1
00:00:00,333 --> 00:00:05,266
♪♪♪

2
00:00:05,266 --> 00:00:07,000
Narr: That buzzing noise 
you hear

3
00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:09,200
could be the sound 
of the future.

4
00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,566
With more businesses than ever 
using drones for everything

5
00:00:12,566 --> 00:00:16,466
from rooftop inspections 
to farming to cinematography.

6
00:00:16,466 --> 00:00:19,800
Job opportunities 
are, well, flying high.

7
00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:21,133
George: Society is changing.

8
00:00:21,133 --> 00:00:22,200
Drones are gonna come, uh,

9
00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:24,466
become a big part 
of our everyday life.

10
00:00:24,466 --> 00:00:27,600
George Foster is an instructor 
at Mira Costa College,

11
00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,600
a community college 
in San Diego County.

12
00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:33,500
It offers a drone pilot 
and technician program

13
00:00:33,500 --> 00:00:34,566
and certificate.

14
00:00:34,566 --> 00:00:35,666
George: You could come in here

15
00:00:35,666 --> 00:00:38,200
not knowing anything 
about flying a drone

16
00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:41,466
and we would baby stop 
you from seeing a drone

17
00:00:41,466 --> 00:00:43,900
sitting on a table 
to operating in a simulator,

18
00:00:43,900 --> 00:00:47,000
to flying a beginner drone, 
to flying a drone

19
00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:48,766
with an advanced 
payload system on it.

20
00:00:48,766 --> 00:00:49,766
If you need glasses.

21
00:00:49,766 --> 00:00:50,366
Student: Yeah.

22
00:00:50,833 --> 00:00:52,200
George: And it also adjusts 
for the eye space...

23
00:00:53,066 --> 00:00:54,833
George: 
The other aspect of the course

24
00:00:54,833 --> 00:00:57,666
is for them 
to learn the technical skills -

25
00:00:57,666 --> 00:01:01,433
the components of a drone, how 
to solder and repair your drone,

26
00:01:01,633 --> 00:01:04,766
how to build your own drone, 
or to get hired on as

27
00:01:04,766 --> 00:01:09,233
a technical advisor to build 
and repair drones for a company.

28
00:01:09,233 --> 00:01:10,833
Jonathan: We're learning to fly.

29
00:01:10,833 --> 00:01:12,633
We're learning where not to fly.

30
00:01:12,633 --> 00:01:14,566
Um, the basics of

31
00:01:14,566 --> 00:01:16,866
if something goes really wrong, 
we can troubleshoot it.

32
00:01:16,866 --> 00:01:18,666
Say, Oh, this battery's dead.

33
00:01:18,666 --> 00:01:20,366
Oh, this sensor 
needs to be replaced

34
00:01:20,366 --> 00:01:22,933
or this wire came unplugged, 
I just need to solder it

35
00:01:22,933 --> 00:01:24,833
and the training 
of how to do that.

36
00:01:24,833 --> 00:01:27,933
Narr: Student Jonathan Moore 
says he was searching for career

37
00:01:27,933 --> 00:01:30,966
opportunities when he discovered 
the drone program.

38
00:01:30,966 --> 00:01:32,366
Jonathan: I just have a history

39
00:01:32,366 --> 00:01:35,233
like in my life of being around 
robotics, being around

40
00:01:35,233 --> 00:01:36,066
aerospace stuff.

41
00:01:36,066 --> 00:01:37,633
My dad was an aerospace 
engineer,

42
00:01:37,633 --> 00:01:40,666
so honestly, drones have been 
on the fringe of my life

43
00:01:40,666 --> 00:01:42,000
for like a long time.

44
00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:44,366
And so, when I saw this was 
available, it just seemed like

45
00:01:44,366 --> 00:01:46,133
I would probably love to do 
that.

46
00:01:46,133 --> 00:01:47,733
Narr: 
The program is an intensive

47
00:01:47,733 --> 00:01:49,533
335 hours,

48
00:01:49,533 --> 00:01:53,200
but by the end, students are 
fully prepared to take the FAA

49
00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,233
Unmanned Aircraft Systems 
Drone Knowledge test.

50
00:01:56,466 --> 00:01:59,666
That allows them to fly drones 
for commercial purposes.

51
00:01:59,666 --> 00:02:02,000
Jaroslav: 
My like, dream job would be to,

52
00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,733
uh, get hired by some, 
uh, media company

53
00:02:04,733 --> 00:02:06,633
where I would be 
either a technician

54
00:02:06,633 --> 00:02:09,733
or a pilot for flying the drones 
that have the

55
00:02:09,733 --> 00:02:10,766
big cameras on them.

56
00:02:10,766 --> 00:02:13,766
And yeah, just doing that 
fun stuff in movies.

57
00:02:13,966 --> 00:02:15,566
Narr: 
Even though Jaroslav already

58
00:02:15,566 --> 00:02:19,033
passed the FAA test 
before enrolling in the program,

59
00:02:19,033 --> 00:02:22,033
he says he's gaining 
real-life experience.

60
00:02:22,300 --> 00:02:25,266
Jaroslav: 
So this is like a great way to

61
00:02:25,533 --> 00:02:27,933
get started 
because you get hands-on

62
00:02:27,933 --> 00:02:30,866
training from people 
who have been in the industry.

