Drones are taking over the skies all across the country and now they’re being used to keep our youth local.
A group of youngsters are enrolled in a one week summer drone camp. They not only learn how to fly a drone, they’re also building one from scratch. It’s just a beginner’s course in what’s being offered at Mohawk Valley Community College.
Unmanned Aerial Systems Professor Bill Judycki says:
“The UAS program here at MVCC will allow a student to design a UAS system, right, it will allow them to design it, to build it, to test it, to fly it, to program it, and also be able to apply it.”
Mary Carol Chuscicki works for AX Enterprize, a company that develops communication radios using drones. She says what these kids are learning in this class could be used for a variety of applications.
“You’ve got a situation where you don’t have connectivity. Whether it because power grid is out, satellites are out, or they just don’t exist like in the Adirondacks, so you launch a drone with communications capabilities on it and you create your own little cell tower.”
AX Enterprize is also working to keep our youth from leaving the area. They started the company with 2 employees and are now 20 employees strong. All hired from local students like AX Enterprize Drone Pilot, Kirk Ringdahl.
“I am the pilot, so they’re training me to go out so when we do tests and stuff, I got to fly the drones for them, and then we sell some DGI’s, and so I’ll fix them, test fly them, I give lessons to whoever needs them, so I teach people pretty much everything.”
So this company is working to keep our youth local, while our local college is providing skills to keep their expectations high.
MVCC is only one of 3 colleges in the country offering an unmanned aerial systems degree. If you’re interested in a degree or just taking a few classes, just contact the admissions office here at MVCC.
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