Genius NY finalist, SkyOp, to offer drone training course at Tech Garden

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — SkyOp, a finalist in the Genius NY competition, is offering an introduction to unmanned-aircraft systems (UAS) course beginning Aug. 1 at the Syracuse Tech Garden.

SkyOp is an unmanned aerial systems training company. It conducts classes directly and through workforce-development partnerships at colleges and universities throughout the country.

The 18-hour, “hands-on” course takes students from learning to fly drones all the way through to preparing for FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) certification, according to a CenterState CEO news release.

To legally operate a drone for any business purpose, FAA regulations now require remote pilot certification.

“We teach you how to fly … you can come in without any flying skills whatsoever and you can leave capable of flying most systems. The test [preparation] for remote pilot certification is part of it,” Brian Pitre, co-founder & managing partner of SkyOp, said in discussing the course in a media presentation held July 20 at the Tech Garden.

The course is designed for anyone looking to use a drone whether it be for hobby or for commercial use, including real estate, construction, inspection, agriculture, and photography/videography.

SkyOp’s course provides “some very specific things,” said Pitre.

“What is the type of flight system you might like? What are you going to do with cameras and sensors … And is it computer-based or cloud-based? There’s whole array of things that are covered in our classes so that people understand how to use these effectively,” said Pitre.

Drone-trained, certified pilots are in “high demand,” with more jobs expected to be created as the industry “continues to grow” over the next several years, the news release said.

Payment

The course fee is $1,490, said Pitre.

Some people think it’s a “little bit high,” he added, but he also thinks it’s “really perceived that if you’re seeking a new career that this is going to be a reasonable price to pay to introduce you into that.”

SkyOp surveys participants in the classes it offers for feedback, Pitre noted.

The course fee includes a workbook, a quadcopter with camera, a computer flight simulator with radio controller, 50 FAA sample test questions and 18 hours of instruction.

Actual FAA testing must be administered at an authorized knowledge testing center and is not included in the course fee, according to the CenterState CEO release.

Topics covered throughout the course include regulations relating to UAS. They include airspace classification; interpretation of sectional navigation charts; operating requirements; and flight restrictions.

The course will be held over three weeks, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Tech Garden, located at 235 Harrison St. in Syracuse.

To sign up for the course visit https://www.skyop.com/classes/syracuse/ or contact Pitre at brian@skyop.com.

 About SkyOp

SkyOp won $250,000 from the Genius NY program earlier this year. Since then, the firm has added one full-time hire, has been able to “revamp” its marketing efforts, and launched a new website.

It’s also offering its courses to more colleges and organizations around the country.

Genius NY is an in-residence business accelerator program that CenterState CEO administers at the Tech Garden.

Empire State Development, New York’s chief economic-development agency, supports the program with $5 million in funding.

Genius NY stands for Growing ENtrepreneurs & Innovators in UpState New York.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com