Union Robotics, a developer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for utilities inspection and other applications within the energy industry, has announced the launch of a new training program designed to prepare industrial drone pilots for compliance with upcoming governmental mandates for UAV operation, as well as to provide skill development with drones created for the industry.
The new program, called R.A.F.T (Remote Aircraft Factory Training), will provide attendees with not only aviation knowledge and expansion of drone piloting skills, but also in-depth technical training that gives them a high-level understanding of UAVs designed for the energy industry and the ability to perform field repairs. The advantages of such a training program are that a drone pilot with understanding of the underlying hardware will intuitively be able to operate it with more consideration, and the acquisition of technical troubleshooting skills will result in less time lost in the field.
The R.A.F.T program will be led by Union Robotics pilot and subject matter expert Jan R. Timmerman, who has 20,000+ flight hours as a helicopter pilot, much of that within the energy sector. There is a large crossover from helicopter experience to drone usage, due to the similarity in structure and maneuverability. Mr. Timmerman is also a Certified Flight Instructor, safety manager, and accident investigator, and the director of Safety and Training operations for Union Robotics.
Union Robotics believes that providing energy-specific experience is key to training UAV pilots to operate in the industry, and is committed to developing courses with leading UAV educators that address the specialized needs of the energy market. R.A.F.T has been developed alongside UAV pilots with such experience and aims to mirror aviation industry standards required of pilots on manned aircraft while ensuring that drone- specific expertise is applied.
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