Students at Palm Beach State College’s Belle Glade campus are flying drones as part of the college’s first drone training class, a 12-week course that pairs classroom instruction with hands-on flight time. WPTV reporter Christy Waite visited the class.
The course prepares students to work toward the FAA certification required for most commercial drone operations. Instructor Scott Mitchell said the training has clear uses in the Glades, particularly in agriculture, where growers in the area’s sugar cane and sweet corn fields could use drone mapping and surveying.
Alejandro Garza, a student from the Glades area, said he wants to use his license to help local farmers get more yield from their crops. Another student, Marina Medina, said she sees the industry as growing quickly.
Later phases will cover more specialized work, including public safety, search and rescue, emergency response, infrastructure inspections and real estate photography. Students also get access to professional-grade equipment they would not easily afford on their own.
The Hand Foundation is providing scholarships to make the program more accessible, and college leaders said that support has reduced financial barriers for some students. Enrollment for the current class is closed. The college plans another drone class in the spring, along with the second phase of the program.
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