Drone Training
Intro Drones (sUAS) for Commercial Users
Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, otherwise known as drones, are a dynamic, emerging technology that will literally transform how industries function. This 8-hour course is a comprehensive overview of the information your organization needs to start using drones safely and legally. In this course, we cover the types of flight systems available, their capabilities, and how to pick the one that would be best for your organization. We discuss how drones can be used in specific business applications, and how to apply drone technology to bring efficiencies to your business.
Topics covered in the course include multi-rotor and fixed-wing drone flight systems, maintenance, registration, certification requirements, safety, insurance, industry applications, featured systems (DJI, Yuneec, etc.), emerging technologies, and the latest FAA policies.
Students interested in pursuing an FAA remote pilot certification should follow this course with the Hands-On Drone Flight Training - Basic Quadcopter Flight Skills and Part 107 Test Prep courses. These courses prepare operators to successfully pass the FAA certification test and bolster their piloting skills using our unique indoor flight training methodology.
- Understand the types of flight systems available, their capabilities and how to pick the one that would be best for your organization
- Apply drone technology to bring efficiency to your business
- Save time and money by taking our proven course
Hands-On Drone Flight Training - Basic Quadcopter Flight Skills
Our unique indoor flight training methodology uses model quadcopters (currently the Ryze Tello and the Syma X5 Series without FPV) flying indoors. By flying indoors, students do not need to contend with wind or other weather conditions and allows them to focus solely on controlling the aircraft. Our course will bring students through a series of increasingly difficult exercises and having them flying through an obstacle course by the end of the day. This approach develops three primary skill proficiencies:
1. Identifying flight system orientation
2. Accounting for issues related to depth perception
3. Flying without dependency on GPS
We’ve found these are the essential skills needed to create the safest, most proficient remote pilots anywhere! We’ve recognized that these basic skills are easily transferred into and prepare students for more advanced drone flight systems. This course creates much safer, more capable pilots who can confidently fly the aircraft in the event of a mission or situational requirement for manual flight control.
Students interested in pursuing an FAA remote pilot certification should supplement this course with the Part 107 Test Prep course. This course is designed to prepare operators to successfully pass the FAA certification test and achieve remote pilot certification.
- Fly drones safely and legally
- Be able to identify flight system orientation, account for issues related to depth perception, and fly without dependence on GPS
- Save Time and Money by taking our proven course.
Part 107 Test Prep
Keep up with changing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements to remain ahead of the curve among commercial drone pilots. Anyone operating a drone for any commercial or business purpose must obtain an FAA remote pilot certification. This highly focused course prepares you for the test to receive this certification.
Beyond drone-specific material, students will gain an understanding of much of the ground-school information covered in the FAA’s knowledge test. Topics covered include regulations relating to small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS); airspace classification, interpretation of sectional navigation charts, operating requirements, and flight restrictions; aviation weather sources and effects; small unmanned aircraft loading and performance; emergency procedures; aeronautical decision-making and crew resource management; radio communication procedures; physiological effects of drugs and alcohol; airport operations; and maintenance and preflight inspection procedures.
The remote pilot knowledge test Unmanned Aircraft – General includes 60 questions and requires a passing score of 70%. The test costs $175, paid separately to the Knowledge Testing Center. With successful completion of the test, you can apply for a remote pilot certificate for FAA Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations part 107. The course fee includes a sectional chart, an FAA test supplement, FAA sample test questions, and eight hours of instruction. Actual FAA testing must be administered at an authorized Knowledge Testing Center and is NOT included in the course fee.
- Be prepared to Earn Your Remote Pilot Certificate
- Save Time and Money by taking our Proven Course
Drone Photo and video Production (New)
One of the first and most popular uses for drones is capturing aerial photos and videos. Until recently, this could only be done with an airplane or helicopter at a substantially higher cost. In recent years, the combination of drone, gimbal and camera technology has advanced significantly, allowing drone operators to capture high quality aerial images.
Capturing Outstanding Aerial Imagery
This course builds upon what students have learned in the SkyOp introductory and hands-on drone flight training courses. It is designed for students who want to capture and edit aerial imagery for commercial purposes. In it, students will learn best practices for capturing aerial imagery with a drone and be introduced to basic post-processing techniques using industry-leading Adobe software. This course will walk students through the steps involved in this process from image capture to image delivery. Some of the steps the course will cover include:
- How to construct the best shot while the drone is in the air.
- How to adjust to weather conditions.
- How to store photos and videos, and which file types to use.
- How to use the Adobe Creative Cloud suite in post-processing. Students will receive an introduction to Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro to edit and create professional photos and videos. They will learn how to add narration and music without infringing on copyrights. Note that students need to have access to the current versions of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro so they can work on the class activities.
At the completion of the course instruction, students will be able to create their own video utilizing stock footage provided by SkyOp. This course will prepare students to pursue more in-depth Adobe Creative Cloud courses and advanced aerial imaging platforms and cameras.
Intro to Pix4d (New)
One of the best uses for drones is capturing aerial data for processing using image analysis and modeling tools. The industries being revolutionized by this technology include:
- Construction companies for progress reporting, site monitoring, and precise measurements;
Miners for creating maps that show elevation and contours;
Surveyors for mapping and precise measurements; - Inspectors for locating defects, modeling thermal behavior, and visualizing structural
details from multiple angles;
The agriculture industry for analyzing and caring for crops; - Public safety organizations for search and rescue, accident modeling, and many other
purposes;
Real estate for modeling property and its surroundings and creating fly-through videos.
Creating Actionable Intelligence
Pix4D is an industry-leading drone-based photogrammetry software solution designed specifically for those purposes. Pix4Dmapper can process thousands of images and generate point clouds, orthomosaics, and other reports and models. Those outputs can be imported into GIS software and other tools and used to turn raw data into actionable intelligence.
This course builds upon what students have learned in the SkyOp introductory and hands-on drone flight training courses. Students will learn best practices for drone-based image data collection and be introduced to basic post-processing techniques using Pix4Dmapper. Key components of the course include:
- An introduction to photogrammetry
- Data capture best practices
- An overview of Pix4D and its components
- Data/image import, preparation, processing, and quality analysis
- Generation of several kinds of output:
- Orthomosaics
- Point clouds
- 2D maps
- 3D models
- Distance and volume measurements
- NDVI index maps
- Video animations
Students will create their own models utilizing a free trial Pix4Dmapper account and demo image datasets provided by SkyOp. This course will prepare students to pursue more advanced drone-based data collection and analysis projects.