Perth to host first ‘drone school’ in Scotland

Training: Participants will be able to gain a licence to fly commercially

A drone flying school is to hold a training course in Perth in a move believed to be the first of its kind in Scotland.

Participants on the three-day course will be eligible to apply for a Permission for Aerial Work (PFAW) licence from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and work with drones in a commercial environment.

The company behind the training course, UAVAir, plans to run them at eight racecourses across the UK, with Perth being the only one further north than the English Midlands.

UAVAir is led by a team of industry professionals, who have years of experience in manned and unmanned aviation.

Paul Rigby, director and head of overseas training at the firm, said: “Our fast track drone course has been designed to offer students the very latest industry insight in UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) training and operation.

“Our safety standards and value for money are second to none, and we’re looking forward to training up the next generation of UAV pilots in Perth.”

Drone technology has recently been embraced by many industries, including agriculture, surveying, military, environmental work and aerial photography and videography.

Mountain rescuers will make use of the technology later today when they use drones to continue the search for Yorkshire couple Rachel Slater and Tim Newton, who have been missing on Ben Nevis for more than a week.

The market for unmanned drones is set to be worth almost a billion pounds by 2020, with commercial drone flying on the rise.

Will Coldwell, business director and joint founder, said: “The future looks bright for the drone industry, so there has never been a better time to invest in a UAV qualification.

“The opportunities are endless for our graduates, as having a professional qualification allows you to work in whichever field you choose.

“In just three days, someone could successfully make a wise career move and take their first steps into the unmanned aviation industry.”

Physicist Nikola Tesla is arguably the father of the modern drone. In 1898 he invented and patented a remote controlled boat and envisioned the use of unmanned vehicles in combat.