NMC ranks as one of the best drone training colleges

TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College has been ranked 10th out of the top 15 Best Drone Training Colleges by SuccessfulStudent.org.

NMC can offer specialized Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) training, aimed at giving students skills to operate a small (under 55 lbs) UAV for many different types of commercial applications. A basic level of aviation knowledge is strongly encouraged. That level of knowledge can be gained by taking a Private Pilot Ground School course either through NMC or another provider. Additionally, NMC offers an Engineering Technology program specializing in unmanned aerial systems that includes training on electrics, hydraulics, programming basics, and robotics — skills that will help a UAS operator to be more successful in the field.

NMC is one of the premier colleges in the country for UAS operator training. More commonly called drones, unmanned aircraft represent a sector of aviation that will undergo exponential growth over the coming years. Although many of the jobs available today are with defense contractors, the civilian job market will dwarf the military sector once the FAA opens up US airspace to commercial UAS operations. The potential commercial uses of unmanned systems are enormous, to include remote sensing of the atmosphere, disaster response, weather forecasting, scientific research; agricultural survey of crops, soils, and livestock; crop dusting, wildfire surveillance, wildlife surveys, power line and pipeline survey, industrial security; oil, gas, and mineral exploration; payload transport, search and rescue, and aerial photography for fields like real estate, construction, film and entertainment industry, and accident investigation.

Learn more about NMC's Unmanned Aerial Systems program at nmc.edu/uas.

Release date: June 26, 2015

For more information:

Alex Bloye, Director of Aviation
abloye@nmc.edu
(231) 995-2929