Zephyr Teaches College Students to Use Drones

Simulations developer Little Arms Studios is partnering with collegiate drone systems to create training programs at several American colleges. The company’s Zephyr Drone Simulator will be deployed as a training method to teach students across sectors such as aerodynamics, propulsions and sensor technologies, as well as tangible flight skills.

“The progressive training curriculum and real-life flight physics built into the Zephyr Drone Simulator make it the ideal starting point for novice UAS pilots,” a Zephyr spokesperson said.

“The simulator establishes a natural skill progression taking students from simulation to real aircraft quickly and confidently. Zephyr also incorporates more advanced, purpose-built modules catering to the precision skills necessary for high demand UAV applications.”

A recent Zephyr addition involves training modules developed with award-winning Hollywood cinematographer, Skip Fredricks. The program teaches the core cinematic skills shooting drone-mounted video content. Little Arms Studios has also been working with partners in the telecommunications field to develop modules that drill the precision skills necessary for cell phone tower inspection.

The company’s proprietary Learning Management System (LMS) empowers users to assign, review and assess students’ skills. Instructors can ensure proficiency in elements ranging from basic flight skills to advanced techniques, even throwing weather shifts into the mix while Zephyr helps the pilot adhere to FAA regulations. With detailed analytics reports from the Zephyr LMS module, instructors can quickly and easily pinpoint the skills that require improvement for each student.

Zephyr’s empowered University’s Research and Development Lab (the RaD Lab) at Creighton University has developed the Drone Badge Program – an intensive five-week program to prepare students for the FAA’s Part 107 examination.

Kansas’ Cloud County Community College is utilizing Zephyr’s flight training curriculum into numerous degree programs including its Wind Energy Technology and Precision Agriculture offerings.

“Zephyr has given us the opportunity to introduce both high school and college students to the necessary flight operation skills to master drone flight. Each of the students has their own transmitter and can log onto their own computer at any time to sharpen their skills,” said Monte Poersch, Wind Energy Instructor and Advisor at Cloud County Community College. “The benefit of the LMS for grading student flight performance is an invaluable time saver for the instructor. Students that have never flown a remotely controlled aircraft have expressed how much the simulator helped their confidence before attempting to fly a real UAV.”