{"id":73599,"date":"2024-02-05T12:18:46","date_gmt":"2024-02-05T19:18:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/?p=73599"},"modified":"2024-02-05T12:37:59","modified_gmt":"2024-02-05T19:37:59","slug":"welcome-to-the-sait-connector-lab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/2024\/02\/05\/welcome-to-the-sait-connector-lab\/","title":{"rendered":"Get to the chopper!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Drone pro:<\/strong> SAIT instructor Rick Duchscher talks about drones and what the future holds for the technology on Jan. 15 2024 in the Connecter lab on campus. (Photo by Jessyca Blakney\/The Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A<\/span>s our world evolves with technology, drones are becoming popular in many different careers.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the spring of 2022, SAIT opened the Connector lab, also known as the drone lab, as a new way to enhance student success in advanced technology. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

SAIT instructor Rick Duchscher is a Transport Canada flight reviewer with<\/span> over 30 years of experience in geomatics and almost 10 years of experience using drones professionally. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDrones have always been a passion of mine,\u201d he said. \u201cThey are very important in any emerging technology in geomatics and surveying. They are not taking the place of the traditional surveyor but they are becoming a much more important tool in their toolbox.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Professional Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) program gives those who are interested\u00a0the opportunity to learn and use modern drone technology. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“Since receiving my basic drone licence, it has opened many new possibilities for me,” said Drew Collins, a student in SAIT\u2019s Geomatic Engineering Technology program. <\/span><\/p>\n

“I\u2019m able to do more with my personal drone outside of controlled airspace and I\u2019m better set up for taking my advanced exam.”
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

There are two different certifications <\/span>to be licensed in drone technology<\/span>. <\/span>The basic test can be completed online and requires less study time. The advanced exam can also be completed through an online platform but is administered through Transport Canada with a $10 fee for every attempt. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe advanced RPAS exam can be tricky to pass on the first go,\u201d Collins said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t let this discourage anybody from taking it as the opportunities it presents will be worth it.\u201d <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After passing this exam, the desired drone pilot must complete an in-person flight review with a Transport Canada flight reviewer to get their license.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cIf you\u2019re registered in classes full-time, we\u2019ll do the flight review for you at no cost,”\u00a0said Duchscher.<\/span><\/p>\n

The possibilities are endless for SAIT students in the world of advanced technology.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Summit Hermanson, another licensed drone student from the RPAS program in his fourth semester, knew that he wanted to pursue this pathway in the industry after his first flight. \u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI believe drones will incrementally take over the survey industry more and more as the technology becomes more advanced and even more optimized for survey applications,\u201d he said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Drone technology is critical in surveying and geomatics, but it can also be used in various industries. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhether you\u2019re a civil engineering student or an architect, drones can also help generate 3D models and they can determine help with assessments of buildings and energy efficiencies,” said Duchscher.<\/span><\/p>\n

“If you\u2019re a School of Business journalism student, you could utilize drones for stories.”<\/span><\/p>\n

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Flying away:<\/strong> SAIT instructor Rick Duchscher pilots a drone on Jan. 15 2024 in the Connecter lab on campus. (Photo by Jessyca Blakney\/The Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The SAIT Connector lab allows students to engage with many bleeding edge technologies \u2013 including drones. [ READ MORE ]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":861,"featured_media":73603,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_ef_editorial_meta_text_assignment-slug":"S1 Drone Technology JB","footnotes":""},"categories":[1432,2,1107],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-73599","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-business-jobs","8":"category-campus-2","9":"category-technology-and-gaming"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/861"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73599"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73599\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":74325,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73599\/revisions\/74325"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saitjournalism.ca\/thepress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}