before I get into the subject of finding drone jobs are as follows:
While attending <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/blog/fravel-s-footnote-commercial-uav-expo-day-one-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Commercial UAV Expo</a>&nbsp;in Las Vegas this year, Chris Fravel&mdash;our resident drone expert&mdash;was interviewing Brett Kanda, the VP of sales and marketing for <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-vovcjE2KM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brinc Drones</a>. When he was asked what advice he would give fledgling drone pilots wanting to get into the commercial drone market, his answer was very interesting. He said to focus far less on the piloting aspect, because the way drone technology is advancing more and more operations are becoming autonomous. Instead, he advised pilots to take courses and become experts in LIDAR, 3D mapping, thermal, remote sensing, and GIS. If you&rsquo;re come to the table saying you just want to fly drones&mdash;well, that has a shelf life. If any of you reading this decide to take this route, we highly recommend <a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/blog/best-online-drone-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Warren County Community College</a>&nbsp;for their online courses.
Another thing to bear in mind is expansion of your drone business. When a pilot sets up a profile on The Droning Company, I generally give them a call to ask how they found out about us, and advise them how they can improve their profile to get more work. I also like to chat about the industry in general. I find the smart drone pilots&mdash;and, let&rsquo;s face it, most of them are, as they have to pass their FAA Part 107 in the first place&mdash;are not simply planning to do roofing and real estate jobs for the rest of their lives. They are saving their money or contacting drone-friendly finance companies such as <a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/blog/best-drone-funding-company" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amerifund</a> and purchasing the more advanced enterprise drones with LIDAR sensors or 3D cameras and moving into markets whereby they can earn anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 a day.
<h5>How To Find Drone Jobs!</h5>
Back in 2020, after the release of the fifth album by my band Heaven &amp; Earth, our planned world tour was cancelled due to COVID. Having a young daughter to support, I thought I couldn&rsquo;t sit around for a year-and-a-half doing nothing. As I&rsquo;d been flying drones for a couple of years&mdash;basically just for my own enjoyment&mdash;I decided to go out as a pilot myself. After talking to other pilots and looking at some of the online job agencies out there, I was shocked by the amount of commission they were taking. They were paying drone pilots $70 to do a job for which they were getting paid $300 or more. Admittedly, it was the fault of the younger pilots who were bidding lower and lower to get the job, but I thought it was a grossly unfair practice, and, in my opinion, devaluing the industry in general. This is when I came up with the idea for The Droning Company.
At The Droning Company we charge drone pilots $10 a month to create a profile on our page, which is searchable by potential clients. There's a $20 discount if you pay for the entire year in advance. When one of these clients finds the pilot that suits their needs, they click &ldquo;Contact,&rdquo; and, after confirming their email address, they are able to contact the pilot directly, thereby letting the pilot make his own deal. This way, if we only manage to get you one job in the entire year, it more than pays for your entire subscription.
<h5>How To Set Up a Profile.</h5>
We have made this as easy as possible for you. Just follow these simple steps.
&bull; Go to our main page and click on &ldquo;Join the Team.&rdquo;
&bull; Click on &ldquo;Sign up as a pilot.&rdquo;
&bull; Agree to the terms and conditions.
&bull; Enter your email address.
&bull; Confirm your email address.
&bull; Enter your first and last name, email and phone number and create a password.
&bull; Let us know where you heard about us.
&bull; Decide whether you&rsquo;d like to pay the $10 a month, or sign up for a year, and then enter your credit card info.
&bull; This will take you to the dashboard where you enter all your info, (We advise doing this on a laptop as opposed to a phone.)
&bull; Upload a headshot. People like to see who they&rsquo;re doing business with.
&bull; Select your specialties. Some clients will search our database by &ldquo;Specialty,&rdquo; so if you haven&rsquo;t done a real-estate job but feel ready to do so, then add that as one of yours. Obviously, don&rsquo;t add something like 3D Mapping if you don&rsquo;t have the equipment or the experience.
&bull; Write a bit about yourself, your experience, flight time, etc. Don&rsquo;t just put &ldquo;Pilot Part 107." This could make the difference between them hiring you, or the pilot five miles up the road.
