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AUGUSTA — The University of Maine at Augusta, through the Unmanned Aircraft Systems pilot training center, will host a daylong conference — “Drone Applications for Business: Navigating Your Airspace” — Saturday, Feb. 17, on campus at Jewett Auditorium, 46 University Drive. The conference will showcase cutting edge drone applications for businesses. A snow date has been reserved for Feb. 24.
The goal of the conference is to provide anyone interested, especially business owners, with a better understanding of how drones can bring their operations to a new level. Leading aviation experts will provide information on drone equipment, how they operate, and potential business applications.
The conference sessions will include speaker Scott Pitta, president and CEO of the Association of Professional Drone Pilots, who will speak about drones in the public sector.
Also speaking will be Chris Huebner, aviation safety inspector, FAA HQ, will provide information on FAA rules and expected changes; Sam Knight, geophysicist at Blue Marble in Hallowell; and Jesse Gibbon, UAS project manager from Coutts Brothers in Randolph.
For a complete list of session topics and speakers, visit www.uma.edu/uasconference. Anyone interested in finding out how unmanned aircraft vehicles might be integrated into their organization is encouraged to attend. Registration is open.
Business applications include using UAVs to conduct engineering inspections, monitoring power transmission lines and pipelines, and examining the crop health of Maine’s forests and farms in conjunction with infrared technology. Drones also can be used in search and rescue operations, aerial photography for land surveys and environmental assessments, advertising, video and film production, and real estate development.
“UAVs can revolutionize the way we do business,” noted Tom Abbott, project manager for the UAS pilot training center at UMA. “Applications for UAVs are varied and growing.”
Maine is poised to become a major training hub for this expanding $82 billion industry. For additional information on UMA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems program, see the selection of aviation courses offered by UMA at www.uma.edu/academics/programs/aviation/ or contact Tom Abbott 207-621-3342 or email at tabbott@maine.edu.
