Ohio community college pursuing drone testing

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — The state may have been passed over as an FAA drone testing site last year, but a western Ohio community college is moving full speed ahead on the development, teaching and application of the technology.

Sinclair Community College announced Monday that its workforce development office has applied for two new certificates of authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly a new unmanned aerial system at sites in nearby Springfield and Wilmington.

The Dayton Daily News reports that one of the certificates is for a Lockheed Martin “vertical takeoff and landing” vehicle.

Deb Norris, vice president of Sinclair Workforce Development, said adding a quadcopter to the fleet will help round out the practical and real-world experience for those participating in classes and programs at the Sinclair Unmanned Aerial Systems Training and Certification Center.