Southern Illinois University

Drone Flying 101-A beginner's guide for drone enthusiasts

Course Name

Drone Flying 101-A beginner's guide for drone enthusiasts

Contact Hours: 5 (an estimated time frame devoted to a course of study from start to finish that can vary from student to student)

Course Description

Flying your drone for the first time can be intimidating for beginners. Am I going to crash? How does the remote control work? How high and how far can I fly? Can I fly at the Grand Canyon? Am I allowed to fly over people? Can I get paid to fly my drone? How do I take cool pictures or cool videos?

If you've ever asked any of these questions, this course is perfect for you. As an aviator of 15 years (Commercial Pilot and Flight Instructor), Aeronautical University Professor, and as the author of the Best Selling course on how to become an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot (Commercial license for drones), I will take you through all the necessary steps to complete your first flight successfully. As a future aviator, starting your "career" with good habits is critical.

Requirements:
Preferably, you should already own a drone or have one ordered.
No aviation knowledge necessary.

This course covers the following topics:

Your Drone: including the different components, accessories, and best practices.

Basic Regulation: I cover everything you need to know about FAA regulation for hobbyist with several short and easy-to-understand videos.

Airspace: probably the most important and yet most misunderstood area in aviation. I show you how to find airspace information and how to identify the airspace in which you are about to fly, as well as how to request approval if it's necessary.

Weather Information: knowing about the weather can be the difference between a successful flight and a crash. I teach you the basics of meteorology and how to find aviation weather information.

Your First Flight: I show you how to safely complete your first flight, including how to pick a safe area, how to complete a preflight inspection, how to take off, maneuver, and land.

Basic Photography and Videography: in the last two chapters, I cover the basic principles of photography and videography, including aperture, shutter speed, ISO, capture modes (A, S, M), frame rate, HDR, ND filters, and many more. This section will help you take your story telling skills to the next level.

PLEASE NOTE: Course of study may be completed earlier than indicated.

Outcome

What you'll learn:

  • The different components of your drone and how to properly care for them.
  • The regulation for drone hobbyists (non-commercial).
  • Understand the different types of airspace and learn how to safely and legally fly near airports.
  • Understand basic weather phenomenon and how to avoid them.
  • How to safely conduct your first flight.
  • The basic flight maneuvers and how to safely control your drone.
  • About basic photography and videography, including the use of ND filters.

Assessment

This is a video lecture series that does not contain assessment sections.

Outline

To receive a complete and comprehensive course outline write to courseinfo@jeronline.com and include the complete course title.

Books

All training is delivered online; no additional purchase required.