US students receive training in piloting drones

World Today

US students receive training in piloting drones

The drone industry has taken off around the world. Entrepreneurs are taking advantage of new regulations which give them much-needed rules of the road.

More people and companies are learning how to use unmanned aerial vehicles in hopes of making a profit.

CCTV America’s Hendrik Sybrandy reports from the U.S. state of Colorado.

On the football field at Salida, Colorado High School, drone class is in session. Students are learning how to fly unmanned aerial vehicles. This hands-on class didn’t exist just a few years ago.

The school principal started the class to provide kids with a potential new career path, teaching them about business.

Drones have traveled a long way over the years. Initially used by the military, they became a popular consumer hobby.

Then people attached cameras to them and now they’re big moneymakers with a wide variety of applications.

Jeff Cozart runs Juniper Unmanned which helps companies operate unmanned aircraft programs. He said new U.S. Federal Aviation Administration regulations now help drone operators do something that was illegal before and lots of folks are pouring into this field.

Drones are now used for infrastructure inspection, first responder training, real estate photography and more.

All that drone work takes training and practice. These students all have their federal aviation certificates and ideas about how to put these machines to use.

Drones are now mainstream and operators, some very young, are playing by the rules. Cozart said that’ll help propel this industry in the future.