#Central oregon community college drone pilot license how to#

#Central oregon community college drone pilot license how to#

While the six federally mandated test sites have received the lion’s share of attention, interest in the technology and in training workers how to use it is mounting nationwide.ĭrone proponents in Ohio expressed disappointment that the state was not chosen by the FAA to host one of the government’s official sites, despite an extensive push. By 2015, FAA officials project as many as 7,500 drones could be approved for use in the commercial airspace. Though the FAA does not currently condone the commercial use of UAS, the agency says data collection at the new test sites represents a clear step in that direction. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a press release. “These test sites will give us valuable information about how best to ensure the safe introduction of this advanced technology into our nation’s skies,” U.S. Proponents of the technology say it will only be a matter of time before the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) create new job opportunities for students. “This could be one of the next biggest opportunities for employment here in the future,” Karl Baldessari, COCC aviation program coordinator, told KTVZ News. This could be one of the next biggest opportunities for employment here in the future. The program, affiliated with the Alaska test site, also starts in the fall. In the Pacific Northwest, Central Oregon Community College (COCC) plans to launch a course that will include simulations and real-time recovery missions and is geared to commercial drone pilots. The Virginia test site, located on the campus of Virginia Tech, has agreements in place with educational institutions in New Jersey and Maryland that will expand its research across state lines.Įducators at Atlantic Cape Community College (ACCC), on the Jersey coast, are preparing to launch a new course on drone operations this fall. Professors and students will pilot the aircraft, which will be used to collect agricultural data.

In Minnesota, Northland Community & Technical College, not far from the site in North Dakota, recently announced FAA approval to pilot drones over rural portions of Roseau County, provided the college obtains permission from landowners. Additional test sites will open in Alaska, Nevada, New York, Texas and Virginia over the next several months and will run through 2017.Įducational institutions, including several community colleges, near the federal test sites have announced partnerships or programs to feed off the research. The site, which will use drones to conduct soil research and further explore the viability of the technology in commercial use, received a two-year clearance from the FAA to operate the aircraft. On April 21, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that the first of six congressionally mandated test sites for commercial drone use was operational in North Dakota.

community colleges and other institutions have announced partnerships and programs designed to create new job opportunities for students. While that reality is still a ways off, the commercial market for unmanned aircraft is surging, and a handful of U.S.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos created quite a stir last year when he predicted that drones would one day help the company deliver packages to its legions of customers.