2025 February Drone Program

Drone School: Advanced Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle Systems (UAVS)
For the Commercial Horticulture Industry

Date: February 26 – 27, 2025

Location: Central Maryland Research and Education Center, 4240 Folly Quarter Road, Ellicott City, MD (Building 671)

A grant-supported Advanced Drone School will be offered by University of Maryland Extension. This education opportunity is designed to advance the knowledge of new FAA Part 107 Remote Aerial Pilots, and those that have taken the Beginners Drone School program. This program will highlight advanced drone use in the commercial horticulture including ornamental, fruit and vegetable production, specifically with applied mapping, imagery processing, and use of agrochemical application along with the specific information on FAA Part 107 exemptions and FAA Part 137 certification. This program will dive into different software related to drone data collection and data processing. This program will also cover drone maintenance, battery care, and will offer attendees opportunities to fly several types of drones.

Program Coordinators and Presenters: Andrew Ristvey, David Clement, Hemendra Kumar, and Suzanne Klick, University of Maryland Extension, and Kirk Floyd, Kdrone Services.

Class size is limited to 20 people.

Some funding support for this program is provided through an NTAE grant.

Registration: $100 per person

Lunch is provided each day.

No refunds after February 21, 2025. Eventbrite fees are not refundable.

DAY 1:

8:30 a.m. – Registration Check-in

9:00 – 10:30 Fundamentals of Drone Operations

A. Drone systems and controls

B. Pre-flight checks and check list

C. Calibration

D. Drone safety

E. Remote ID

F. Drone software and apps

10:30 – 10:45 BREAK

10:45 – 12:00 Mapping With Drones and Available Analytic Software

A. The importance of mapping in crop production systems

B. Flight software

C. Processing software

D. Pre-flight planning

E. Drones for mapping

F. On-site prep and planning

12:00 – 1:00 LUNCH

1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Hands-on Flight Training and Mapping

A. Preflight checks and prep

B. Take off location.

C. On site planning.

D. Pre-take-off checks

E. Mapping demo

F. Hands-on training for mapping

Hands-on Drone Flying.

DAY 2:

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 Using Drones for Your Business

A. Licensing

B. How drones can work for your business

10:00 – 10:40 Reviewing Data and Data Processing

A. Checking and uploading the data

B. Reviewing data

10:40 – 10:50 BREAK

10:50 – 11:15 Reviewing Data and Data Processing

A. Post mapping analysis

B. Products for clients

11:15 – 12:15 The Expense of Using Drones

A. What equipment you will need?

B. Cost of equipment

C. Cost of insurance

D. Battery care and maintenance

12:15 – 1:00 Lunch

1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Tree inspection with FPV drone

2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Commercial sprayer drone demo

Q&A

3:00 p.m. Flight Time With Various Drones.

University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity, please contact Suzanne Klick at sklick@umd.edu on or before February 10, 2025.