Estudiantes de North Las Vegas se preparan para una carrera como pilotos de drones – Image for illustrative purposes only (Image credits: Unsplash)
North Las Vegas — High school students at Delta Academy Charter School gathered on the school lawn last week to practice drone maneuvers under a light breeze. They launched lightweight quadcopters and aimed for landings on neon orange mats, building precision and control. The Aviation Technology elective introduces these teens to the growing field of commercial drone operation, preparing them for Federal Aviation Administration certification and professional opportunities.[1][2]
Delta Academy’s Hands-On Aviation Technology Class
Delta Academy, a tuition-free charter school serving junior and senior high students in North Las Vegas, offers the Aviation Technology class as an elective. Richard Shipin, the school’s data analyst and instructor, launched the program three years ago to engage students interested in robotics and aviation. What began with drone programming and assembly has evolved to emphasize commercial piloting skills amid rising industry demand.[2]
Shipin, a former math teacher, takes a hands-off approach during sessions. Students learn through trial and error, repairing any damaged drones the following day. Participants consistently outperform peers in math and science classes, though the elective carries no science credit. The class draws teens eyeing military paths or tech roles, turning classroom curiosity into tangible expertise.[3]
Mastering the Challenges of Drone Flight
Training drones weigh less than a couple of pounds and prove surprisingly tough to handle, even in winds as low as 7 mph. Quadcopters without cameras demand steady hands for takeoffs, hovers and precise descents. Students like 15-year-old ninth-grader Ayden Henderson and 16-year-old tenth-grader Chase Stresing relish the sensation. Henderson described the experience: “You have a flying vehicle in the palm of your hand. It’s so interesting to me.”[1]
The group also studies weather radar data and forecasts to grasp ideal flight conditions. A pricier $2,000 model equipped with a 4K camera allows practice in stable flight and aerial imaging techniques. Such skills apply to real-world tasks like real estate photography, topographic surveys and insurance assessments. Other participants, including Gerado Melara and Brandon Ramirez, joined recent sessions to refine landing techniques.[2]
Key Skills in the Curriculum:
- Flight and landing maneuvers
- Drone troubleshooting and repairs
- Weather analysis for safe operations
- Aerial photography basics
- Preparation for commercial certification
Pursuing FAA Part 107 Certification
The program’s core aim centers on securing FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificates, which permit commercial drone flights. Teens qualify as young as 16, often before high school graduation. Shipin guides students through required coursework alongside practical flights. “That’s part of the class. It’s trial and error,” he explained. “If they break a drone, they’re going to fix it the next day.”[3]
Henderson rates himself the top pilot in the class and plans to repeat the elective for certification. Stresing shares similar ambitions. He aims to join the Air Force post-graduation en route to civilian piloting and savors the propeller downdraft: “I like how, when you turn on the propellers, you can feel the air beneath them.” An after-school extension bolsters their progress.[1]
Opening Doors to Drone Careers
Shipin positions drone piloting as a practical entry into science and technology fields, sidestepping traditional four-year degrees. Opportunities span aviation support, photography and beyond, with drones reshaping industries like real estate and surveying. “A lot of students want to get into aviation,” Shipin noted. “They might want to be pilots… or just photographers in general, and drones are a part of that now.”[3]
As these North Las Vegas students advance, their training equips them for a job market where skilled remote pilots command steady demand. The shift from hobbyist toys to professional tools marks a clear step toward self-sufficient futures in a drone-driven economy.
