Unmanned Aerial Systems: Operations

This course dives into the practical flight planning and data collection skills needed to execute successful UAS (drone) missions. You'll start by learning to identify and differentiate air traffic and airspace considerations that shape UAS flight planning decisions, ensuring safe and compliant operations in any environment. From there, you'll examine how weather conditions impact flight planning, learning to decode METAR/TAF weather reports and use weather applications to make informed, real-time flight decisions. You'll also learn to identify key mission stakeholders and understand their roles and requirements, ensuring your flight plans stay aligned with legal, regulatory, and operational considerations. The course then turns to data collection fundamentals, where you'll apply the principles of photogrammetry and Structure from Motion (SFM) to design flight plans that capture the high-quality imagery needed for precise 3D reconstruction and data analysis. You'll differentiate between nadir and oblique camera angles, learning when each is best suited to your mission goals, and evaluate the requirements for geo-referencing UAS data, applying the appropriate techniques for accurate, usable results. By the end of this course, you'll be equipped to plan UAS missions that account for airspace, weather, and stakeholder needs, while collecting high-quality, precisely geo-referenced data ready for real-world analysis and application.

This course explores the regulatory, safety, and operational foundations essential for real-world UAS (drone) missions. You'll start by examining common UAS regulations and certifications, and learn how to relate them to your own local regulatory framework , which is a critical skill for anyone operating unmanned aerial systems legally and safely, wherever you're based. From there, you'll dive into flight safety and risk management, learning to identify, assess, and mitigate mission risks using standard industry practices. You'll also explore UAS maintenance, understanding the importance of both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and how each contributes to safe, reliable drone operations. Finally, you'll develop practical skills for managing UAS crews and operational sustainment, including how to plan site surveys, coordinate transportation logistics, and ensure mission readiness from start to finish. By the end of this course, you'll be equipped with the regulatory knowledge, safety practices, and operational planning skills needed to run UAS missions responsibly and effectively in real-world settings.