GREELEY, Colorado — Aims Community College recently received a donation of approximately $100,000 in drones and associated technology from Juniper Unmanned, a Colorado company that provides drone operations and aerial analytics.
The college launched an Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Basic Operator Certificate program in 2021. In addition, Aims drone pilot training is a designated FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems Collegiate Training Initiative program.
The donation from Juniper Unmanned was “a big push for our development here,” said Jake Marshall, UAS chief instructor pilot for Aims.
The additional equipment led the college to offer more work-study opportunities, including mapping 14 construction sites for Weld County, Marshall explains.
“Instead of looking at outdated Google Maps, we have provided the county brand new maps that the students created,” he said.
Other projects include film and video work, including a Toyota commercial filmed in tandem with Colorado Film School.
Juniper Unmanned officials hope the donation will lead to more skilled workers in the drone field.
“We need more people in the industry and they need to be trained the right way,” said Jason San Souci, chief architect for Juniper Unmanned. “They need real operational experience and a real breadth of knowledge. It isn’t just flying drones; it’s more about what you’re doing with the data.”
UAS systems and applications are rapidly expanding, and skilled, certified pilots are already in demand. According to the FAA, the commercial, small non-model UAS fleet is forecast to nearly triple from 277,386 in 2018 to 835,211 in 2023, an average annual growth rate of 24.7%.