63
00:02:30,866 --> 00:02:31,933
George: 
You never want your props on

64
00:02:31,933 --> 00:02:33,766
unless you're about to fly.

65
00:02:34,266 --> 00:02:37,700
Narr: People like George Foster, 
who also flies drones

66
00:02:37,700 --> 00:02:40,733
for a roofing company 
to perform inspections

67
00:02:40,733 --> 00:02:43,900
and those industry jobs 
are growing as companies

68
00:02:43,900 --> 00:02:47,133
and public safety organizations 
find new ways

69
00:02:47,133 --> 00:02:48,733
to use the technology.

70
00:02:48,733 --> 00:02:51,900
George: Currently, right now, 
the big companies UPS, Amazon,

71
00:02:51,900 --> 00:02:53,933
they're working on drone 
delivery.

72
00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:55,400
The medical fields.

73
00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:57,700
Uh, we happen to live 
in Southern California.

74
00:02:57,700 --> 00:03:01,866
Chula Vista PD uses drones 
for their advanced

75
00:03:01,866 --> 00:03:05,733
eyes on site at a location 
before officers arrive.

76
00:03:05,733 --> 00:03:09,200
So we're on the pulse of 
the next generation of the big,

77
00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:11,433
big things 
thats happening in society.

78
00:03:11,433 --> 00:03:12,933
Jonathan: 
It is a young industry

79
00:03:12,933 --> 00:03:15,266
and it is evolving very quickly.

80
00:03:15,266 --> 00:03:17,633
So, people are getting 
new ideas.

81
00:03:17,633 --> 00:03:19,533
People are getting new 
capabilities

82
00:03:19,533 --> 00:03:21,666
and people are getting 
more comfortable with them.

83
00:03:21,666 --> 00:03:24,633
And so, it's just a lot 
is moving very quickly.

84
00:03:24,633 --> 00:03:26,666
The rules we're learning 
this year

85
00:03:26,666 --> 00:03:27,800
are different than the rules

86
00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:29,566
that we would have learned 
last year.

87
00:03:29,566 --> 00:03:31,500
Narr: 
In this fast-paced environment

88
00:03:31,500 --> 00:03:35,266
where the technology changes 
every year and new regulations

89
00:03:35,266 --> 00:03:36,900
are frequently introduced,

90
00:03:36,900 --> 00:03:39,033
students 
say they're excited about being

91
00:03:39,033 --> 00:03:41,533
part of an emerging industry.

92
00:03:41,533 --> 00:03:44,466
[drone buzzing]

93
00:03:44,466 --> 00:03:45,466
On this day,

94
00:03:45,466 --> 00:03:48,400
they're racing on an indoor 
obstacle course,

95
00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:52,466
using goggles with first person 
view, also called FPV.

96
00:03:52,700 --> 00:03:54,466
They can see what the drone sees

97
00:03:54,466 --> 00:03:56,533
as they zip 
through the classroom.

98
00:03:56,533 --> 00:03:58,066
George: So, it's an immersive 
drone experience

99
00:03:58,066 --> 00:04:00,966
that allows you 
to travel inside the drone

100
00:04:00,966 --> 00:04:04,066
as if you were like a bee or 
hummingbird around the course.

101
00:04:04,066 --> 00:04:06,933
And in the professional world, 
that skill set

102
00:04:06,933 --> 00:04:10,966
transcribes into drones 
used for inspection purposes.

103
00:04:10,966 --> 00:04:12,400
Jonathan: The real fun stuff 
is the hands-on,

104
00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:13,933
like we're using

105
00:04:13,933 --> 00:04:15,666
state-of-the-art 
equipment here.

106
00:04:15,666 --> 00:04:19,166
So having the newest toys to 
play with is really interesting.

107
00:04:19,166 --> 00:04:22,866
Narr: Interesting, fun, and 
technical - a combination

108
00:04:22,866 --> 00:04:24,000
that these students say

109
00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:27,166
they can't wait 
to bring to the job market.

110
00:04:27,166 --> 00:04:29,266
George: Having drone knowledge 
and technical skills,

111
00:04:29,266 --> 00:04:31,300
it gives you a plethora 
of op-options.

112
00:04:31,300 --> 00:04:32,433
You know, if youre on

113
00:04:32,433 --> 00:04:35,066
Indeed or Glassdoor, its 
job's coming up every day.

114
00:04:35,066 --> 00:04:37,400
And literally, 
if you have a drone

115
00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:42,200
and are willing to travel, 
the world is your oyster.

116
00:04:43,166 --> 00:04:44,833
Narr: 
According to recent studies,

117
00:04:44,833 --> 00:04:47,600
the average annual 
pay for a drone pilot in

118
00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:51,533
the United States 
is just under $100,000 a year.

119
00:04:51,533 --> 00:04:53,100
As the commercial 
drone industry

120
00:04:53,100 --> 00:04:56,600
continues to grow, 
so does the demand for pilots.

121
00:04:56,833 --> 00:05:00,400
Industry experts 
say some 100,000 drone-related

122
00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:04,700
jobs will be created over 
the next two years.