Danville Community College (DCC) in Danville, Virginia recently launched a new UAS class.

On Friday, August 10, DCC Instructor Steven Carrigan conducted a three-hour introductory training session at the college with 12 students. On Saturday, August 11, the students participated in the hands-on portion of the course at a remote site in Pittsylvania County, Virginia.

​While instructing the students, Carrigan was joined by several Certified 107 Pilots volunteering their time, who helped teach students the dos and don’ts of operating UAS.

“With their help, we managed to keep five drones flying at the same time so nobody had to sit and wait too long to get their turn,” Carrigan says. “These individuals will also be teaching with me in the upcoming training classes.”

One student who got a lot out of the class was David “Hutch” Hutcheson, who is taking the full class to get his license for instructing cadets in Civil Air Patrol.

“It was an excellent class,” Hutcheson says.

With so many potential applications for UAS technology, obtaining remote pilot certification is important so that individuals can take advantage of the opportunities offered by UAS.

“Remote pilot certification is important because of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) laws surrounding drone flight,” Carrigan explains. “The number one thing to understand when flying a drone is that ignorance of the law is no excuse and you are held responsible for any violations or damage you may cause.”

DCC says that graduates of the UAS program will successfully pass the Remote Pilot 107 industry certification. Currently, students are flying DJI-manufactured UAS.