In the News | Three Rivers wraps up first drone pilot certificate course
Norwich, CT (The Day, September 30, 2019)— In instances when a roof needs a city inspection but it’s not safe to go on the roof, a drone — an autonomous vehicle piloted remotely — could come in handy.
Assistant Building Official Dan Coley recalled a time that an inspection was necessary when some materials had blown off a roof after a windstorm. Someone had to climb up on a firetruck, which involved using a crew of firefighters, who were then tied up when there could have been an emergency.
Fortunately for the building department, Coley has been into drones since “when it first started and it was the Wild West and there were no rules,” so he was more than willing to take the new Drone Pilot Certificate Program at Three Rivers Community College.
As far as instructor Phil Smith knows, Three Rivers is the only community college in Connecticut to offer the certificate program, and it’s the only classroom program in the region. Before, people would have to take a course online or travel elsewhere.
The 36-hour course, which is non-credit and cost $275, had its last class on Friday. At that point, some of the 10 students enrolled had already taken and passed their test — which costs an additional $150 — at one of the official testing centers in the state.
Smith said both he and Three Rivers are interested in offering the course again next semester. He would also love to transfer it to other community colleges.
Smith said only one of the 10 participants is a Three Rivers student, while class member Antoinette Molinari estimated most people in the course were over 40, if not over 50.
Following interest in drones from her son and a friend, Molinari ended up taking the class somewhat on a whim. The Uncasville resident didn’t even own a drone before starting the class, and she’s not sure what she will do with one now but is excited nonetheless.
As an aviation mechanic, Christian Mueller figured having the certificate would be useful, since he suspects the Federal Aviation Administration will get serious about regulating the maintenance of drones sooner or later.
Like Coley, Norwich Public Utilities technician Bill Ryan spoke about the benefit of using a drone after storms, and added it would be useful for utility pole inspections. He said one other NPU employee has a drone certificate, and two are taking an online course.
Smith explained that a certificate is required for commercial but not hobby use of a drone, and that the FAA can fine violators.
During the Drone Pilot Certificate Program that Three Rivers Community College offered for the first time August-September, class member Dan Coley used his drone to take an aerial video of the campus on Friday, Sept. 13, 2019. (Photo courtesy of Dan Coley)
Along with working as a flight coordinator for Gamma Aviation in Shelton, Smith owns Learn 2 Fly CT LLC, a flight school based at Windham Airport. Through that work, he knows Groton-New London Airport Manager Catherine Young, who he said was talking to Three Rivers President Mary Ellen Jukoski, who expressed interest in a drone certificate program.
In California, Grossmont College received a $6 million grant to provide free drone training, and participants could either enter the cinematography track or the surveying and mapping track.
Smith noted that a big push for drones is in Hollywood, because the historical method of getting aerial shots is with helicopters, which is expensive.
He received his drone certificate in June 2016. Since he already had a pilot certificate, he simply had to do 30-45 minutes of training on the FAA website and take an online test, rather than go through the more extensive coursework he taught to his Three Rivers students.
Smith said the course involved learning about sectional charts, weather, pilot terminology, regulations and emergency procedures. It included just one day of going outside to fly drones, and Smith said even that isn’t required for the certificate.
“The industry right now is just booming,” he said. “It’s changing so quickly; the regulations are changing constantly.”
By Erica Moser, Day staff writer
The original article can be found here: ‘Three Rivers wraps up first drone pilot certificate course’
READ MORENew Drone Pilot Certificate Program Prepares Students for sUAS Pilot Certificate
Did you know you need a pilot’s license to operate a drone commercially and that you can become a licensed drone pilot by taking the new Three Rivers Drone Pilot Certificate Program? This 36-hour course is designed for anyone interested in earning a small unmanned Aircraft system (sUAS) Pilot Certificate and learning about general aviation. Classes will be held August 26 through September 27 on Mondays and Fridays, from 5:00-9:00 pm.
The ability to operate a drone is a useful skill for those with careers in the military, real estate, videography, insurance, agriculture, public safety, transportation, and more. This course teaches pilots about the operation of drones, including safe take-offs and landings, checking the drone before flight to ensure that it is operating properly, and monitoring the drone while it is being handled. Drone pilot topics include federal regulations, airspace, weather and weather services, radio communication and more. Instruction will take place in a classroom environment as well as outside for a hands-on experience.
At the completion of the course, students will take a final written exam administered by the instructor. Those who pass with a 70% or higher will receive a written endorsement authorizing them to take the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) test for their Drone Pilot Certificate. Students then take their FAA test at a FAA Authorized Testing Center at the Hartford-Brainard Airport Flight School for an additional fee of $150.
