Coachella Valley High School students recently had the opportunity to attend a drone “boot camp” where they became certified in operating drones for cinematography.
“After today’s and last weekend’s boot camp, about 60 Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD) high school students are licensed drone operators,” school officials tweeted on May 28.
According to News Channel 3 KESQ, the program taught students how to operate drones with the help of cinematography professionals. Skip Fredricks, college professor and the founder of Hollywood Drones, was one of the professionals who helped run the camp and was interviewed by KESQ. According to Fredricks, drones offer a whole range of future employment opportunities, especially in the valley.
Getting a job as a drone operator doesn’t depend as much on creativity as cinematography, Fredricks said. Opportunities include wind, agriculture and home inspection, all prospects in Coachella Valley, KESQ reports.
Another component of the boot camp was drone safety, which is important in determining when and when not to fly a drone. A total of 34 students from Cathedral City and Palm Springs earned their Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) drone license during the camp, KESQ said in its report, and thanks to the calmer winds in Palm Springs at the time, students were able to enjoy part of their training outside.