&bull; Upload a JPEG of your Part 107 certificate. This will not be visible to the public.
&bull; Add photos of your equipment.
&bull; Add your locations. This is very important, as we work off Google maps, so put your hometown in first. Then, if you&rsquo;re willing to travel 100 miles for a job, add locations within a 100-mile radius of your home town.
&bull; Add links to two or three of your best video work. Please make them at least a minute and a half, as we feature one of our pilot's video reels on our home page every week.
&bull; Upload a few of your best landscape style photographs. They have to be 2MB or less, so you may need to resize them.
A good pilot profile is essential to getting work, so take your time and make sure you have filled in all the relevant information before you upload it.
Here are a couple of what we consider to be good pilot profiles, so you may want to copy their formats.
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/huzgLytPkTkCTlcpVupw9i5zlhUUAzIWw8aIsFTk.jpg" alt="" width="231" height="130" />
<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/pilot/jeffrey-z-carney" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.thedroningcompany.com/pilot/jeffrey-z-carney</a>
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/07VSo6ntEsfLWWMymeibVEXb9KL338FYgqslkkAW.jpg" alt="" width="234" height="234" />
<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/pilot/andrew-mcgibbon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.thedroningcompany.com/pilot/andrew-mcgibbon</a>
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/Z6uLzb6dD0LuV392NjPcEFe6KXeBQ3N7arJSxrz8.jpg" alt="" width="233" height="414" />
<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/pilot/timothy-brazzel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.thedroningcompany.com/pilot/timothy-brazzel</a>
Once you have your profile completed, don&rsquo;t stop there. Network with other drone pilots in your area by searching for them on our site and contacting them. You may find they pass on a job to you they can&rsquo;t fulfill because they&rsquo;re double booked, or recommend you to clients.&nbsp;
Also, join up with drone networking platforms such as <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="http://www.droneconnects.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.droneconnects.com</a> which is free to join and introduce yourself.&nbsp; Post a link to your profile on The Droning Company on it.&nbsp; You&rsquo;ll find there are members on there who will reach out to other pilots to pick up jobs they can&rsquo;t do.
We wish you luck in your chosen profession, and if you have any questions, or if there&rsquo;s anything we can do to help, please feel free to send us an email at <a href="mailto:info@thedroningcompany.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">info@thedroningcompany.com</a>.
&nbsp;

How To Find Drone Jobs

Drone Education

Above Photo: As a former air traffic control manager, Jason Beim uses his expertise to explain to students the various aspects of flying in controlled airspace using his classroom&rsquo;s wall-size FAA sectional map.&nbsp;
2 December 2022
In another expansion of its nationally recognized drone and unmanned systems program, <a href="https://www.warren.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Warren County Community College</a> has added a former air traffic controller, NY/NJ control tower manager, and drone flight safety expert to the staff as a senior adjunct professor.
<a href="mailto:JBeim@warren.edu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Beim</a> brings to the WarrenUAS staff a wide scope of insight about flight and drone operations, particularly about the safe piloting of the equipment, a priority for the college as it trains a rapidly increasing number of students for the fast-growing industry.
&ldquo;I have relied on Jason for advice in the past as we reached various key junctures in the creation of this program,&rdquo; says Warren President <a href="mailto:will@warren.edu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Will Austin</a>. &ldquo;Now, our students can benefit from his vast knowledge about flight and drones specifically, and their safe operation in airspace. He will more formally be contributing to our program as it continues our rapid expansion in enrollment and broader reach in the study of this many-faceted industry.&rdquo;
The college is leading the way in exploration of new arenas for the technology&mdash;such as flight above populated areas and BVLOS operations, two areas where it has received rare federal Certificates of Waiver to operate (and where Beim has expertise). The FAA-recognized Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) drone program at Warren is also working on the training of students in specialized use of drones in sectors such as agriculture, law enforcement, and environmental protection.
&ldquo;Drone flight has a lot in common with traditional flight," explains Beim. "When you get a commercial license to fly a drone, you are in effect getting a pilot&rsquo;s license. One of my goals is for students at WarrenUAS to understand their responsibility to follow the rules, fly safely, and be a good steward for the evolving industry."
