Posted by Gary Mortimer on January 4, 2010 at 12:55pm
A dozen aspiring pilots at the University of North Dakota can't wait to never get off the ground. Following a shifting military strategy that calls for more and more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) supporting troops on the ground, U. of ND is offering the first four-year degree for UAV pilots hoping to take the sticks in a field expected to swell to a $20 billion industry over the next decade.http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-01/u-north-dakota-offers-first-four-year-degree-uav-pilotingHow does it affect you at DIYdrones I wonder????Well it means the FAA will have a civilian qualification to ask for when you ask to fly commercially in the future perhaps? Europe is beginning to slowly pull ahead in allowing commercial UAS in regulated airspace, not far not high at the moment, but its starting.Airlaw changed in the UK in December and no doubt similar things are happening in other parts of the EU.I was thinking about adding a post about SOP's we are currently writing ours for UK and RSA, should DIYdrones Ardupilot users not have standard operating procedures that follow good practice and encourage safety??
I am a UND student in the Engineering Department...basically the degree is a supplement to the commercial aviation degree they already offer. There are a bunch of UAV specific classes that these students will be taking that manned aircraft pilots will not. UND Aerospace has 3 cropcams and just got a scan eagle, UND engineering has the Super Hauler UAS made by btemodels.com.
This article is about civil flying which is not allowed in a certain country. Whatever makes the university money. Still have to drop & give 20 if you want to fly UAV's for a living.
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You could get a commercial Multi in a fraction!