As the drone economy continues to take strides in South Africa, another drone training school has surfaced on the local market.

Rectron Drone Academy is set to open its doors to scholars from its location in Midrand, Johannesburg, today, starting with a cohort of five students, who will learn aspects of drone hardware and software, including Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), Maintenance Technician certification, Remote Pilot Licence and Beyond Visual Line of Sight certification.

While we will be the first to acknowledge the quality of drone training schools already in operation in South Africa, this one does feel different – because it has DJI – literally the biggest drone player in the world today – as an active partner.

Rectron SA are DJI’s local distributor in the southern African country and with their academy now officially launched last week, the hope is for operators to get the best insights on the range of innovative applications being developed for commercial and non-commercial use available, with the drone industry growing as rapidly as it is in the region.

Each course will take three to four months and will include theoretical elements as well as practical training. Rectron explained that its new academy will solve challenges with drone operation and sustainable drone use, as well as close the gap on skills shortage, limited applications for rural communities and regulatory red tapes.

“As the world moves towards a more digital economy, we need to ensure our youth have the right skills to take part in it,” said Andre Witbooi, the Learning and Development Manager at Rectron.

“The Rectron Drone Academy aims to provide relevant training for a future-proof career in the drone space. For many businesses that need to survey large areas, drones offer a cost-effective alternative to helicopters and aircraft.

“When it came to structuring the courses, we consulted with the NTSU Drone Academy and DJI to ensure students have the right foundations and training to forge a career path as a professional. All our courses are accredited with the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA).”

According to the academy website, the Remote Pilot License Course will “provide participants with a fundamental understanding of drone maintenance principles and concepts. The course also provides practical experience necessary to attain an RMT license as per Part 101 requirements. Student will receive RMT license issued by the Civil Aviation Authority after successful completion of training.

Meanwhile “the RPAS Maintenance Technician Course will provide participants with a fundamental understanding of drone maintenance principles and concepts. The course also provides practical experience necessary to attain an RMT license as per Part 101 requirements. Student will receive RMT license issued by the Civil Aviation Authority after successful completion of training.

“With Rectron’s RPAS Maintenance Technician (RMT) Course you will be learning the following:

• Why Maintenance
• Power Plant
• Propulsion System
• Airframe
• Pilot Station (RPS)
• Compass

“Drones have proved to be beneficial to many key industries, such as modernising the agricultural sector to enable more efficiency, precision and reliability when farmers are working with crops,” said Thandanani Manyathi, Regional Coordinator at the Media, Information and Communication Technologies Sector Education and Training Authority (MICT SETA), who also attended the launch.

“Many businesses are now migrating to the digital space, and as MICT SETA, we have established a 4IR (fourth industrial revolution) department and we now have 32 qualifications focused on tech skills, because we acknowledge the importance of 4IR skills. We have a 4IR advisory committee where any business can come and inquire on any tech-related issue.”

To enroll at the academy, students need to have completed Matric, the equivalent of a high school diploma in the country.