Prepare for an exciting career as a Commercial Drone Pilot. This training prepares you to earn the FAA Remote Pilot in Command Certificate. Gain hands-on experience flying a variety of drones, including the DJI Inspire, in real world scenarios. You will also train on software and applications to manipulate photos, video and data captured by the drones. UAS (Drone) use has boomed across a wide range of commercial and industrial applications in which the technology has provided a number of advantages including data collection, workforce safety and cost benefits. This implementation has created a need for trained pilots and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) predicts over 100,000 drone related jobs will be created by 2025.
You must be at least 16 years old; be able to read, speak, write and understand English (exceptions may be made if the person is unable to meet one of these requirements for a medical reason, such as hearing impairment); be in a physical and mental condition to safely operate a small UAS; and pass the initial aeronautical knowledge exam at an FAA-approved knowledge testing center.
Students must register for all courses in the series at the same time and the courses must be taken consecutively. Students who have previously completed DAP-848/158 UAS (Drone) Ground School, DAP-849/159 UAS (Drone) Flight School and/or DAP-850 UAS (Drone) FAA Remote Pilot Certification Prep will be exempt from repeating these courses, but must complete all other courses in the series. Students who have previously completed these courses and wish to complete the certificate program, will need to purchase the Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Safety (#978-0-9987295-1-0) textbook in either hardcopy ($145) or digital version ($99). This textbook is used throughout the program and supports the Small UAS Safety Certificate Program embedded in the program.
Advisory Boards
Our curriculum is designed and continuously reviewed by an advisory board of industry experts and business leaders, ensuring the program meets all current skill and knowledge requirements. You can visit our Advisory Boards page to see the list of Business and Accounting Advisory Board members, as well as advisory board members for our other programs.
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View current course offerings. Not all courses are offered in every schedule.
95 hours
$2,826 (includes text)
Students are prepared for FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification (certification required to enroll in DRN-002) and for USI Small UAS Safety Certification ™
DAP-185 Photoshop Level 1 DAP-186 Photoshop Level 2 DAP-791 Premiere Level 1: Introduction to Digital Video Editing DAP-792 Premiere Level 2: Advanced Digital Video Editing DAP-150 Building and Fabricating a Drone
No Bureau of Labor Statistics available.
*Unless noted, cost does not include any required textbooks, applicable licensing fees, background check fees, testing fees, etc.**Wages are based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and are estimates only.