Students bring their own drones for the flight-training portion of the course. For full details on the types of drones, extra batteries and textbook information, visit threerivers.edu/drone. The course costs $275, and the FAA test is an additional fee of $150. The deadline to register is August 19. For more information and to register for the class, visit threerivers.edu/drone or call 860-215-9028.
READ MORECommercial Drone Operations Certificate Program
[mk_page_section bg_color=”#674b9f” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” bg_stretch=”true” full_width=”true” padding_top=”0″ padding_bottom=”0″ sidebar=”sidebar-1″][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1469639571895{padding-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_empty_space height=”250px”][mk_fancy_title strip_tags=”true” tag_name=”h1″ color=”#ffffff” size=”80″ font_weight=”bold” txt_transform=”uppercase” margin_bottom=”0″ font_family=”Oswald” font_type=”google” el_class=”page-title”]Drone Pilot Certificate Program[/mk_fancy_title][/vc_column][/mk_page_section][vc_row fullwidth=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1469635777230{padding-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column][ultimate_spacer height=”10″][ultimate_spacer height=”20″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row fullwidth=”true”][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1696353297968{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Commercial Drone Operations Certificate Program
Three Rivers Community College in partnership with Aquiline Drones introduces a ground-breaking two-part Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) training and educational program that enables students to obtain a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Certified Drone Pilot license and operate a commercial drone business.
As participants, you will embark on a high tech journey and you will experience the power of full life cycle cloud connectivity in drones.
Course Description
This is a two-part program.
The first part of the program, Introduction to Commercial Drones, is designed for the beginner as a foundation for entry and prepares the student to successfully pass the FAA drone pilot examination.
The second part of the program, Cloud Connected Drone Operations, takes the beginner student on a path to learn about entrepreneurship highlighting industry use cases. Each course will take approximately 4 months; they are offered entirely online and can be started at any time.
Student Testimonials
“Some of the items such as Newton’s laws of motion were better explained in this course than when I was working through my private pilot training.”
Jeromie
“I know a lot about drones and drone science already, and loved the background information, white papers and website links.”
Dave
“Really looking forward to this journey with you and y’all have done a great job!”
Erinn
Courses
Module 1: Introduction to Commercial Drones
The primary focus of this 45-hour course is to prepare students for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 107 Certified Drone Pilot examination. (Please note that there is a separate FAA registration fee of $160 for the examination.)
From drone science and engineering to weather theory, the role of the FAA, regulations and safety procedures, this course will prepare you to get certified as a commercial drone operator. You will also learn about cloud computing and other technologies that are transforming the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) industry.
Topics include:
- Drone systems
- Aerodynamics
- Performance
- Weight and balance
- Aeronautical decision-making
- Airports and the National Airspace
- Aviation weather and UAV procedures
- Federal Aviation Regulations
- FAA exam and certification
- Introduction to cloud technology
- IoT and AI
- A hybrid cloud with edge capabilities
- Market demand for commercial UAV solutions
- Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) 101
Prerequisites
None. Beginners are welcome!
Requirements
- PC or Mac device
- Windows 7 or later operating systems
- Mac 10.10 Yosemite or later
- Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Instructional Method: Online– These classes are fully online. For more information about Instructional Methods, visit here.
- Date: This course can be started at any time and taken when your schedule allows.
- Cost: $1,250, instructional materials for this course are included and are available online.
Module 2: Cloud Connected Drone Operations
This 45-hour course highlights mission planning, operations management and many use cases across industries. It is offered entirely online and can be started at any time.
Topics include:
- Introduction to Total Planetary Protection
- Mission planning
- Managing your operations
- Full life cycle management with TPP
- Industry overview
- Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) 102
- Business plan and services
- Financial services
- Mission assets
Prerequisite
Introduction to Commercial Drones or the FAA Part 107 License.
Requirements
- PC or Mac device
- Windows 7 or later operating systems
- Mac 10.10 Yosemite or later
- Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Instructional Method: Online– These classes are fully online. For more information about Instructional Methods, visit here.
- Date: This course can be started at any time and taken when your schedule allows.
- Cost: $1,600, instructional materials for this course are included and are available online.
Register Now!
To register for this course, please visit our Workforce Registration Page. You’ll find directions on how to register, along with information about information sessions with Workforce advisors, funding sources for financing your tuition, refund policies, and more.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][mk_custom_sidebar el_class=”subpage-sidebar” sidebar=”sidebar-19″][mk_button dimension=”flat” size=”x-large” url=”/admissions/how-to-enroll/workforce-and-community-education/” align=”center” fullwidth=”true” bg_color=”#99c539″ btn_hover_bg=”#cb1d5c”]REGISTER[/mk_button][mk_button dimension=”flat” size=”x-large” url=”#popmake-4375″ align=”center” fullwidth=”true” bg_color=”#99c539″ btn_hover_bg=”#cb1d5c”]REQUEST INFO[/mk_button][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1680708939940{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row] READ MORE