UAS course at BMCC continues to grow

By Terry Murry on Tuesday, October 15th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

PENDLETON & BAKER CITY – The unmanned aircraft system industry has taken off,
making a success of the Pendleton UAS Range that is being felt by a future generation
of drone experts thanks to opportunities to study at Blue Mountain Community College.

BMCC President Mark Browning said interest in the UAS course of study, either for
credit or noncredit, is creating enough of a stir to justify having classes on the Baker
campus as well as the one in Pendleton. He said the test range in Pendleton has really
added to the depth and breadth of the classes.

“The expertise of the people on the instructional side is unmatched,” Browning said.
“These are people who have been literally all over the world flying drones in various
scenarios.”

Browning said there are a number of options for students with training in unmanned
aircraft systems. They include agriculture, real estate, law enforcement, and
engineering, and simply recreational to name a few.

“It’s a really good future in terms of what’s out there for you and it’s not just limited to
one stream,” he said. “You can go a number of different ways. Our program is so
comprehensive. It will take you all the way from a recreational activity or a low-end
entry-level commercial activity all the way to the high-end international work that’s being
done.”