UCSC opens applications for a 2027 pilot program combining Part 107, flight skills and mapping
UC Santa Cruz opened applications for its 2027 CIDER Drone Pilot Training Program. The university says it has 15 agriculture-focused places and 20 general-track places, with eight weeks of twice-weekly in-person training in each participating quarter. The program includes Part 107 preparation, practical flying and GIS/photogrammetry work.
Mon, 28 Sep 2026
Commercial drone work increasingly requires more than passing a knowledge test. Programs that connect regulation, manual flight, mission planning and data processing better reflect the actual workflow of research and mapping teams.
Training managers can use the curriculum as a useful benchmark: licensing, flight practice and data products should be assessed together rather than as unrelated modules.