This course will teach drone flight skills and digital photo and video techniques, which are necessary to work professionally in the growing field of drone photography. Students will also learn the body of knowledge to take the Part 107 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) examination for a professional flight certification, recognized by the US Government. 

Drones - small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - are used by government agencies, companies, non-profits, and individuals, for capturing high-resolution aerial photography of landscapes, buildings, and events. Drones can support landscape science studies, environmental analysis and restoration, forensic investigation, infrastructure inspection, emergency response, and so much more.

Learn how to capture video and photography of your drone flights, using different angles, filters, and other aerial photography techniques. Learn how to use video editing software for creating transitions, embedding captions and music, and creating dramatic movie effects from your own drone flight video streams.

Evergreen's certified drone pilots will instruct students, through weekly drone flight exercises, to develop confidence in the capture of aerial photography and videography. Evergreen is a Federally Recognized Identification Area (FRIA) - this allows students to practice flight skills legally at designated locations on the Olympia campus. Flight training will enhance student awareness and practice of safety and regulatory compliance requirements. Students will be responsible to maintain weekly flight logs showing regular practice in a progression of flight skills.  

Through weekly modules, the course covers aviation topics in detail, including airspace regulations, aviation weather, emergency procedures, airport operations, radio communication procedures, aircraft performance and loading, crew resource management, and aeronautical decision-making. Students who succeed in the weekly practice quizzes will be well-prepared to take and pass the FAA Part 107 examination, after the conclusion of the course. Students will develop a final drone video project for presentation at the end of the quarter.

There is no prerequisite to take this course. This drone flight class may be taken concurrently with the remote-sensing oriented class, titled GIS and Mapping with Drone Imagery, also offered during summer quarter.  Students will be required to bring their own consumer-grade aircraft (some loaners are available from the Evergreen Scientific Instrumentation department). 

Graduate students enrolled in this course will be required to design and execute an independent learning project on their own research topic.

In-person Class Format: This is a participatory learning course which is offered fully in-person. Students should expect to attend in-person for all class periods. Students should dress for outdoor flight sessions according to weather expectations. 

CLASS SCHEDULE: Friday evenings 5-9 pm