Aviation students are going from top-gun wannabes to top drone operators, clamoring to enroll in Long Island’s first unmanned-aircraft training course.
This semester, Dowling College has started its first course toward a 12-credit minor in the subject — and the class was the first to fill up at the college’s School of Aviation in Brookhaven, said Jim Record, an adjunct professor and FAA-designated commercial-drone operator.
Now its 27 students are hoping to master the art of flying drones and land lucrative jobs in the booming industry.
They still need a pilot’s license to operate large commercial drones weighing more than 55 pounds. But instead of being fighter pilots, they’ll be at the controls of the unmanned craft.
Record estimated that there are fewer than 4,000 licensed pilots for unmanned aircraft in the country and said job opportunities are fast outstripping the number of qualified operators.
Jobs include using drones strapped with cameras to photograph real estate, using infrared imaging to monitor solar farms and working with public safety to track down missing people, Record said.
Record estimated that students could make six figures in fewer than five years with a commercial license.