Drones: It’s Time to Consider Getting Your Wings!

Drones, officially known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are rapidly transforming industries and the workforce across the United States. They’re filling our skies and western PA is primed to be a leader in the field of drone services! Their applications span construction, logistics, safety inspections, agriculture, infrastructure, and many other sectors, offering groundbreaking benefits in efficiency, safety, and professional advancement. If you are considering a career path that combines technology, innovation, and real-world impact, drone services might be perfect for you.

You may be wondering: “Why are drones becoming so popular in the business world?” Here are a few reasons why drones are destined to be prevalent in almost every industry.

1. Drones allow companies to inspect hazardous or elevated workspaces without putting employees at risk. For example, drones equipped with cameras, thermal imaging, or LiDAR technology can quickly scan and assess structures, identify safety hazards, and monitor dangerous areas from a safe distance.
2. Industries such as construction, manufacturing, and utilities use drones for routine safety audits and maintenance checks, thus eliminating or reducing worker exposure to falls, chemicals, and other onsite dangers. This also allows auditors to cover more ground with better vantage points.
3. In logistics, drones handle tasks like inventory management, package delivery, and facility inspections. This automation streamlines operations, reduces reliance on large workforces, and addresses challenges such as labor shortages.
4. Drones enhance efficiency by bypassing traditional traffic and terrain obstacles, providing real-time analytics for better decision-making, and integrating with security systems to protect assets.
5. Drones help farmers monitor crops, optimize irrigation, and detect pest outbreaks with precision sensors. This enables smarter resource use, increased yields, and lower operating costs.
6. Drones can quickly survey disaster zones, locate survivors, and deliver critical supplies where ground access is limited, dramatically improving emergency response times and safety.

Great right? But now you may be wondering how to enter this field. Unlike many other career paths, drone piloting doesn’t require any in structured, long term, educational paths or degrees. To be a pilot, you only need to pass a basic aeronautical knowledge test, which is like a test pilots take before beginning more in-depth study. This will allow you to apply for your FAA Part 107 Certification, which allows you to perform paid drone work. The test itself is difficult, but there are several programs online, and in person (programs like PIC’s Youth Drone Program) that allow you to attend classes taught by certified pilots and practice your flying skills.

If you are excited by technology, eager to make workplaces safer and businesses more efficient, and interested in a dynamic, evolving industry, pursuing your Part 107 certificate is the first step. Not only does certification make you legally eligible for commercial work, but it also equips you with essential skills and opens a pathway to a fulfilling, future-proof career!