NORTH LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Students at Delta Academy in North Las Vegas are learning to fly drones, giving them hands-on experience for potential future careers.
The class, taught by school data analyst and drone instructor Richard Shipin, also prepares them to earn an FAA drone pilot license.
Shipin said the trial-and-error approach of figuring out what works, what doesn't and how to fix the drones when something goes wrong is intentional.
"That's part of the class. It's trial and error. I'm very hands off. I'll hover over and instruct when they need it, but if they break a drone, they're going to fix it the next day. That's totally fine." Shipin said.
I got a firsthand look at the program and heard from students about their experience:
While some students practice takeoffs and landings, others work through the coursework required for FAA certification.
"A lot of students want to get into aviation. They might want to be pilots. They might want to be real estate photographers, or just photographers in general and drones are a part of that now." Shipin said.
For student Chase, the lessons connect directly to his goals after graduation.
"After high school, I'm gonna join the Air Force because I plan on being a civilian pilot." Chase said.
In addition to the class, an after-school program is also available for students who want to continue building their skills.
