ST. PETERSBURG — Pinellas Technical College (PTC) is opening the door to new technological careers to the community. Beginning next month, you can start a game-changing career working with dynamic drone technology right here in St. Pete.
From a military innovation to an exciting hobby to a technology that’s transforming commercial industries, the use of drones has rapidly changed over the past few years. Future opportunities in the field of drone technology are limitless.
Officially known as Remote Pilot–Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS), drones are changing the way companies do business. Large corporations such as Amazon and Google are testing ways to deliver packages with drones, and Facebook is using drones to provide internet connections.
In short, the drone industry is booming. You can take part in this dynamic growth by earning a certificate from PTC and by being prepared to earn your nationally recognized FAA 107 sUAS certification.
PTC is one of the first certificate programs that provide both the FAA 107 preparation as well as actual flight time taught by certified pilots flying in real-world situations. Most companies want you to have a minimum of 50-60 hours of flight time. This 12-week course will go towards that required flight time.
Reggie Reed, CEO of Reggie Reed Roofing, will be earning his certification in the next class. He states that “the use of drones can save me tremendous time by not having to use ladders to access commercial rooftops in malls, condos and highrise commercial buildings.”
Today’s jobs requiring tomorrow’s technology
A local municipality no longer requires their building inspectors to climb ladders to inspect but require contractors to provide photographs or drone video
- Agriculture industry uses drones to manage livestock and survey crops
- Realtors use drones to capture high-definition images of neighborhoods
- Surveyors use drones to assist in plotting boundaries
- Filmmakers and photographers use drones to capture aerial shots
- Photojournalists use drones to capture breaking news
Locally, the City of St. Petersburg is using drones to monitor the monthly building progress of the new St. Petersburg Pier, opening in the spring of 2020.
For more information, please contact PTC St. Pete Campus at 727-893-2500 ext. 2500, email Rohland Bryant, community outreach coordinator at bryantro@pcsb.org or visit www.myptc.edu.
