MADISONVILLE, Ky. – A two-day drone pilot certification workshop and exam will be offered July 8-9 by the Kentucky Agriculture Training School (KATS), a program of the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

According to KATS coordinator Lori Rogers, the workshop will prepare candidates for the certification required under the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Small UAS Rule, Part 107.

“This is an intense prep course for the Drone Pilot Certification Exam as required by the FAA, for those who plan to use drones commercially,” Rogers said. “Drones are an increasingly popular tool in agriculture to help save time and increase production. They are used in mapping, spraying, scouting, crop and livestock monitoring and more.”

The prep course is designed for trained drone pilots looking to earn their certification, which is needed to provide professional agricultural drone services. Mandy Briggs, of the Institute of Aviation at Parkland College, teaches the course, and her students have a 99 percent pass rate on the FAA exam. The course does not cover drone-flying instruction.

The workshop will be held on day one at the Hopkins County Extension Office, 25 Mahr Park Drive, Madisonville, KY 42431. Instruction will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT, and participants should expect to complete practice exams that evening.

Participants will return to the Extension office at 8 a.m. for day two. The optional two-hour exam will be held following lunch at Madisonville Community College’s North Campus, 2000 College Drive.

The fee for the workshop is $400 and includes lunch and study materials for both days. A separate fee of $175 is required to take the exam on location. Certified crop advisors will earn 12 CEUs.

Pre-registration is required by July 1 and is limited to 18 participants.

Contact Lori Rogers at lori.rogers@uky.edu or 270-365-7541 ext. 21317 for additional information or visit the UK KATS website.