USI brings UAS training to Nevada campus

The Unmanned Safety Institute will begin offering its unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) safety training and certification programs at the Global Robot And Drone Deployment Innovation Campus in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In addition to safety courses and certifications, USI also offers training on specific systems and scenarios, tailored to different industry’s objectives, USI said. With Nevada having a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration designated UAS test site, GRADD plans to work closely with the test site to become a leader in UAS education, research, testing, development, assembly and manufacturing.

“As commercial UAS operations become more prevalent in the U.S., the need for credible operator safety training programs has never been higher,” said Brandon Blackburn, executive director of USI. “GRADD has a passion for education and R&D and we are thrilled to work with them to expand our offerings and USI’s footprint.”

“We are very excited about our new alliance with USI, and look forward to working together to provide the industry with some of the best training, education, and certification programs that are a necessary requirement for the safe integration of unmanned systems into the National Airspace System. It is our goal at GRADD to develop a strong ecosystem where operators of all types of unmanned platforms can test, elevate, and develop solutions for various applications from filming to precision agriculture, to structural inspections, to firefighting, and law enforcement,” added Reza Karamooz, GRADD president and CEO.

Along with USI’s partnership with GRADD, it also recently partnered with Global Aerospace Inc., a leading provider of aerospace insurance. The partnership has developed a standard operating procedure (SOP) manual for sUAS operations available to qualified Global Aerospace customers. The visual line of sight SOP outlines general operating procedures for UAS.

“Standard procedures are the foundation of safe operations,” said Alex Mirot, president at USI. “We are excited about offering this SOP manual to Global Aerospace customers as a way to promote safety and reduce errors.”

“Global Aerospace continues to develop products and tools for the rapidly growing sector of UAS,” said Chris Proudlove, senior vice president, team leader, complex risks at Global Aerospace. “This comprehensive manual will provide an excellent resource for operators of sUAS. With the release of the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FAA’s position is becoming clear for operators of small UAS: they will need to act responsibly and receive training. Our partnership with Waypoint/USI enables us to deliver industry leading services to help our customers achieve these goals.” 

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