<h5>Learn More About WarrenUAS</h5>
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Beim worked in aviation in various roles including an airframe and power-plant mechanic, a private manned aircraft pilot, and as an air-traffic-control manager for more than 16 years&mdash;most recently one of the busiest air spaces in the country, New Jersey's Teterboro Airport. He says he made the move to work in the drone industry because of a long-held interest in the technology and a belief that the use of unmanned systems will boom over the next decade in a wide range or capacities.
Along with his efforts at Warren, Beim is now a Senior Manager of Safety at DroneUp, a national leader in the growing drone services field, where it has major involvement with government agencies and large U.S. corporations.
&ldquo;It is exciting to be working with both a commercial venture and an educational institution that are really on the cutting edge of this industry&rsquo;s development,&rdquo; says Beim. &ldquo;At Warren, we are exploring and establishing the newest ways drones can be used and the safest operational practices, while educating students who will become some of our nation&rsquo;s best and most thoroughly-trained pilots and technicians.&rdquo;
Beim has taken the lead in the efforts by WarrenUAS to get the required and relatively rare waivers to fly drones over public areas and out of site of the pilot, giving students real-world experience as the technology begins to make inroads into industries such as agriculture, public safety, entertainment, environmental protection, and public utilities. He also notes that issues related to how drones are classified and regulated need to be collaboratively addressed.
&ldquo;I hope I can continue to contribute to a culture at Warren that explores the latest technological advances for the field in a number of ways, and help assure that, as it grows, it has the confidence of the public that issues of safety and privacy will be fully addressed."
Austin also announced the hiring of Sai Sankar, an expert in drone and robotics education and development. Sankar has been named teaching administrator for artificial intelligence and robotics at the college, where he will direct the broad expansion of its robotics and drone programs, housed in two new facilities that opened this fall&mdash;a new building and a renovated facility that has been the center for the program.
In addition, Drone pilot and recent Embry-Riddle graduate Adam Kyle has been brought onboard to develop a new program to train students in precision agriculture methods using unmanned systems.
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/DACxFwlKcxHHCbbA6zqM63ntVa7sPVbbsOura6us.jpg" alt="" width="676" height="451" />
Beim helps Adam Kyle, Precision Ag instructor, set up a new DJI Agras T30 that will be utilized in the spring as a teaching aide and research tool.
&nbsp;

Jason Beim Joins Warren County Community College Staff

Above photo: Dr. Scott Burgess (left) works with an Embry-Riddle student while preparing to launch a fixed-wing UAS.
22 November 2022
Demand for uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) operators is growing, but over the past few years the Remote Pilot In Command (RPIC) certificate issued under Part 107 has changed from an all-access pass to the price of admission. UAS operations are now more mature and professional than ever before, so companies are looking for pilots who have the training and the proven skills to safely perform increasing complex missions.
Fortunately, one of the oldest and most well-established names in aviation education is stepping in to fill the void. <a href="https://erau.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University </a>(ERAU) has trained generations of pilots, aerospace engineers and other industry professionals to the very highest levels of achievement worldwide &ndash; so much so that it is the undisputed leader worldwide, the &ldquo;Harvard of the Skies.&rdquo;
For a fast-changing industry like UAS, a bachelor&rsquo;s or a master&rsquo;s degree might be a good long-term goal, but working UAS pilots need skills now. That&rsquo;s where the University&rsquo;s Office of Professional Education comes in, according to Ron Garriga, the executive director of Business Development and Professional Education at Embry-Riddle&rsquo;s Worldwide Campus.
&ldquo;No matter where you are in your professional journal with UAS, we are here to help,&rdquo; said Garriga. &ldquo;If you are completely new to drones, or your organization is looking to add UAS to your toolbox, then we have SUAS 1000: Introduction to Drones to help you understand the fundamentals. We also have a Part 107 test prep course, to help you earn your RPIC certificate, if that is going to be your next step.&rdquo;
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/a67IdzXjtkXg8a3CAIM3oGhDW2OU9YwV4oHCeg5h.png" alt="" width="484" height="283" />
Dr. Joe Cerreta is a world-renowned expert in the use of small UAS for photogrammetry.
