Pilot To Teach Students How To Fly Drones At Rowan College At Burlington County

With the holiday season approaching, there will be plenty of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) or drones being unwrapped. After the excitement of getting the new toy subsides, will the owner be able to achieve liftoff?
Rowan College at Burlington County is offering a new personal and professional development course this fall, “Introduction to Drone Operation,” starting Oct. 14, college officials announced this week.

“Don’t just buy the best drone you can, you should buy one that matches your ability level and then learn how to use it,” said InFlight, LLC Owner Eugene Daniels, who will be teaching the month-long non-credit course. “It is very easy to crash a drone, so you really need to learn how to fly it and learn how to take the proper precautions and FAA safety measures. If you want to be certified to fly a drone, this course is a good first step to learn the basics.”

Students will learn how to fly a drone with reduced risk to self, others and property. The course will focus on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) safety rules. Daniels is an FAA-certified pilot of small unmanned aircraft.

According to the FAA, the commercial and civilian use of drones is the fastest growing field in aviation. Professionals have used drones for everything from search and rescue missions to power line inspections, to taking photos and video to sell real estate. A new rule implemented by the FAA requires people to to take a test and get certified as remote pilots before they can fly drones commercially.

Students will receive personalized attention and hands-on interaction with various types of recreational drones. The class is capped at 12 students. It will be offered every Saturday from Oct. 14 through Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and costs $250.

To register, visit rcbc.edu/ppd/recreation and enter the following course number in the express online registration form: CFS 620 30.

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