Drone class to take flight this spring at Roane State

A new class in piloting small unmanned aircraft, better known as drones, will take flight this spring at Roane State Community College.

The three credit-hour class – AERO 1030 W01 – will prepare students to take the Federal Aviation Administration’s Part 107 Remote Pilot Aeronautical Knowledge test to obtain FAA certification, a press release said.

Matt Waters, associate professor of mass communications, is the instructor for the 15-week class, which will be offered completely online, the press release said.

“This class is designed for people who need certification to fly drones commercially,” Waters said, “and that can include safety officers, structural inspectors, professional videographers, and even students who are interested in pursuing aeronautics as a career.”

Waters has included basic drone flight training as a part of the news-gathering experience in mass communications classes since 2017.

Topics include regulations, loading and performance, and small unmanned aircraft operations. The FAA Remote Pilot Certificate must be completed during the course at student expense, the press release said.

Students will learn how to identify sources of weather information, airspace classifications, and flight restrictions, the press release said. They’ll also learn about radio communication procedures, airport operations, and preflight inspection procedures.

The class will run online from January 19 until May 7. The Course Reference Number is 14333. There is a textbook for the course titled “Remote Pilot 2020 TEST PREP” available at the college bookstore.

Spring 2021 registration is open until the first day of classes. New students can apply for admission to Roane State by visiting roanestate.edu/apply, the press release said. The course schedule can be viewed online at roanestate.edu/schedule.