For pilots who already hold a certificate, The Worldwide Campus&rsquo;s Office of Professional Education offers a wealth of courses tailored to the most in-demand applications for UAS today, including:
SUAS 1000: Understanding Drones: An Introduction to UAS
SUAS 1300: Global UAS Risk Management
SUAS 1400: SUAS Inspection Course
SUAS 1500: Fundamentals for Starting an SUAS Small Business
SUAS 1600: Basic Proficiency Evaluation for Remote Pilots (BPERP) Certification
SUAS 1800: Organizational Standardization Program
SUAS 2000: SUAS Ground School
SUAS 2500: Introduction and Application of UAS Photogrammetry
SUAS 3000: SUAS Fundamentals for Public Safety
SUAS 3200: Developing an SUAS Standardization Program
SUAS 5000: Incident Evidence Collection and Inspection for Law Enforcement
SUAS 6000: Airworthiness Certification for Uncrewed Systems
&ldquo;If you take a look at the courses we offer, you will notice that the issue of standards appears repeatedly,&rdquo; said Dr. David Thirtyacre, chair of the Worldwide Campus Department of Flight and a former Air Force F-16 pilot. &ldquo;As UAS becomes fully integrated into the aviation community, it is critical to recognize that operating these machines goes well beyond the skill of individual pilots. It is important that within each organization &ndash; and even the industry as a whole &ndash; standards are established and followed to ensure safety and performance. This is the bedrock of any successful aviation program.&rdquo;
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/xmXD7t9PHiL23S0xFwTu2gynJucfGXfbACR9egYs.png" alt="" width="490" height="319" />
Dr. David Thirtyacre (right) coaches a student to safely conduct flight operations with a small UAS.
One type of mission for which UAS are being routinely deployed is photogrammetry, which involves capturing a series of overlapping aerial photographs that are processed using a sophisticated computer algorithm to build accurate, detailed maps, and even three-dimensional models of the real-world environment.
&ldquo;Many people do not realize that the choices you make as a pilot have a huge impact on the quality of your finished product when you are collecting imagery to build one of these models,&rdquo; explained Dr. Joe Cerreta, a world-renowned expert on photogrammetry using UAS and an associate professor in the Worldwide Campus Department of Flight. &ldquo;For example, how much overlap one is getting between in each image, both along the direction of travel &ndash; which is called &lsquo;frontlap&rsquo; &ndash; and between each pass, referred to as &lsquo;sidelap.&rsquo;
&ldquo;Also, how high are you flying? At higher altitude, your camera will capture more of the ground below in each image, but there is a trade-off between altitude and ground-sample distance &ndash; that is, the resolution of your finished map or model. Increasing overlap and shrinking your ground-sample distance will result in a better-quality result, but that also means you will need to fly longer. These are the kinds of trade-offs you need to understand, and that is what we explore in our photogrammetry course.&rdquo;
SUAS 1400, the course focusing on the use of drones for inspection, was developed by Dr. Scott Burgess, associate professor in the Department of Flight &ndash; a retired Army attack helicopter pilot who applies his understanding of crewed aviation to the use of UAS.
&ldquo;When you are inspecting a piece of critical infrastructure, like a bridge, you are going to need to put your aircraft as close as possible to that asset, to make sure you are capturing good, clear images,&rdquo; said Burgess. &ldquo;This is where the concept of &lsquo;the edge of space&rsquo; comes into play. The edge of space is defined by the obstacles in your environment that will stop your propellers turning and cause you to crash &ndash; so it is critical that you learn how to avoid them.&rdquo;
Beyond acquiring specific, in-demand skills, ERAU&rsquo;s Worldwide Campus Office of Professional Education offers UAS operators the opportunity to grow and demonstrate their abilities as pilots. Embry-Riddle has partnered with the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) to offer certification under its Trusted Operator Program (TOP).
