DRONERESPONDERS recognizes Excellence in Public Safety Pilot Training & First ASTM compliant Public Safety Pilot Training Curriculum

A milestone in the training of public safety drone pilots was achieved during the DRONERESPONDERS (DR) National Public Safety UAS Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia on March 12th.

On that day, the Appalachian UAV Academy (AUA) was recognized as the first training organization in the country to successfully undergo an independent review of their program for compliance to ASTM industry standard F3379-20, Standard Guide for Training for Public Safety Remote Pilot of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Endorsement.

The compliance review process is a joint project of DRONERESPONDERS, ASTM and the Unmanned Safety Institute (USI), who conducted the review.  According to Chief Charles Werner (Ret), the Director of DRONERESPONDERS, AUA has raised the bar not just for other commercial training providers, but for public safety agencies who conduct their own training.  “This review validates the AUA training program and sets them apart from their competition,” he said.  He added, “For agencies who contract for commercial training, or provide their own, compliance with the ASTM standard assures the training their pilots receive is comprehensive and provides the skills necessary to fly complex missions.”

The extensive requirements established by ASTM include knowledge and task skills, including practical flight profiles established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Test Methods for Small UAS.

Pictured below (left to right), Chief of Audit Programs, USI, Donald Shinnamon, David Crabtree, Founder AUA, and Chief Charles Werner (Ret) and Director DRONERESPONDERS. For additional information, please contact Don Shinnamon, don.shinnamon@flyusi.org, Charles Werner, charles@droneresponders.org or David Crabtree, davidcrabtree@appalachianuavacademy.com