PARK CITY, UTAH – A May 2019 survey by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials highlights the rapid deployment of new Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) or drone technologies by state DOTs, as well as the growing demand for a highly trained workforce required to manage them.
More than seven out of 10 state departments of transportation have hired hundreds of staff, including highly-skilled personnel to manage drone operations. Those state DOTs, 36 in total, also reported having 279 Federal Aviation Administration certified drone pilots on staff or approximately eight pilots per state.
“The survey is just one example of how state DOTs are investing in the next-generation workforce,” said Carlos Braceras, executive director of the Utah DOT and AASHTO’s 2018-2019 president. “Five years ago, you’d be hard pressed to find any state DOT looking to hire a drone pilot or set up a UAS program—but now we’re doing both of those things in a big way.”
Read the rest of the report here.
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