In order to develop a level of knowledge and skill that goes well beyond the Part 107 Airman Knowledge Test (AKT), three levels of TOP certification are available. TOP Level 1 enhances and tests the pilot&rsquo;s aeronautical knowledge to ensure that it exceeds the minimum requirements set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). TOP Level 2 and Level 3 certification require a practical, hands-on demonstration of the candidate&rsquo;s piloting skills, using a testing apparatus developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
&ldquo;TOP certification provides employers with the confidence they need to send a pilot into especially challenging environments,&rdquo; said Garriga.
Classes can be scheduled specifically to accommodate cohorts of students, such as members of a public safety agency or a corporate UAS team. According to Garriga, these courses are led by top-notch instructors, including members of the Worldwide Department of Flight and other experts personally selected by Dr. Thirtyacre, the department chair.
&ldquo;You can review which courses we are offering right now by visiting &lsquo;<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="http://www.proed.erau.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.proed.erau.edu</a>,&rsquo;&rdquo; Garriga said. &ldquo;New courses start at the beginning of each month. We do not offer every course in every month, but they are offered at least once every quarter. Embry-Riddle has a legacy of being the premier university for the study of aviation and aerospace, and the legacy and standards that built this reputation are embedded within all of our UAS programs &ndash; including our undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
&ldquo;I think the Worldwide Campus Office of Professional Education is one of our best-kept secrets, however. We have amazing products that make substantial contributions to pilots and the organizations where they work. The material is current and well delivered. It is written by the best people in the entire industry and our faculty truly care about our students and their success.&rdquo;
<h5>Watch!</h5>
<iframe style="width: 690px; height: 388px;" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I76uDdZGQX4" width="690" height="388" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
For more information, email&nbsp;a Worldwide Campus Office of Professional Education advisor at <a href="mailto:training@erau.edu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">training@erau.edu.</a>

Embry-Riddle Helps Drone Pilots Meet the Needs of a Changing Industry

21 November 2022
The strategy fueling <a href="https://www.droneversity.org/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Droneversity</a>&rsquo;s success as an Edtech company is framing STEAM and aviation skill-building as fun&mdash;because they are. 
Joining the Droneversity community offers students with different learning styles and a wide range of age groups the opportunity to strengthen their STEM and aviation skills, earn income as a certified FAA Part 107 pilot and instructor, and enjoy recreational piloting.&nbsp;
Recreational Pilots must pass the free, online TRUST exam. To earn compensation of any amount flying a drone, the age requirement is only 16 years old with a score of at least 70 on the FAA Part 107 exam. The goal of the FAA is safety for all aircraft in the sky, people on the ground, and property.&nbsp;
Droneversity provides the clearest Part 107 explanations. Its FAA Part 107 commercial drone pilot exam success rate is 100 percent, with many earning a score above 90. This shows the power of building a community of talented instructors from aviation and non-aviation backgrounds with strong female and African-American representation. Creating a space that definitively says &ldquo;you belong here&rdquo; boosts professional growth, regardless of background or prior experience.&nbsp;
In the past if you weren&rsquo;t related to a pilot, knew a pilot, or if you were not in the military, the chances of becoming a pilot or having any type of aviation career was slim. The aviation industry is currently experiencing a shortage of crewed pilots and aviation support, and it needs educated, skilled remote pilots. The mission of Droneversity is to help alleviate this shortage by addressing the inequity of opportunity,
Droneversity was founded when STEM educator, molecular microbiologist, and pilot Ashlee Cooper, MLS (ASCP) stood on a chair to take pictures of balloon decorations she designed for a party. A passerby told her she needed a drone. The story has entrepreneurial twists, turns, and setbacks.
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Ashlee Cooper
However, it is now a success story of her path to swap microscopes for drones. She taught at post-secondary institutions. However, her passion for STEM education extended beyond college students, and she often connected with high-schoolers in her college-outreach program recruiting activities. Cooper's ten years of STEM education experience was great preparation for the role she now enjoys as a drone-industry leader.
