By Seth Hodgkins
Houghton College and Aquiline Drones have started a five-year partnership to offer an online drone pilot training program, Flight to the Future. Taking this course will teach students about drone technology and prepare them to take the exam required to become a licensed drone pilot under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The course will be instructed asynchronously by Carmen McKell, the Director of the Center for Data Science Analytics. When asked who should take this course, she explained that “anyone can take this course who has the desire to learn about drone technology,” but also noted that the course is particularly helpful for “working professionals looking to enhance their skill set” and “high school students seeking early college credit.”
There are limitless applications of drones in business today. Since 2016 when the FAA granted numerous exemptions for companies to operate drones, the drone services market has grown drastically and is expected to continue to grow another 24% by 2026 according to businesswire.com. McKell listed just some of the uses: “In construction to track building projects, in oil and gas to inspect pipelines, security for homes and businesses, military intelligence gathering, real estate, and conservation research like whale monitoring, wildfire impact assessment, and disease monitoring in trees.” She also added that, “having a drone license is critical for starting your own business or starting a career in [these fields],” and “there’s never been a better time to get started in the growing field of drone technology.”
A drone pilot certification is also a fitting addition to the toolbox of a data scientist, if that’s the career you’re working towards. “Data science plays a key role in [the drone industry],” McKell explained. “Drones and their associated software generate an enormous amount of data. In addition to taking aerial photos and videos, drones can collect information about everything from the health of crops to thermal leaks in buildings.” This raw information can be used by a data scientist to find new insights for decision making.
Jake Crawford, Houghton’s Content Marketing Specialist, is a great example of the value a drone license holds in a professional career. He has enrolled in the program for a license that he can “utilize in a way that could be advantageous to Houghton, freelance work, and [his] own personal projects.” He was first recommended to get a drone license in a meeting, saying “once we had access to the resources, I was given the ability to take the class.” Crawford continued on to explain the usefulness of drones in marketing and filmmaking. “They’re incredibly helpful to enhance the scope of your environment by giving you a point of view that you would never be able to experience without the technology that a drone possesses.”
Regardless of the career you’re pursuing, having a drone license is a valuable asset in this digitally-driven world. If you are interested in drone technology, or want to learn the necessary skills to pass the pilot exam, consider taking the Flight to the Future drone pilot training course. ★
