Dabney S. Lancaster Community College is hosting a two-day drone class at the DSLCC Rockbridge Regional Center in Buena Vista on Monday and Tuesday, April 12 & 13, from 8 am to 5 pm. The course is intended mainly for Fire, EMS, and Law Enforcement, but is open to anyone 18 years of age or older.
Students enrolled in “Unmanned Aircraft Systems for First Responders” will receive 16-hours of training, two 8-hour sessions that will cover all aspects of the FAA Part 107 exam that allows commercial operation for small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). This non-credit course is being offered through the DSLCC Workforce Solutions and Community Education division.
Specific topics will include in FAA regulations, Airspace, Aviation Weather, Aircraft Performance, Aircraft Loading, Emergency Procedures, Crew Resource Management (CRM), Physiological Factors for Pilots, Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM), Airport Operations, and Aeronautical Charts.
The course will also introduce Virginia-specific regulations, tools for First Responders, aircraft and equipment options, insurance, Certificates of Authorization (COAs), FAA waivers, aircraft registration, and the authority of local law enforcement, and examine future FAA regulations.
Students will be able to review modules and take several tests to help prepare them for the 60-question FAA Part 107 test. The tuition fee is $500 and the independent testing center fees are between $150 and $165.
Students who complete the course through DSLCC and pass the FAA exam will be eligible for advance standing credits through DSLCC to pursue a degree. DSLCC has additional advanced Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) courses available that will cover advanced flight planning, sensor operations, and integration of external tools such as GIS.
All course training material will be provided by DSLCC, and all students will be provided a comprehensive list of on-line FAA links and advanced study material. Students will have the option to purchase independent 3rd party training software that can be used for two years as a refresher or to fulfill annual training requirements for a public agency.
For more information about the course, contact Stephen Snyder at ssnyder@dslcc.edu or (304) 646-4727.
Participants may create a profile to start and complete registration at https://dslcc.augusoft.net/. For information about enrolling through a third party sponsor, contact Robin Jennings at (540) 863-2899 or email rjennings@dslcc.edu.