College officials say the training is designed to help students become qualified for jobs in the industry.

TAMPA BAY – St. Petersburg College is offering a five-day prep course to help people become qualified to fly the remotely controlled vehicles.

A change in Federal Aviation Administration regulations for drone operators is expected to bring Florida 3,000 new jobs and $632 million in economic impact by 2017 (Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International). Overall, more than 100,000 Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) jobs are expected to make an economic impact of $82 billion over the next 10 years.

In response to the growing interest in drones, the Workforce Institute at St. Petersburg College is hosting a five-day UAS pilot certificate prep course. The course will run 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. July 18-22 at the St. Petersburg College EpiCenter, 13805 58th St. N, Largo.

“There is a need to understand the responsibility of ownership,” said Susan Garrett, program director of industry certifications. “There is a need for safety and respect for privacy when operating a drone either as a hobbyist or for commercial purposes. It is important for all drone owners to understand that they are, indeed, aviators.”

To operate the controls of a small UAS under Part 107 of the new regulations, you need a remote pilot airman certificate with a small UAS rating or to be under the direct supervision of a person who holds such a certificate. The new FAA rules will take effect in August. They cover a broad spectrum of commercial uses for drones weighing less than 55 pounds, including certification requirements for UAS pilots.

The five-day course is designed to prepare students to pass the FAA remote pilot certificate exam. The course will be offered through SPC’s Workforce Institute’s Learn to Earn program and will include UAS regulations, flight operations and restrictions, emergency procedures, crew resource management, radio communication procedures, aeronautical decisionmaking and judgment, maintenance, and pre-flight inspection procedures. It also includes six to eight hours of hands-on UAS flight training.

SPC is also offering courses in UAS maintenance and repair, ground pilot training, UAS and the law, and standards and regulations.

For information about the SPC Workforce Institute, go to spcollege.edu. To sign up for the five-day prep course, call (727) 341-4445.

St. Petersburg College | Drones | Drone Training | SPC Workforce Institute | TB Reporter

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