The Sinclair Community College National UAS Training and Certification Center has announced a partnership with Consortiq that will result in Sinclair incorporating Consortiq’s UAS fleet management software, CQNet, to support the management of the college’s UAS missions.

CQNet, which is a comprehensive fleet management system that also captures crucial platform and pilot data, provides a critical element of safe UAS missions.

In an effort to advance UAS capabilities and expand safety of their use, Sinclair has conducted various applied research and application development projects for government and industry partners. These missions include bridge, road, power grid and oil well pad inspections, open-pit mine surveys, airport inspection and commercialization, and first responder support.

These projects are representative of the growing number of employment opportunities for trained and certified UAS operators.

Sinclair and Consortiq say that Sinclair’s “robust applied research, training, and educational programs” are a great fit with Consortiq’s CQNet UAS fleet management software. Sinclair's efforts have shown the value of collecting critical infrastructure data using a number of different sensors. By automating fleet data collection and analysis, CQNet will allow Sinclair to focus on capturing and analyzing data for that purpose.

“We are excited to collaborate with Consortiq to support the further development of their CQNet software while enhancing our ability to manage our comprehensive UAS operations,” says Jeffrey A. Miller, Chief Operating Officer for Unmanned Aerial Systems at Sinclair.

“By partnering to leverage our strengths in education and training, applied research and development, and workforce development, we are confident that our students, partners, and the broader UAS industry will realize great benefits.”

The platform is designed to manage just about any UAS operation, including maintenance, real-time airborne data and aircraft positioning, and both pre-flight and post-flight checklists. All data is kept in one spot thanks to the Flight Operations Command Portal, which maximizes efficiency for each mission.

Capable of being used anywhere in the world at any time, and also able to “track live a fleet of drones,” the system is “platform agnostic” and can integrate with any UAS.

“It is our goal to enable organizations and educational institutions like Sinclair to focus on achieving the primary objectives of their UAS operations, while responsibly managing the vital but time-consuming minutiae,” says Miriam Hinthorn, U.S. Operations Manager.

“Training and experience are clearly prerequisites, but it is also important for organizational leadership to be aware of the next steps as they begin to fly commercially. CQNet enables them to quickly implement standards for pilots to reduce risk. It enables management to manage and track their entire operation.”

​Being that it has successfully accomplished several UAS applied research activities, Sinclair is considered an ideal organization to test different features of enhanced "beta versions" of CQNet for internal use and external proof of concept projects. It is of the utmost importance that the flights be conducted safely, as that concern is the root of the development of CQNet.

CQNet provides pilots with a number of benefits, as it allows them to plan, record and maintain their UAS mission, keep maintenance and checklists in one spot, and check the weather, flight restrictions and current airspace details in their flights.