Drones in Africa: why young people should learn to fly them

Africa has become a testing ground for practical drone use. Medical delivery drones have operated in countries such as Rwanda and Ghana, and drones are used for mapping farms, inspecting power lines, surveying land and monitoring wildlife.

Careers in drones

• drone pilot and operator;
• aerial surveyor and mapper;
• agricultural drone specialist;
• drone maintenance technician;
• data analyst for aerial imagery.

Skills needed

• understanding flight physics: lift, thrust and drag;
• reading weather and battery data;
• navigation and planning routes;
• following aviation regulations;
• analysing images and data.

Learning safely with simulators

Real drones are expensive and easy to crash. The UAV Piloting simulator lets students fly multirotor, fixed-wing and hybrid drones, read battery, wind and air pressure, and switch between manual and automatic flight, without risk.

Linking to physics

Drone flight brings physics to life: forces, energy, air pressure and motion.

Regulation

Countries have rules on who may fly drones and where. Students should learn about regulation as part of their training.

From simulator to sky

Simulator practice prepares students for formal training and certification when they are old enough.

Try the UAV simulator or join a design and making bootcamp.