Over the summer, instructor Dan Balman travelled to Kansas State Polytechnic in Salina to earn a license for flying drones. 

“The reason I got my drone license was because it is an industry that is growing by leaps and bounds, and it just gives kids an opportunity to try something new, and it might be a career that they are interested in,” Balman said. 

Balman spent a week staying in the dorm buildings in Salina taking a semester class that was condensed into three days. After the class, they had to take a test and score a 70 percent or above to receive their license. 

“I passed, I did well and I’m very excited about it,” Balman said. “We also got an opportunity to go fly drones after we took the test.” 

It is only legal to fly drones if you are a licensed pilot or you are with a licensed pilot, so now students in Balman’s Audio/Video Productions courses can fly a drone as long as they are with him. 

Balman is in the process of getting a drone simulator so that students can practicing flying a drone with that before actually flying one. 

“It’s better to use a simulator on a computer or the television and to crash that rather than take out a $2,000 drone and crash that,” Balman said. 

Balman has selected which drone he wants to purchase and hopes to get it soon and potentially start a Drone Club in the future. 

“It’s something that’s going to be new to the kids and fairly new to me as well, but I think that it will be a good time, and the students will enjoy it,” Balman said. 

21abrooks@usd489.com