HAMLET — Richmond Community College will offer a course Saturday, Sept. 26, on the use and operation of unmanned aerial vehicles, most commonly referred to as drones.
Instructor Charles Pierre has 30 years of experience with remote-controlled devices such as drones.
“I’ve always had a love for aviation, electronics and robotics,” said Pierre, who owns a helicopter hobby shop. Pierre has years of experience building and performing maintenance on remote controlled cars, boats, planes and drones.
Pierre said the daylong class at RCC will be very interactive, with Pierre bringing examples of different drones for comparison.
“We’ll go over how to build a drone and what components may be used, as well as how to choose the right drone for what a person wants to do,” said Pierre.
Common uses for drones include aerial photography and video, agriculture analysis and management, real estate sales and appraisals and industrial and commercial inspections.
Students will discover how drone technology can be used in a wide number of professions. Routine maintenance topics will be discussed, and students who own drones are encouraged to bring them to class. Hands-on flight practice will be incorporated as well.
The cost of the course is $70 and will be offered from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Forte Building on RCC’s main campus in Hamlet. Topics that will be discussed include Federal Aviation Administration rules and regulations; government, commercial and recreational applications; safety; equipment and software, custom range extender; linking the drone’s remote control and receiver; camera types; and building your own drone.
Minimum enrollment is required and pre-registration is recommended. For more information, or to register, contact Lauren Holland at 910-410-1848 or [email protected].
Leighton Bell is assistant director of marketing and communications at Richmond Community College.