AUVSI Member Spotlight: Fullerton Drone Lab

The Fullerton Drone Lab at Fullerton College prepares students for a future in UAS operations across numerous industries, from construction, to search and rescue, to marine biology.??

Value of?Fullerton College’s?AUVSI Membership?

Jay Seidel ,?the?professor?who oversees the Drone Lab - and President of the AUVSI California Chapter -?says the combination of connections and education makes AUVSI membership valuable:???

“One of the best things about membership in AUVSI is the networking opportunities. For us, it is priceless. Another thing that is attractive about membership is industry information. Whether it is through training opportunities, shared news, or industry advocacy, membership provides a great opportunity for building industry knowledge and awareness.”

Exciting Industry Developments?

Seidel?sees a number of breakthrough technologies on the horizon that will transform industry operations:??

“The UAS field is going to explode over the next few years with implementation of all of the acronyms, R-ID, UTM, and BVLOS. These will cause the easement and readjustment of regulations, the inclusion of new regulations, and the opportunities for more drones to be used in new and larger capacities. These things are also all building the foundation and development of the other acronym, AAM. The next few years will be a busy time of continued growth within?uncrewed areas across the country.”?

Fullerton College’s?Role in the Industry’s Future?

According to?Seidel,?Fullerton College is committed to educating the next generation of professionals:?

“The Fullerton Drone Lab is working to prepare the workforce through smarter and safer pilots and skilled?sUAV?repair technicians, including the first registered apprenticeship program for drone piloting. We work closely with industry?in an effort to?meet the needs. We also work with the FAA through its CTI program to ensure we train and prepare pilots on regulations, and we work with and through AUVSI to help our students build their networks and industry knowledge.”?

Support for High Safety Standards?

Seidel says that safety is integrated at every level of the program:?

“Fullerton Drone Lab is an AUVSI Service Provider and an ASTM International Certified UAS Training Provider. We work to ensure that students know and understand the need for safety at all times. They are required to develop sUAS safety policies for themselves as pilots. Also, to finish the program, they are required to complete our industrial safety course for their OSHA-30 certification. We stress safety in the air and safety on the ground,?and work to make sure that our students know and practice it.”

Building Public Trust?

The Fullerton College team is committed to collaborating with local and regional public safety and community organizations:?

“We try our best to help raise not only?the?visibility of our program, but also knowledge of UAS regulations to help build greater public trust in our area. We get out in the community as much as we can. We have tables at many community events. We fly and give demonstrations when we can in the community. We have developed training pathways with local high schools and middle schools,?and we demo and display at many of their events,?connecting with and informing the students and their families.”?

For more information visit:?https://drones.fullcoll.edu/??