Earn Drone/UAV Pilot Training Certificates From Home — Thanks to Unmanned Vehicle University's Four-Week Program

If you’re interested in becoming certified to pilot or operate an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, but can’t take the time away from a full time job to do so, you now have a way to do both — thanks to Unmanned Vehicle University’s (www.uxvuniversity.com) two week Drone/UAV Pilot Training Certificate Program. UVU is showcasing all of the certification opportunities at Unmanned Systems 2015 in the Georgia World Congress Center at booth #1508. 

According to John Minor, Provost of the Phoenix, Arizona-based university, which is the only university in the world licensed to offer graduate degree programs in Unmanned Systems Engineering, students can take the three-phase Drone/UAV Pilot Training Certificate Program from home without jeopardizing their current full-time jobs. “Now you can prepare for a lifetime career as a drone pilot without having to quit your current job to do so,” Minor said today. Minor further emphasized, “It’s been estimated that the rapid adoption of drones in a wide variety of commercial markets is going to create more than 100,000 jobs and have an $82-billion economic impact over the next ten years — but to have a career in this exciting new industry you have to be certified to operate a drone safely and effectively.” 

No college degree or prior experience is required to participate in the university’s program.  The Drone/UAV Pilot Training Program consists of three phases.  Phases one and two are conducted at home using a flight simulator and taking online academics.  Phase three is conducted by one of the university’s expert flight instructors at one of the university’s flight schools located around the country.  At the end of the program, successful students will receive the university’s UAV Pilot Certificate showing they have completed 10 hours of simulator training, 16 hours of ground school, and 16 hours of flight training for a total of 42 hours of comprehensive operator training.  

“Once students complete the enrollment process, they are assigned log-in instructions for the ground school and we ship a simulator to their residence," Minor explained. "The entire program can be completed in a little over two weeks, with two weeks of home study and two days of intensive flight training."

Once students have earned their Pilot/Operators Certificate they can get started on a life-long career that offers positions paying as much as $275,000 per-year in a wide variety of commercial markets that include Delivery and fulfillment, Logistics, Security and Law Enforcement, First Responders, Wildfire Management, Search and Rescue, News Gathering, Photography, Film and Television Production, Oil, Gas and Mineral Exploration, Disaster Relief, Live Event Production, Agriculture, and Real Estate.  And these just top the list of an ever-growing number of commercial markets. “As FAA regulations become finalized, and they will, you are going to see drones incorporated into just about every industry known to man,” Minor asserted.  “Drones reduce risk, save money, and dramatically increase the productivity of every field they are used in.”

The cost of Unmanned Vehicle University’s Drone/UAV Pilot Training Certificate Program is $3,500.  In addition, if you take one of Unmanned Vehicle University’s seminars held around the country, you will also get a free drone. For more information, visit UVU at Unmanned Systems 2015 in the Georgia World Congress Center at booth #1508, or contact Josh Roetzer at +1 (716) 866-2827 or jroetzer@uxvuniversity.com.

NanoLumens Helps Phoenix College Integrate 21st Century Technology Into a 20th Century "New Deal" Masterpiece

In the depths of the Great Depression President Franklin D. Roosevelt promised the American people a “New Deal.” From 1933 through 1943, a constellation of federally sponsored programs put millions of jobless Americans back to work and helped to revive a moribund economy.  These programs produced a rich landscape of public works across the nation, often of outstanding beauty, utility and craftsmanship. 

One of these masterpieces was Phoenix College (www.phoenixcollege.edu), the flagship institution of the Maricopa County Community College District and one of the largest community college districts in the nation.  Now, with the help of NanoLumens®, the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of indoor LED displays, Phoenix College is educating the AV/IT industry on how to integrate 21st century technology into a 20th century architectural masterpiece.

“In 1939 Phoenix College retained the architectural firm of Lescher and Mahoney with Public Works Administration funds to design the first six buildings for the new campus,” explained Mike Poplin, Director of Technology Support and Media Services, Information Technology Department. “The Arts and Science buildings; gymnasium; combination library, Bulpitt Auditorium and administration building; cafeteria; and a central heating plant formed the core of the college for many years.”

The Bulpitt Auditorium serves as the centerpiece for Phoenix College and hosts many important college, district and community events, explained Dr. Mark Koan, CIO and Dean of Information Technology.  “As we considered the range of diverse events hosted in this venue, as well as the college’s commitment to innovation, we focused our design goals on enhancing the auditorium’s historic appeal with state-of-the-art lighting, audio, and video technology.  When we found the video solution from NanoLumens, we knew we had to find a way to work it into the budget.  We couldn’t be more pleased with the results.”

According to Doug McCarthy, Director, Phoenix College Facilities Planning & Development, great care was exercised in the planning and execution of the auditorium’s renovation to preserve the integrity of the Art-Deco/Early Mid-Century design while bringing it up to current code compliance and functionality. “Chip Shay of SPS+ Architects was retained to design the project. Chip is a certified acoustician who also has a great deal of experience in theater renovation.  The success of this project was a result of a strong collaboration with the college’s Facilities Planning, Administration, Music, and IT departments.   The vision and goal was to create an environment conducive to compete with and/or exceed modern Phoenix venues, while honoring the past glory of the historic building.”

The renovation involved the installation of new electric rigging and drapes, LED lighting, mechanical systems, structural enhancements and cosmetic renovations.  Great care was taken in the selection of the finishes, windows, lighting devices and colors to enhance and capitalize on the original design of the building.  Even the original outside lighting fixtures were refurbished and reused.  These fixtures are now re-installed with LED lamps; an example of the level of detail that went into the project.  Each need examined in the planning and completion of this project was reviewed for relevance from a functional and historic standpoint.

Phoenix College chose NanoLumens to supply two 5mm NanoSlim displays, each measuring 181” diagonally, based on several important characteristics, according to Poplin.  “No other company comes close to offering the same combination of technology, customization, and warranty.   Our new installation is expected to have a lifespan of 100,000 hours or 11 years, which ever comes first, and NanoLumens is guaranteeing this performance with its unprecedented six-year, zero defect warranty program.” 

Add to this the fact that the NanoLumens displays are ultra-thin and light in weight, manufactured in the United States, feature ‘hot-swappable’ LED nixels, are front serviceable, deliver a seamless bezel-free viewing experience and are designed to be extremely quiet and energy efficient — “and the selection of NanoLumens became the right one for us,” Poplin emphasized.  “What’s more, the new installation space features completely open windows that had been covered up by dry wall for many years.  Even with the new open windows, the NanoLumens displays deliver an outstanding picture quality!”

Click here to see a time lapse video of the construction.