Drone usage in construction has skyrocketed over the past few years. It’s an important tool Shiel Sexton utilizes on projects weekly to not only document project progress, but ensure safe jobsites and prevent hazardous situations. Since aerial video and photography became a staple on our jobsites, Shiel Sexton now provides drone training courses for employees. This results in covering more ground for clients and collecting an even bigger photographical database on projects.
Learning and Development Specialist for Shiel Sexton, Amanda Page, coordinated an instructor to train a small class of employees in the office. The instructor, Sam Morgan, has taught Aviation Technology courses at Indiana State University and executed drone piloting in the military.
Amanda explained, “Sam was recommended by one of our employees. He has been running his own drone training service company out of Terre Haute, IN. We received great feedback in our post-class survey covering the content and instructor presence. The class was very successful as all five attendees passed the Remote Pilot Exam, with a few receiving the opportunity to fly on their jobsites. We’re considering a future class if there is an internal need for additional pilots, and there has been enough interest.”
The two day training course focused on:
- Reading aerial maps
- Airplane traffic patterns
- Weather patterns
- Exam preparation
After the training course, the students were prepared for Remote Pilot Exam regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Licenses will need to be renewed every two years.
Shiel Sexton’s recent graduating class consisted of five project engineers – Eric Hooten, Carlos Rodriguez, Sam Larabee, Sarah Galloway, and Teddy Brown.
“The course material was very easy to understand, and the instructor was helpful at providing the information we needed to learn in order to pass the UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) exam. After receiving my license, I’ve been able to use my drone on three of Shiel Sexton’s current projects to capture video and picture footage of ongoing progress,” explained Eric Hooten.
Shiel Sexton is proud to provide the educational tools employees need as technology continues to rapidly grow in the construction industry.