Media Release: Uni of Adelaide accredited to train drone pilots

The University of Adelaide is the first university nationally to gain accreditation to train people to fly drones or remotely piloted aircraft.

 The University is offering a commercial drone course leading to the award of a Remote Pilot License, certified by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia (CASA). Under Civil Aviation Safety Regulations, the operation of drones over 2kg for commercial purposes needs certification.

The five-day intensive course is conducted on University of Adelaide campuses using state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment. It is taught by a University of Adelaide team of CASA-certified drone operators and trainers.

“Drone technology is rapidly evolving and growing in popularity in a range of industries, from agriculture and mining through to engineering and defence,” says Professor Lian Pin Koh, Director of the University’s Unmanned Research Aircraft Facility that runs the course.

 “Here at the University of Adelaide, we have been using drones for a wide range of environmental and agricultural research applications, both within the country and internationally.

 “As Australia continues to build a future focused on innovation and knowledge-intensive industries, we as a university are proud to contribute to the training of a highly-skilled workforce, enabling them to take full advantage of the emerging employment opportunities.”

 The course covers all practical and theoretical syllabus and requirements of CASA for a commercial drone license, including air legislation, aerodynamics, meteorology and flight training for both multi-rotor and fixed wing drones.

 Training takes place at the University’s North Terrace and Waite campuses. Initial courses are being run for students and staff, with the first open course planned for August.

 The course is open to members of the public and costs $3500. Further information can be obtained from uraf.org.

This license was partially funded by the Environment Institute and will be run by the Centre for Applied Conservation Science.

This story has been featured in various media outlets, including an interview with Prof Koh from ABC News.