Six more University of Guam students have become Federal Aviation Administration certified remote pilots through the UOG Drone Corps program, marking them as the fourth cohort.

Coming from a range of academic interests, the newly certified remote pilots are biology graduate student Zoe Ariellius, civil engineering major Cyril Concepcion, computer science major Christopher Nadeau, environmental science graduate student Ajalyn Omelau, biology major Diego Ray Quiogue, and agriculture major Farron Taijeron.

Students completed a comprehensive course covering drone operation procedures, federal and local airspace restrictions, and meteorological report interpretation. 

It was led by experts from Bella Wings Aviation and 2cofly, local drone service providers who have taught previous cohorts.

This latest group of UOG Drone Corps students benefited from the guidance of past program members who have since transitioned into professional roles within the local drone industry, including Javier Garrido, now director of product design at Bella Wings Aviation, and Thomas Torres II, who works with 2cofly. 

The former members returned to impart industry insights and practical drone operation expertise to the new batch of pilots.

“As the industry expands, there will be far more career opportunities for aspiring pilots outside of video shoots and surveys,” said Garrido. “I believe that as the drone systems become more automated and easily flown, we will find more ways to implement them in every work sector.”

By earning their FAA remote pilot certificates, these new drone pilots are now federally authorized to operate drones commercially. This certification unlocks a wide range of professional opportunities from aerial photography to conducting research projects.

They engaged in both coursework and immersive hands-on training, learning basic operation maneuvers with small educational drones before progressively working their way up to larger, more advanced systems.

During their practicum, the cohort participated in significant drone projects, such as mapping the UOG campus, producing an orthomosaic of a reforestation site, and contributing to coral reef monitoring efforts. 

Participants like Ajalyn Omelau, a UOG graduate student who works as a program manager with the Guam Department of Agriculture’s Forestry and Soil Resources Division, are already applying their newfound piloting skills in their respective fields.

“As the Cooperative Fire Protection program manager, I would like to implement drones in wildland fire investigations, conservation management plans, and creating Guam-specific content for social media and outreach,” Omelau said. “I believe that drone operations will fortify field observations provided by senior personnel and will help inform other natural resource managers.”

As the demand for drone technology continues to grow locally and globally, these newly certified UOG Drone Corps pilots will be well-equipped to contribute to a range of industries, from environmental conservation to infrastructure development.