New drone flight training school to begin offering courses in March 2016

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 9, 2015) — The Kentucky Innovation Network at Morehead State University is partnering with Unmanned Services Inc. to create a drone flight training school.

As drone technology becomes more accessible for commercial and private use, safe and legal flight operations will be paramount as the industry grows. The flight school is designed to provide technical drone education and instruction to government and private entities at a low cost and help foster an unmanned aerial service sector in Kentucky.

“Drones are expected to be a billion­dollar industry, soon, and this training school will help give Kentucky pilots an edge over future regional operators,” said Unmanned Services Inc. president Mickey Marotta. “But for current and future drone companies to be successful, every pilot has to fly safely and by the rules.”

The Kentucky Innovation Network at Morehead State University will serve as the title sponsor of the training school and will work to find a suitable venue for the school and assist marketing and recruitment.

Pilots and executives from Unmanned Services Inc., a Lexington­based, FAA­certified commercial drone service provider, will engineer the educational and operational components of the course.

Students will prepare for the FAA UAS Ground School Test and will receive instruction from commercial­ rated pilots on aircraft maintenance and flight operations programs. Courses will be taught in a lab environment featuring unmanned aircraft simulators and systems equipped with cameras and other payloads for training aids. Future pilots will be trained in a variety of relevant topics, from regulations and navigation to commercial applications.

“There isn’t an industry out there that can’t benefit from drone technology: real estate, agriculture, media, utilities, transportation,” Marotta said. “All of these sectors can become more efficient and profitable utilizing drone technology, but that potential can’t be realized without professionally trained pilots.”

More than $700,000 will be available through a scholarship program over the next 18 months for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Ground School (UASGS), which will begin offering courses in March 2016.

For more information on the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Grounds School, call the Kentucky Innovation Network at Morehead State University at (606) 783­-9536.