District 55 Launches Drone Academy

Drones are not new to the retail market, but in today’s world full of ever-expanding technology, the capabilities of drones and the retail market has certainly expanded in the recent past. The drone services market is expected to grow to $63.6 billion by 2025, an increase from $4.4 billion in 2018.  In a technological context, a drone is more formally referred to as an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

The drone industry is the next logistics model on the rise, and Laurens County School District 55 (LCSD 55) has identified the opportunity to place its scholars at the forefront to provide opportunities for drone-oriented careers.  Through a partnership  with AINautics, LCSD 55 will offer a new and innovative program at Laurens District 55 High School (LDHS) known as Drone Academy.  The partnership allows scholars completing the specialized hands-on training to obtain their Federal Aviation Administration Certification 107 Part A to become Commercial Licensed Drone Pilots. As an introduction the exiciting new program, LDHS hosted Drone Demo Day on September 7.

LCSD 55 Superintendent Dr. Ameca Thomas said, “We are so happy to partner with AINautics to provide the Drone Academy opportunity for LDHS scholars. This is part of our efforts to provide world-class, high-quality instruction for students.  We remain committed to inspiring students to achieve success in an ever-changing technological world.”

AINautics is a leader in drone education and consulting. Specializing in the connection between education and the drone industry, AINautics promotes opportunities for students in secondary education to become employable UAS certified pilots, visual observers, and drone repair technicians.

“We are very thankful to have this opportunity at the high school,” said Lewis Compton, LDHS Principal.  “I am confident that the Drone Academy will be an asset as we prepare students to be college and career ready.”

In addition to military operations being highly invested in drone technology, there are countless additional career opportunities utilizing drone technology.  Some of the various fields include firefighter, disaster relief, search and rescue, law enforcement, oil and gas operations, border patrol, traffic reporting, storm chasing, agriculture, package delivery, forestry, engineering, computer science, commercial contractors, and film.