UOG Drone Corps, administered by NASA Guam Space Grant and NASA Guam EPSCoR, has opened enrollment for its third cohort of professionally trained and federally certified drone operators. 

Participants of the program will study regulations and applications to earn their license from the Federal Aviation Administration, receive hands-on experience in drone flight, and support local natural resource experts through flight missions. The program has so far produced 24 licensed remote pilots since its establishment in 2021.

“A rising local drone industry calls for a cadre of responsible FAA-licensed pilots, and the UOG Drone Corps program is one way to ensure this capacity is fulfilled,” said Leslie Aquino, executive director of NASA Guam EPSCoR. 

“Members of our previous cohorts have been instrumental in assisting research projects and monitoring with the use of drone technology, and we hope to provide more resources throughout our island community as our program expands.”
Selected participants will engage in knowledge courses that will prepare them for the FAA Part 107B exam, followed by hands-on practice for a minimum of 40 flight hours. The courses will be conducted throughout July 2023. 

Upon completing the program, Drone Corps members will be advised of internship opportunities and flight missions to advance their drone flight skills. The internships will focus on fostering collaborations within the island community while helping build technical workforce capacity within the local drone industry.

Deadline extended due to storm recovery:

The program is open to UOG and GCC students who are 18 years or older with U.S. citizenship. Applications are due by the new deadline of 5 p.m. Monday, June 19, 2023. To apply, visit bit.ly/dronecorps.  

An information session, which was previously scheduled for May 26 via Zoom, has been postponed.  

For further inquiries, please contact dronecorps@triton.uog.edu.