Drones and Aviation Electronics Technology

Thanks to rapid advancements in aviation technology today, there are a number of incredible types of aircraft that people can study and utilize for recreation, business, military operations, and more — and one of the most fascinating types is drone technology. 

Drones are essentially unmanned aircraft, which means they are a type of aviation electronics technology that can fly through the air by complete remote control, meaning without having to have a pilot on the aircraft to control it.  
 
More and more learning institutions are training students on drone technology as part of their aviation electronics curriculum. Some people who attend these institutions learn about what drones are, how they work, what they can be used for, and how they may be improved in the future. 
 
 

If you are a student looking to learn more about drones, read on. This guide to drone technology and training in aviation electronics can help you learn more about the machines themselves. Plus, it may serve as a guide to tell if aviation technology is something you may like to study in the future. 

What are Drones? 

Drones are a type of unmanned aircraft. Over the past several years, drones have become more and more widely used by businesses, militaries, and governmental institutions for a wide variety of usages and applications. Sometimes called Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (or UAVs), drones have made a significant impact on speed and efficiency in the world of business. 

Drones can look and operate in a wide variety of ways. The main thing that classifies something as a drone is that it flies and that it is unmanned. Drones can be controlled in a variety of ways, including by a traditional remote control, an app on a smart device, from a desktop computer, and more. 

Types of Aviation Electronics Considered to Be Drones 

Because we use drones to describe unmanned aircraft, there are many types of devices that can be considered drones. Here are some drones you might be familiar with, as well as their primary uses. 

• Single rotor drones: These drones look like small helicopters. Most single rotor drones are used today solely for personal, hobby purposes (i.e. for recreational, remote control helicopter flying). 
• Multirotor drones: These drones fly with multiple rotors. Some people picture a quadcopter when they think of this type of aviation technology. They come in many shapes and sizes, and can have between two and more than four rotors. 
• Fixed wing drones: These drones have fixed wings and often look like mini airplanes. Many people use fixed wing drones for recreation (like old-fashioned remote control aircraft), or for surveying large pieces of land from above. 
• Fixed Wing Vertical Take Off & Landing (VTOL): This type of fixed wing drone is less common than the above two types of drones. However, what makes it different is that it takes off vertically and lands vertically. These drones are used most commonly in congested areas where taxiing space is limited. 

Why Use Drones? 

There are many reasons that people rely on drones as their preferred type of aircraft. Drones offer many benefits over manned aircraft. To follow are some of the most important. 

Speed and Efficiency 

Drones can do work much more quickly than other types of aviation technology, mainly because you don't need as much manpower to accompany a drone while it does its work. This means that companies and organizations can use drones to make deliveries quickly, without needing a delivery person to man the aircraft, and then return the aircraft to wherever it needs to go. Drones can also be used to do things like water or apply pesticides over farmland, which can protect a large amount of land and crop quickly, instead of relying on humans to complete the task. 

Safety 

Sometimes, drones are used to fly into places that may be too dangerous for pilots to enter. This means that they may enter a geographic zone that is unfriendly or unwelcoming (i.e. in a military situation), or they may fly somewhere that poses a risk for someone flying an aircraft (a mountainous region, volcano, somewhere with volatile weather patterns, etc.). Using drones to fly in places that are dangerous for humans makes it possible to reach important locations without unnecessarily putting human lives on the line. The military uses drones for this reason, as do weather services, who may want to monitor severe weather patterns closely without needing to put a pilot in danger. 

Drone Usage Among Civilians 

Every day, drones are being used by civilians — not just militaries, businesses, and large organizations. There are many reasons why the everyday person may want to use and understand drone technology. Here are some of the most popular: 

• For recreational photography and video (varied angles, far distances, etc.). 
• Delivering goods to someone nearby without having to leave where they're currently located. 
• Mapping inaccessible terrain (i.e. mapping out land before clearing it, etc.). 

• Monitoring crops in a large field without having to go out into that field. 
• Search and rescue missions, since many drones have thermal sensors on them. 
• Gaming (VR, AR, and immersive games can use drones). 
• For pure, aviation fun. 

Why Study Drones? 

Now that you understand more about drone technology and why it's used, why does it make sense to study drones in select courses in a vocational training setting, like the kind offered at Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology? 
 
 

When you study drones and learn their inner workings, you may become more familiar with them as a technology — something that can be applied in a wide variety of industries. You can also learn the laws and regulations regarding drones, so you can know how to operate and use them safely and legally.  

 
Once you understand drone aviation technology, you may be able to build and assemble drones for a wide variety of industries or usages. Also, you'll get hands-on learning opportunities with drones, which means that you can have access to technology you might not have otherwise, and you can see what it's like to actually control a drone in real time — not just theoretically. 

One final and important reason to study drones is that drone technology is important and becoming ever more popular. By studying them at Spartan’s Aviation Electronics Technology program, you can prepare yourself with knowledge and a skill set that will be more and more useful in the future. 

Set yourself up for the future by gaining knowledge of drones while you train in aviation electronics technology with Spartan College. 

Learn More About Aviation Technology at Spartan 

At Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology, we teach students about a wide range of aviation electronics and aircraft, from commercial jets to drones. When studying aviation electronics technology at Spartan, drones will be part of your curriculum, so you can ensure that you understand the type of aviation electronics that go into making it operational and have a firm grasp of the technology due to the career-oriented training. 

Spartan College has multiple locations across the United States, including in Tulsa, OK;and a campus in Broomfield, CO. When you study at Spartan, you can leave with training in aviation maintenance technology or aviation electronics technology (also known as Avionics). That means you can be trained with aviation electronics or aviation maintenance, or another field which requires similar knowledge, skill sets, or understanding of how the technology works. 

To learn more about what you can study at Spartan College, check out our website today. Also, don't be afraid to reach out to us with any questions or concerns you might have, so we can help you determine if studying at Spartan is right for you.