New sUAS tech courses at MSU

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Two new Mississippi State University courses in small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) technology are preparing a new generation of drone pilots. As a hub for precision agriculture training, MSU is offering the courses in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to help pilots pass the certification required by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs) commercially. Amelia Fox, assistant clinical professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, teaches the two split-level courses - Ag Flight Technologies I & II. While the courses are centered on how would-be pilots can pass the FAA Remote Pilot certificate exam, there also is hands-on flight instruction and the opportunity for students to operate different types of unmanned aircraft. Students also may enroll in Fox’s Ag Remote Sensing courses to learn how to manage and present data collected from unmanned drones. America hasn’t been able to meet the workforce demand for pilots. Of the 150 aeronautical post-secondary schools in the U.S. today, each would have to graduate about 500 FAA-certified pilots a year to meet the workforce demand by 2022. (Source: MSU 08/13/19)