Law Enforcement and Justice Administration

WIU UAS Training Plan

What

A FAA Part 107 training event is being offered virtually on Oct 14-17th from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm. This part 107 course will be taught in 16 hours. Students who sign up for this course are expected to follow through and get their certification at an airport. Additionally, for those who are successful in obtaining their FAA part 107 certification or already have that certification a hands-on drone class will be offered in person on December 14th from 8:00 am until 4pm. Funding for these classes is paid for by the WIU’s, School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration and the GIS Center.

Download the UAS Training Flyer (pdf)

Part 107 Virtual
  • Session 1: October 14, 5:00-9:00 p.m.
  • Session 2: October 15, 5:00-9:00 p.m.
  • Session 3: October 16, 5:00-9:00 p.m.
  • Session 4: October 17, 5:00-9:00 p.m.

Optional: A study session will be held in October for those interested

Basic Flight Class
  • December 14, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Where

Virtually via Microsoft Teams Only (high speed internet is required and must be provided by students)

Who

Emergency Managers, Emergency Responders, Police, Fire, EMS, School and Campus Safety, Conservation Police, GIS Professionals, and students in public safety related fields. These classes are not for commercial applications by attendees. Each class will be soft capped on a first come first served basis.

Why

Part 107 is an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that is mandatory for practitioners and students to be allowed to use drones and drone related technology in any professional operations in the area of public safety, natural disasters, emergencies, and search and rescue. Once the certification has been obtained it will be incumbent upon the students to hone their UAS flight skills. In addition, follow up hands-on classes will be offered in the future.

Cost

These classes are being offered free of charge to qualified individuals and personnel.

Requirements for Admission

There is a testing requirement for each participant in the Part 107 course. The certification test costs about $150 – this cost is the responsibility of each participant and this cost is NOT covered. It is also the responsibility of each participant to locate a nearby testing facility (these are located at mid-sized to large airports in Illinois).

Post Class Requirement

Each attendee MUST agree to schedule the exam during the class and submit proof after passing the test as a requirement of signing up for the class. Individuals must submit proof of certification to qualify for future UAS training such as the Thermal Night Op, Principals of Drone Flights, Advance Flight techniques, Search and Rescue, etc.

Funding

These classes are paid for by the School for Law Enforcement and Justice Administration (LEJA) and the GIS Center at Western Illinois University.