Cooper experienced first-hand how aviation-related foundational experiences shape aspirations from aviation to space exploration. Her first job as an instructor in a drone camp for high schoolers over the age of 16 was through the National Urban League. Inspecting cell towers using her first drone&mdash;a DJI Phantom V2O&mdash;for a cable company was her first field job, working alongside a high school student, They both earned $100 an hour.&nbsp;
She is proud of her junior recreational pilot. Her five-year-old daughter has been flying for a year and also codes drones. Together, they spark serendipitous moments&mdash;like the one with Cooper photgraphing her balloon decorations. Her daughter initiates conversations anywhere&mdash;with the clerk at a Dollar Store, at church, passersby&mdash;and asks if they have a drone like her mom. She also lets them know her mom can help them become a drone pilot. The duo tells whoever will listen that drone education is a resume builder for students, an opportunity for those who may not know an exciting career awaits them, and proof of the current accessibility of careers that were generally unavailable for certain groups of people just a few years.&nbsp;
Today, Cooper&mdash;known as "Drone Boss Lady"&mdash;is an FAA Remote Pilot with an sUAS rating, PA Drone Association Board Member, Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team Representative, and the first African-American woman FAASTeam Drone Pro in the U.S. Northeast Region. 
Droneversity is an industry member of the FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Collegiate and AUVSI. Alliances with colleges, universities, and targeted relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are being made&mdash;including with the renowned Delaware State University Aviation Program. The services of Droneversity range from residential and commercial real estate to supporting public safety, and, most recently, mapping for agriculture and 3D modeling.
The program's core competency is curriculum development and providing drone education for exponential access to the aviation industry and beyond. Dronevesity has seen how uncrewed fun leads to entrepreneurship, career changes, and even an interest in and pursuit of crewed piloting. Cooper has presented at a few Gaming Pandominums that led gamers to drone racing (and the most exciting cinematography shots). Droneversity is currently working with K-12 graders, veterans, re-entry workers, STEAM educators, and those preparing for, changing, or looking to add a career, as well as others exploring aviation-career options. They become STEM-ulated by membership in the Droneversity community.&nbsp;
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Teaching veterans with DWS Drone School.
Among Cooper&rsquo;s credentials is serving as a Delaware Drone Soccer Commissioner. The drone soccer ball is a drone inside a durable plastic exoskeleton. Drone soccer is played indoors in a netted arena by co-ed teams who defend a goal by intentionally colliding their soccer ball with the ball of the opposing team. This rapidly growing e-Sport is thrilling, sanctioned as a World Cup game, and is making aerospace education accessible through a comprehensive robotics program with direct-educator training and ongoing support. Drone soccer team success is achieved through communication, leadership, and collaboration. It is also a college scholarship route.&nbsp;
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Delaware Drone Soccer
Droneversity&rsquo;s has several differentiators. Curriculum development in lay language has set Dronversity apart. The Ground School, which teaches Part 107 Exam prep, is rapidly growing. There is no flight requirement to become a certified FAA Drone Pilot. Of course, flight skills are necessary for employment and advanced flight-skills training can be difficult to find. Dronevesity&rsquo;s Flight School Instructors are outstanding and consistently receive five-star reviews.&nbsp;
Droneversity provides Part 107 online courses with a live instructor. The learning-management system includes study guides and robust answers to typical Part 107 exam questions. Guest speakers offer insights to a variety of aviation-related opportunities. The extended support students receive includes review classes that are free preparation for the Part 107 exam.
D.R.O.N.E.S (Drones. Representation. Opportunities. Education. Safety.) is an acronym used by Droneversity to describe the guidance they provide in getting started in the industry. Drones are more than fun toys. Their design and uses are diverse. Representation shows there is no longer a need to be intimidated by aviation&rsquo;s historical racial and gender exclusion. Opportunities exist that will provide a career you may have never considered.&nbsp; Networking is encouraged through drone meet-ups, workshops, and conference attendance. Droneversity emphasizes collaboration and partnership at a micro and macro level. Education assistance includes Part 107 and resources to various optional, but applicable, certifications. Partners like Global Air Academy can assist in building your business. Safety is first and foremost and promoted for industry growth through Remote Pilot respect.&nbsp;
The year 2023 brings more ground and flight school courses, professional development for educators, and STEM-ulated fun for all ages.
&ldquo;Droneversity is ready to welcome you to the next Part 107 course," says Cooper. 
Enrollment is now open for Droneversity's next online and live course that starts Jan 4, 2023.
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<h5>Watch!</h5>
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