The drone training program at Warren Community College, recognized as among the best in the country, recently also became one of the few to get a rare approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to train students in realistic scenario where they can fly the systems beyond the visual sight of their pilots to support sectors such as agriculture and energy or help keep the public safe.

Warren is one of the first 110 such waivers ever granted, one of the first 100 to get a waiver to fly drones over people, securing its permanent position as one of the pioneers in the industry, acknowledged this year when the Association of Uncrewed Systems International named college president, Dr. Will Austin, their member of the year.

“This is a really big deal in this growing industry, and we are among the first colleges to have the green light to train students this way,” said WCC President Dr. Will Austin. “Having the beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) clearance is something the FAA is just beginning to award to even the leading private companies in the field. It’s a real honor for the Warren, this program and the staff and students involved.” The students at WCCC will be using a Sentaero BVLOS made by Florida-based Censys, a mid-to-long range uncrewed aerial system (UAS) capable of vertical takeoff and landing and BVLOS flight. A Censys mobile command center at WCC also allows students to control the flight of the Sentaero up to 50 miles. This training along with and some of the program’s other 50 drones make Warren’s fleet one of the most advanced and elite in the industry.

“Currently, the number of commercial operators with experience in complex ops like BVLOS is limited,” said Trevor Perrott, CEO of Censys. “With this waiver, Warren is giving its students an understanding of the latest and most sophisticated ways drones can be used, along with hands-on experience with this state-of-the-art equipment. It makes them excellent candidates for the many jobs in this fast-growing industry. “The FAA approval of our BVLOS program and having the Censys equipment puts us five-to-seven years ahead of many other colleges and for-profit companies in terms of training,” said Austin. “And it’s not just about us. This will be an asset for the entire Warren County community.

One leading industry publication recently called BVLOS “the most talked about thing in the drone industry” and noted that while thousands of applications are filed for “hard to get” waivers, as recently as last year 99 percent were turned down by the FAA. Another expert analysis of the waiver process said that “securing a Part 107 BVLOS waiver is considered a feat for any operator or company.” It noted that the waiver requires a description of a tested, carefully structured process for operating the flights and extensive documentation.

Staff and students at WCC worked together for months on the waiver application, explaining how carefully the drones would be used and pointing out that with the BVLOS capability the college would be able to train pilots in the safe operation of drones outside the line of sight and in maintenance of the sophisticated equipment. Currently drone pilots can only fly the equipment within their line of sight, which severely restricts how the equipment can be used in the fields where its rapidly being applied in new ways.

With the waiver and BVLOS capability, drones can cover a far greater distance and collect vastly more data in sectors such as agriculture, construction, mapping and utility support. It also makes UAS operations much less expensive and can even replace the much costlier use of helicopters, planes or satellites. In addition, it allows for their use more extensively in public safety situations – with a lost person or detection of, or search for, an active shooter or other criminal.

“It is a different type of training, and the skills are valuable for our students to gain,” Dr. Austin said, noting that they need more sophisticated understanding of navigation of unmanned flights, meteorology, flight performance and planning, and flight rules. BVLOS drones require different on-board instruments and use a telemetry link that allows the pilot to monitor the position, altitude, speed and direction of UAS as well as all relevant parameters of the aircraft. Systems like the Censys Sentaero and its command center allow the pilot to change flight parameters and control sensors to collect data.

“Currently, the number of commercial operators with experience in complex ops like BVLOS, high altitude, night ops, flights over people, or even with fixed wing UAS in general is not large,” said Perrott. “What Warren is doing right now is giving their students a huge leg-up in the hiring process, certifying them through a standardized training program for Group 2 aircraft and operations. These group 2 aircraft and associated operations are going to play an ever-increasing role in how the technology is leveraged in a wide variety of industries moving forward for years to come.”

Warren recently began a special training program for the County’s emergency responders.

“This type of training capacity can allow us to assist our first responders in achieving some of the highest skills in the industry,” said Dr.Austin, Our fleet can be used for many purposes, and I am happy that this work can be further used to support the needs of our community.”