Leader in Drone Education
The Fullerton Drone Lab at Fullerton College
Drone Technology – The Fullerton Drone Lab
Unmanned aerial systems, most commonly referred to as drones, are used in a variety of fields today and continue to expand into many others every day.
Drones can be used for applications in many fields. The Fullerton Drone Lab focuses primarily on the application of drones in the following areas:
Infrastructure inspection | Surveying | Mapping/GIS | Construction | Architecture
Administration of justice/Public safety | Search and Rescue | Journalism
Cinematography | Photography | Real Estate | Marine Biology | Archeology
Physical Education/Athletics
3 Core Areas of Focus
Piloting
Training students to become smarter and safer pilots of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) and preparing them for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Part 107 certification exam. Further training consists of pilot training to standards established by the National institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and certification by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s Trusted Operator Program.
Manufacturing
Engineering, designing, building, programming, and testing new autonomous systems to address issues in today’s world is what students will do in this area. Drones can be aerial, submersible, or terrestrial in their design. Students will learn hands-on development and theoretical principles in our multidisciplinary programs.
Application
Drones are used in a wide range of fields and have a wide variety of applications. Students in the program will learn how to apply drones and autonomous systems in different career uses. From agriculture and mapping to cinematography and public safety, and everywhere in between, students will learn the hands on applications of drones to develop new skills for tomorrow’s workforce.
Collaborations
Real-world experience is vital to students in their acquisition of applicable job skills. The Fullerton Drone Lab has a variety of collaborations established with professional companies and organizations where students use their drone skills to gain real-world experience and log professional flight hours. More collaborations with organizations in a variety of fields are being explored and added all the time.
Apprenticeships and Internships
Students can gain important real-world experience through projects with partners in our courses. They can also apply for our fully-funded federal and state certified apprenticeship program or one of our internships with our employer partners. Click below to find out more information and how you can get started.
Our Courses and Certificates
Tech 150 Basic Drone Piloting
Learn piloting skills, safety, flight management, proper care and use for your drones and much more. The course prepares you to take your Part 107 test for a commercial license.
Tech 151 Applied Drone Piloting
Students will learn proper and safe piloting skills. In addition, they will learn how to apply drones to their field. They will gain hands-on knowledge and experience of how to use drones in the field.
Tech 158 Advanced Drone Piloting
Students will strengthen their piloting skills and learn more advanced techniques like field operation, night flying, FPV, and more. Successful completion of either TECH 150 or 151 is required.
Tech 155 Applied Drone Lab
For students who are more interested in building and understanding how drones work, this course is for you. This course is geared toward identifying what type of drone is needed and then building that drone to solve a problem.
TECH 80 Drone Pilot Test Prep
This one-unit test-prep course will help prepare students for the FAA Part 107 remote pilot exam.
JOUR 215 Drone journalism
This course helps students learn, understand and apply drones for video storytelling.
TECH 165 Aerial Mapping and Photogrammetry
This course takes students through the acquisition of images and training on how to process the data for mapping, point clouds, meshes, and 3D images.
TECH 159 Counter Drone Operations (limited enrollment)
The Fullerton Drone Lab offers a course for law enforcement, security personnel, federal employees, and other qualified individuals on counter drone operations.