Seaton High School students training as qualified drone pilots

SA’s next generation of pilots are being trained as early as high school - to fly drones with more uses every year.

Seaton High student Lance Mihic, being trained in drone technology by Molly Hennekam, manager at the University of Adelaide's Unmanned Research Aircraft Facility. Picture: Tom Huntley

High school students from Adelaide’s western suburbs are training to become qualified drone pilots in partnership with the University of Adelaide.

Seaton High School teacher Tom Griffiths approached the university in 2017 and now 51 students from four schools have gone through the special program.

After a brief delay, lifting of COVID-19 restrictions means this year’s group of 11 can now start team projects using their remote pilots licence. They will find better ways to identify, monitor and manage weeds on KI and use drone images to evaluate crop health for land owners.

Lance Mihic, 17 of West Lakes, now in Year 12, excelled in the course last year. “It was very challenging, completely new work for me, but definitely good fun,” he said.

“Just being able to work in groups and get feedback from your peers, about designing mechanisms to deploy herbicide on the invasive species African boxthorn on Kangaroo Island, improving until you get the final product right.”

Unmanned Research Aircraft Facility manager Molly Hennekam said Adelaide was the only Australian university certified by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to train and license drone pilots. “It’s been really great to share our knowledge and experience with the high school students,” she said.

“We really enjoy engaging with the next generation of drone pilots, who will be using the technology in new and exciting ways. Drones are already used as tools in a variety of industries … everything from agriculture and conservation to surveying in engineering, even creative industries.”