Civil and Commercial Unmanned Aircraft Systems Safety Training Offered Through CCUVS
Published on December 21, 2010
December 21, 2010, Medicine Hat Alberta...The Canadian Centre for Unmanned Vehicle Systems is Canada’s first facilitator to offer Civil and Commercial Unmanned Aircraft Systems Safety Training (CCUST) - four days of ground school for students wanting to learn about unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and their integration into national airspace. Sterling Cripps, chief operating officer for CCUVS trains individuals by using UAVs specific to the clients need. The CropCam UAS, Aeryon Scout vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAS and Draganflyer X6 VTOL UAS can assist individuals involved in industries such as: agriculture, geology, law enforcement and search and rescue.
“In order to fly UAVs Transport Canada will ask you questions such as: are you a pilot-which in most cases is no, what do you know about airspace management, and do you know how to operate in and around Canadian airspace, I’ve put together a ground school that deals with all that,” said Cripps. “Currently the courses are focused on unmanned aerial systems in general, aviation type issues, such as aviation communication along with weather aerodynamics.”
Environmental Monitoring- Fixed Wing is one of the custom design courses offered through CCUST; the five day training provides individuals an understanding of all aspects associated to UAS operations. The course includes: approximately 20 hours of pre-course, private study using materials supplied by CCUVS, a day of confirmatory training by an approved Transport Canada instructor, in-test to confirm the level of knowledge and a radio telephony course to train users to talk to air traffic controllers and other airspace users- providing users the necessary knowledge to enter national airspace.
As rules and regulations change with Transport Canada’s Special Flight Operations Certificate, operators will potentially have to write an exam similar to those of private pilots. CCUST will assist with that process; as Cripps explains, “we’re here to help operators and people involved in UAS get an idea of what it takes to fly safely and correctly,”
Cripps is currently working on version two of the training program, which he anticipates will be released in spring 2011. The minimum number of people required for a course is four with a maximum class size of ten. CCUST is stationed in Medicine Hat however, available nation-wide.
For more information on the training opportunities available go to www.ccuvs.com, contact (403) 488-7208 or visit www.edalliance.ca for a list of the UVS industry in southeast Alberta.