Goheung-gun, Popular Academy for Training Professional Drone Pilots

Customized Drone Certification Training for Consumers

Goheung-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Gong Young-min) announced that the demand-tailored "Drone Academy" is gaining popularity to cultivate professional drone operators in the core drone industry of the 4th Industrial Revolution era and to create a drone-friendly cultural city.

The Drone Academy operates two courses annually through consignment to specialized educational institutions: the "National Certification Type 1 (over 25kg) Acquisition Course" for residents and students of Goheung Industrial Science High School, and the "Type 4 (under 2kg) Aerial Photography Expert Training Course" for public officials and employees of public institutions.

[Photo by Goheung-gun]

This year, the county plans to invest 100 million KRW of county funds to train a total of 90 people, including 30 people obtaining the drone national certification (Type 1), to cultivate professional drone operators.

The drone national certification is a national qualification for ultra-light flying device (unmanned multicopter or drone) operators issued by the Korea Transportation Safety Authority. The county subsidizes 50% of the education cost per person (3 million KRW) for obtaining the Type 1 national certification and fully supports the 800,000 KRW education fee for the aerial photography expert training course.

Earlier, the county recruited 20 trainees in the first half of the year for the national certification acquisition course, and on February 1, selected 9 trainees for the first session. They are currently undergoing three weeks of drone theory and practical flight training at the Goheung Drone Center training hall and Sudeok Baseball Stadium practice field. Subsequent training sessions will proceed sequentially.

One trainee currently taking the course said, "I was interested in drones but hesitated due to the tuition fee burden. I am grateful for this great opportunity," adding, "I will work hard to obtain the drone certification and utilize drones in various fields such as agriculture and daily life."

The county plans to select an additional 10 residents for the "Type 1 National Certification Acquisition Course" in the second half of this year and recruit trainees including 10 Industrial Science High School students during the vacation period, as well as public officials and employees of public institutions, to start drone education from July.

Over the past seven years of operating the Drone Academy, 98 residents and 53 high school students have obtained the Type 1 national drone certification, and 57 people in the public sector have acquired the Type 4 drone certification, which has been widely utilized in pesticide spraying, job creation, and public service fields.

A county official stated, "In the future era we will face with drones, drone certification will be a necessity, not a choice," and added, "We will do our best to cultivate professional drone operators and utilize public sector services through the Drone Academy, befitting the status of Goheung as a drone-centered city."

Meanwhile, Goheung-gun is focusing administrative efforts on fostering the drone industry for commercialization following demonstrations such as expanding the drone special free zone, developing repellent drones using AI systems recognizing duck flocks, and security drones for island areas.

Goheung = Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shim Jeong-woo hss79@asiae.co.kr