Drones are becoming more popular and useful tools in the fields of agriculture and real estate and several students of the Florida 4-H program in St. Johns, Putnam, Flagler and Marion counties are taking part in a week-long drone camp.
The camp is held at the UF/IFAS Extension Putnam County office in East Palatka and is designed to prepare those attending for the Federal Aviation Administration drone license exam, which is required by law in order to operate a drone.
With the knowledge gained, the camp is designed to offer skills that will exceed far more than just flying a drone for recreational sense but for some could be the next step in their career path.
“It's very common to use drones in agriculture,” said Wendy Mussoline, director of UF/IFAS Extension Putnam County. “They are very effective for early detection of (agricultural) disease, and a lot of people use drone photography for advertising real estate.”
Although the University of Florida employees from across the state will deliver the bulk of camp instruction, a Putnam County high school student, who launched his own drone business was on hand during the week to provide equipment and consulting as campers got to first test their prowess of controlling a drone.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a remote pilot certificate must be obtained before one can operate a drone.
The certificate is meant to understand the regulations in place and the operating requirements and safety procedures.
Drone pilots must be at least 16 years old and able to read, speak and understand English to be eligible to apply for a certificate and once obtained and online training course must be taken every 24 months to maintain it.
Before one applies for a certificate, one of the first steps is passing an initial aeronautical knowledge test about general small, unmanned aircraft.
The test covers areas such as the effects of weather on small, unmanned aircraft and the weather sources out there to use and various scenarios and the decision-making process and proper judgment when flying a drone in those situations.
Maintenance and pre-flight procedures are also covered as drone care is important in assuring the safest flight possible, as well as things to look for when operating a drone at night.
Once the drone pilot certificate application is completed, a permanent certificate is sent, and that certificate must always be available to show whenever a drone is being flown.
