12 UOG students pass FAA exam for drone ecosystem

In efforts to meet the demand for the island's growing drone industry, the University of Guam's NASA Guam EPSCoR and NASA Guam Space Grant programs created a team of FAA-certified pilots.

There were 12 UOG students who passed the Federal Aviation Administration also known as the FAA exam this semester and now are obtaining flight hours through simulator training, internships, and missions assisting local researchers and agencies.

Throughout the program's sessions and training workshops, students learned about drone components and proper storage, drone operations and mechanics, various flight conditions, appropriate times and locations for flight, types of flight zones, remote-to-drone signals, and more.

Dr. Leslie Aquino, the executive director of NASA Guam EPSCoR at UOG, says the first-time program turnout was great, telling KUAM News, "We were really excited and really pleased with how well the students did after the knowledge portion. We had some who took it right after the course ended and they passed with flying colors."

The UOG Drone Corps is the institution's first drone certification and training program for undergraduate and graduate students, staff, and faculty, which is focused on increasing education and awareness of drone technology through responsible use. It launched in April 2021 and aims to build technical capacity by creating a cadre of FAA-licensed, informed, and responsible pilots through knowledge courses, training workshops, and hands-on flying opportunities.

After being accepted into the program, participants must complete a three-week preparatory knowledge course. Then students schedule their FAA Part 107b certification exam, which grants successful members a two-year Remote Pilot license necessary to safely fly drones through Guam's skies.

Dr. Aquino shared with KUAM News the type of job opportunities that are out there for those who are FAA-certified.

She added, "Anything requiring a licensed drone operator. So for us within academia at UOG, we can certainly use people with that expertise for our research projects requiring different types of imagery things we need like thermal and for red imagery that might be something where we can hire a student or graduate with those skills in the private industry we've got several drone companies here on the island who have missions that they conduct and those will be things that students could get hired there or part-time or full time depending on what's available and assist things like taking commercial photography or videography."

Now with their licenses, the students are expected to fulfill 40 hours of flight time through simulator training, internships, and missions providing aid to UOG researchers, local government agencies, or nonprofit organizations.  The hands-on experience equips the students when entering the workforce with the ability to incorporate drone technology in various sectors of the economy, including construction, environmental mapping, infrastructure inspection, and emergency services.

Applications for the next Drone Corps cohort are expected to open in May 2022. The first cohort was restricted to just UOG students and employees however, in the second cohort, priority will be given to UOG students and employees. If there are any additional slots, they will open them up to Guam Community College students, GovGuam agencies and the general public.

Some requirements to join the program include being a U.S. citizen and 18 years of age or older.

For more information, contact Keanno Fausto, communications coordinator of NASA Guam Space Grant, at [email protected].