Foundation Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Training Course

The ECITB Foundation UAS training course provides an understanding of drone functionality and how to conduct operations on industrial sites, safely, effectively and efficiently.

It supports industry through the quality-assured upskilling of drone operators, developing their knowledge and skills to work in industrial environments.  And it provides operatives with certification to endorse their credentials.

What does the course cover?

The five-day course covers how to comply with site policies and procedures and is assessed by a practical flight competence test. This involves operatives piloting a drone in a real environment to capture, store and share viable images and comply with data protection.

The course contains a quality-assured assessment that is consistent across all providers.  This will ensure transferability of skills and competence for operatives.

Who is this training course for?

  • existing employees who wish to develop their skills operating UAS for their employer or who want to enhance their employability prospects
  • UAS pilots seeking to offer services on industrial sites
  • anyone looking to gain a greater understanding of UAS as a career or business
  • managers who would like an understanding of how to manage contractors and operations on-site.
Industrial drone inspection at Sellafield

Industrial drone inspection at Sellafield (courtesy of Sellafield Ltd)

Demand for skilled drone operatives

The industrial sector’s growing use of UAS in its operations is delivering a raft of benefits – from improved safety to increased efficiency and significant cost savings.

Through the use of drones, the oil and gas industry has reduced workers’ exposure to work-at-height risks and other hazardous environments, such as the inside of storage tanks.

Combined with traditional techniques, drones are dramatically increasing the safety and efficiency of asset inspection. They provide cheaper, more efficient ways to map construction sites and track project progress.  They can provide greater survey grade accuracy and an enhanced data set on industrial sites.

ECITB training helping ‘unlock drone potential’ for industry

Training providers

Global Drone Training runs the ECITB Foundation UAS training course from its Swansea and Norwich bases as well as bespoke dates and on-site locations around the UK.

To find out more or to book, click the button below, call 01603 327397 or email: office@globaldronetraining.com

Global Drone Training
Global Drone Training logo

Aviation Systems Group (ASG) runs the ECITB Foundation UAS training course monthly from its Wiltshire base near Salisbury as well as providing bespoke dates at a suitable location anywhere in the UK.  To find out more or to book, click the button below, call 0800 2118 400 or email: info@asg.ltd

AVIATION SYSTEMS GROUP
Aviation Systems Group (ASG)

This course is very relevant to the work we are doing at Sellafield using UAVs.  Having an industry wide standard that I can look for on a CV will give me a bit more confidence that those applying for a job have training that is relevant and not an “easy” one to gain.  It provides UAV pilots with industry experience which is vital when working on a highly regulated nuclear site.

The most enjoyable aspect of the course has been learning about new planning and engineering construction industry procedures. I will recommend future drone pilots in Network Rail attend this course.


Course makes Sellafield inspections ‘safer and faster’
PwC Skies Without Limits report

In its report Skies Without Limits (July 2022), PwC estimates:

  • commercial opportunities from use of drone technology are in excess of £127 billion
  • drones could add £42 billion to UK GDP, with 76,000 drones operating in UK skies and a total of 628,000 jobs in the drone-related economy
  • £3.5 billion predicted cost savings from drone uptake in the construction and manufacturing sectors.

But PwC highlights skills as an area that must be addressed to ‘Unlock Drone Potential’.

For further information

If you are an employer or training provider interested in running the ECITB Foundation UAS training course, please contact your ECITB Account Manager or email programmeadmin@ecitb.org.uk

Download our brochure on the ECITB Foundation UAS training course