Training Course Prepares Drone Pilots to Take FAA Certification Exam

Photo by the College of Engineering

Drone pilot training begins Jan. 20 at the Global Campus in Rogers.

ROGERS, Ark. – The University of Arkansas Global Campus partnered with the College of Engineering to offer a four-session course to help drone pilots learn to fly safely and legally, while preparing them to take the Federal Aviation Administration remote pilot certification exam.

Drone Pilot Training, also called Unmanned Aircraft Systems 1, will meet every other Saturday from Jan. 20 through March 3.

The course cost is $699, not including the fee for the FAA Remote Pilot Certificate Examination (FAA Part 107 exam) or the required personal drone. U of A faculty, staff and current students get a 10 percent discount.

Participants can register online.

Richard Ham, the senior associate director of the Master of Science in Operations Management program in the College of Engineering, will teach the class. Ham joined the U of A after he retired from the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Homeland Security. He teaches many U of A courses, including unmanned aircraft systems.

“This course is the first step to becoming a professional, certified remote pilot,” Ham said. “It was developed for people interested in using this technology for work or commercial ventures, but it will also be valuable to hobbyists who want to fly safely and legally.”

Learn more about the requirements for unmanned aircraft pilots and the process for taking FAA certification exams on the FAA website.

Course participants will learn to use unmanned aircraft to perform video and mapping tasks. They also will learn about data processing software, flight weather data, flight planning and map reading.

The course runs from 9 a.m. to noon on all four class dates. Participants will meet in a classroom at the Global Campus in Rogers, 3300 Market St., on Jan. 20 and Feb. 17. They will participate in an online webinar on Feb. 3, and they will meet March 3 at the Arkansas Agricultural Research and Extension Center on Garland Avenue or a similar location for field testing.

Ham organized the state’s first Unmanned Aircraft Systems Summit and is spearheading efforts to establish an Arkansas chapter of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.

The Global Campus Rogers provides workforce development and continuing education classes to help people in Northwest Arkansas advance in their careers or start new ones. Customized training is also available.

About the Global Campus: The Global Campus supports U of A colleges and schools in the development and delivery of online, distance and workforce education programs and courses. It provides instructional design services, technology services and assistance with marketing, recruiting and strategic academic development.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.