Course Description

This course is designed to give students an insight into how unmanned aircraft systems (UAS’s or drones) are used in various segments of several industries – real estate, construction, agriculture, search and rescue, policing.  This course also provides the necessary knowledge needed to become a certified FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Part 107 pilot.  Students will receive in class instruction into FAA practices and knowledge as well as hands-on training (flight) with drones under the supervision of a certified remote PIC (pilot in command). At the end of this course the final exam will be the practice test to sit for the FAA part 107 licensing exam.

At the students’ discretion, they may take the formal exam for FAA part 107 licensing.

• There is a $175 fee for the formal exam that must be paid by the student should he/she decide to pursue the Part 107 License.
• Students must be 16 or older to sit for the exam. Upon completion and passing of this formal exam (with a minimum score of 70% correct) students will be certified Part 107 commercial drone pilots.
• Students who pass the FAA part 107 exam may turn this in to their accountability group as an Honors course.
• The Drone Instructor will coach the students on how to schedule the exam and how to prepare for it.
• Starting January 2024, all small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) are required to have the ability to broadcast its position and identification using a module which is either built in or attached to the aircraft. Hands on instruction will be carried out in the Green Space in the Grace Campus. FAA Authorization is required for any of these sessions and the instructor will secure the authorization from the FAA. Flight altitude will be limited to under 100 feet AGL because of the campus proximity to the Greenville Downtown Airport.

To be successful in this class:

To be successful in this class, the student must pay strict attention to the material and the material requires a fair amount of memorization of FAA regulations. Homework is assigned for every module completed. There is a test for each module content. At the end of the semester, there is a final exam which is a simulation of the FAA Part 107 Test – 60 questions with a time limit of 2 hours – which is proctored by the instructor. Passing the final exam will be a predictor of whether the student has a good probability of passing the real exam. Students are expected to complete assigned work on time. Students will also be evaluated on their ability to execute instructions during the hands-on flight instruction.

Grades: 10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade

Fees: $225 plus $35 lab fee. The lab fee will cover membership in the AMA, and the FAA reference book

Course Credit: 0.5 science elective (STEM)