USU aviation set to offer new minor in drones
Is that a UFO? No, it’s a UAS: unmanned aerial system. Utah State University aviation is set to declare an official 12-credit minor in UAS that will go to the USU Board of Trustees March 2.
The UAS minor is in the final process in a committee within the university. If the USU Board of Trustees passes the minor, it will then go to the Utah System of Higher Education Board of Regents. If both boards approve, it will become official.
Students from different departments around the university are already pursuing the new minor.
Aleigh Allred, a political science student with an interest in maintenance and aviation, likes that this program brings a variety of majors “into this realm.” She said she sees drones as an expanding field where she can pursue her interest.
“Students will be able to take the four classes and compliment whatever major they have. Even aviation technology majors are eligible for the drone minor,” said Andreas Wesemann, an assistant professor of aviation technology.
There are three core classes and one elective, and each class has a required lab.
In the introduction class, students will become certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly drones below 55 pounds as a commercial pilot, Allred said.
Wesemann added that the introductory course covers what is necessary to be a private drone pilot, such as understanding the weather and radio calls.
The rest of the course material in the minor consists of learning how to build a drone from scratch and how to fix it when it has crashed. The elective courses are aerial photography and independent study.
Currently, there are about 70 students enrolled in the classes for the UAS minor. “We anticipate that number to go up,” Wesemann said.
Hunter Buxton, a junior studying business, helped Wesemann develop the program. He first became interested in drones when he started using them for bridge inspection research.
Buxton also works for AggieAir, part of the Utah Water Research Laboratory, as a safety pilot doing precision agriculture research.
He said his involvement in the program is because of his passion for drones. He wants to own his own business that will work with drones in agriculture or search and rescue.
Buxton has completed all of his courses for the minor and is taking more than is required. “You only have to take four courses. I’m taking all of them,” he said.
This semester, Buxton is building a mapping drone in addition to the required coursework for his drone programming course.
Drones have helped Buxton in his profession with AggieAir and his side aerial photography business.
“With my minor, I’m focusing on the technical, scientific side. Drone photography as my own business is so fun,” Buxton said.
Buxton also leads the drone club on campus in conjunction with the minor. He plans to meet twice a month – one meeting to share factual information, and another where students go out and fly.
Buxton likes drones because of how much of an impact they will make later in the future.
“Drones are so useful for science, research, business, agriculture, search and rescue — there’s so many uses for them,” Buxton said.
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