AV News: The Twin Cities Drone School

The FAA will be changing some of its regulations for drone pilots in the next few weeks. Those who fly drones commercially will be required to pass an exam issued by the FAA. It’s not easy, so one Minneapolis man has decided to start a drone school to prep people for the exam.
Joel Roggenkamp started the Twin Cities Drone School for the purpose of preparing people for the FAA exam. He has been involved in aviation since he was teenager, has his private pilot license as well as Masters in Business and Industry Education.
“I started the school because the only way to study for that test is to go and read these FAA publications at home on your own. I didn’t see anyone else doing training. There’s a few home study courses, but I didn’t see any in person classroom training in the state of Minnesota at all. So I thought this would be a good opportunity. And people would rather sit in a classroom for a day and just learn it rather than try and study at home on their own.”
Joel says that it's an all around perfect fit both for himself and for his students. With the Twin Cities Drone School, he is able to combine his skills and strengths to help people prep for the exam.
“For me it's sort of a perfect fit for my background. I’ve been a teacher for 5 years high school, middle school and college level. And I’ve got an aviation background as well.”
The FAA proctored exam will cover a lot of information about general aviation standards and regulations. However, Joel is confident in his curriculum that he has based off of the information that the FAA has put forth to pass the test.
“It’s specific to drones but it does cover fixed wing and rotary wing. There are 5 areas of knowledge that the FAA have identified based on their airman certifications standards. So that’s what we’re using for the curriculum. The FAA has also published a sample test with 40 sample questions, we’re using that as well.”
The class is designed for beginner and experienced pilots alike, and no prior flight experience is necessary. The class will focus purely on the exam and will not include any flying time.
“It is specifically focused on passing the test. I expect various experience levels, I expect some new pilots and some experienced pilots but we’re not focussing on how to fly the drone. It’s just how to pass that written test.”
Joel says that the course is designed to be efficient enough so that you won’t need any other prep for the exam. He’s convinced it’s your one day ticket to passing the exam.
“You know, you’re there for 8 hours, you get a lot of practice, and then you can go take the test the next day. So for someone who doesn’t want to spend a lot of evenings at home studying on their own, it’s a one day commitment, and you’re fully prepared for the test. That’s kind of what it’s designed for.”
Sessions for the Drone School begin in late-September. To learn more or to register, check out TwinCitiesDroneSchool.com

Follow AirVuz News for the latest updates in the drone community!