Northland College Announces First Ever UAS Maintenance Program

Online, September 13, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Minnesota's Northland Community & Technical College (NCTC) announced it will begin offering Unmanned Aircraft Systems Maintenance Training, the first program of its kind, in the Spring of 2011. This leading-edge program will train students to work on the next generation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), and Remotely Piloted Vehicles (RPV).

Demand for specially trained UAS mechanics is being driven by the integration of UAS technology into the civil and commercial sectors. Over the next 15 years, 23,000 UAS jobs could be created in the U.S. alone. Further, it is expected the UAS industry will generate between $30 billion and $65 billion in revenues in the next 5 years.

The need for a specialized training program stems from the fact the unmanned aircraft systems are different from conventional aircraft. First of all, UAS consist of the aircraft itself, additional sensor equipment not normally found on other aircraft, an up- and down-link infrastructure for communicating with pilot and sensor operators, and the ground control station itself. An article on AMTOnline.com indicates that the new program will create a hybrid aircraft mechanic with training in airframe and powerplant repair, avionics repair, computer programming, and heavy emphasis on information technology skills.

Students who want to take the program must currently hold at least FAA airframe and powerplant certificates. New students can attend the 20-month A&P program at Northland and then transition to the UAS program upon completion. People who already hold A&P certificates are welcome to enroll directly into the UAS program. Graduates of the program will receive a UAS Maintenance Certificate, and plans are in the works to add the National Center for Aerospace and Transportation Technologies (NCATT) certificate as well.

The Thief River Falls, Minnesota Aviation Technology program is one of the nation's outstanding vocational technical programs and was selected as one of the nation's best by U.S. Department of Education. Offering Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved training, Northland Community and Technical College's Aviation Campus is one of the nation's most modern and complete facilities. Students from around the world gain hands-on experience to learn the skills necessary to keep aircraft and UAS in the air.

NCTC's 86,000 square foot training area is located at the Thief River Falls Regional Airport and features state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. NCTC trains students in all categories of aviation: commercial, corporate, commuter, general, and helicopters.

In addition to internal marketing, NCTC's UAS Maintenance Training Program is being featured on the AviationSchoolsOnline.com network of aviation-related training websites including its partners BestAviation.net, JustFlightSchools.com, and PilotJourney.com. Prospective students interested in the new UAS program can get more information by visiting...

Northland College UAS Maintenance Program

Sources: Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International; U.S. Department of Labor Statistics

NCTC Unmanned Aircraft Systems Maintenance Training Center
13892 Airport Drive
Thief River Falls, MN 56701
phone (218) 683-8802
fax (218) 683-8994
www.northlandaerospace.com