Austin Community College District (ACC) hosted its first-ever Drone Demo Day Wednesday, November 18, at the Public Safety Training Center at Hays Campus to promote its newest drone training certification program.

The event, hosted in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) National Drone Safety Awareness Week, promoted information about drone vehicles, safety, and education at ACC. Instructors demonstrated how to pilot different types of Unmanned Vehicle System Operations (USVO) — or drones — and process the data. 

"People are using drones to collect images, video, and other remotely sensed data to support a growing number of industries from agriculture to surveying and mapping, construction, inspection, public safety, environmental science, and more," says Sean Moran, ACC GIS & GE Department Chair. "Our brand new UVSO program gives students hands-on training so they earn the FAA Remote Pilot License."

The FAA recently designated ACC as an Unmanned Aircraft Systems Collegiate Training School. The college is one of only 44 in the nation invited to participate. The new certification program launched this fall. 

For more information, visit Moran's Drone Demo Day recap or explore ACC Unmanned Vehicle System Operations and drone certificate web pages.