The Nido R. Qubein School of Communication Values Expression, Integrity, Excellence, Accuracy, Diversity, Curiosity and Awareness
MPE – 3010 - 02
Drone Pilot Certification
Spring 2023
NQSC 206
MWF 2:00 – 3:10 p.m.
Professor: Nick Blair
Office: Qubein 321
Cell Phone: (339)-793-1885
Email: nblair@highpoint.edu
Office Hours: Mon/Wed/Fri – 3:30-4:30pm
Tue/Thur – 10am-11am
Course Description
Aerial photos and video that were once taken from a helicopter are now being done by small, unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) –
commonly called drones. This course will introduce students to different drone systems and teach students how to safely operate an
sUAS. During the course of the semester, students will learn the material needed to pass the Federal Aviation Administration’s sUAS
license test, which will be taken at the conclusion of the class. In addition, students will learn the basics of using single-operator
drones for aerial videography. Four hours credit.
Course Objectives
Student learning outcomes
Understand drone flight operations.
Understand the regulations required to fly an sUAS commercially in the United
States.
How it’s assessed
All Assignments
Exam 1, Exam 2, FAA Test
Understand and use a sectional map to identify airspace and flight restrictions.
Exam 1, Exam 2, FAA Test,
Flight Test
Learn the basic of micrometeorology and how weather affects the flight of a
sUAS.
Exam 1, Exam 2, FAA Test
Understand airport operations including traffic patterns and considerations when
flying an sUAS near a towered and an untowered airport.
Exam 1, Exam 2, FAA Test
Develop an understanding of how drones are used in media production.
Video Assignment, Photo
Assignment
Become proficient in basic aerial production skills enabling the student to
capture video footage that is technically correct and consistent with professional
compositional principles.
Video Assignment, Photo
Assignment
Understand drone flight operations.
Understand the regulations required to fly an sUAS commercially in the United
States.
All Assignments
Exam 1, Exam 2, FAA Test
The School of Communication Emphasizes Analytical Thinking, Communication Skills, Interpretation of Converging Information, Technological
Development, and Integration of Theory and Practice
The Nido R. Qubein School of Communication Values Expression, Integrity, Excellence, Accuracy, Diversity, Curiosity and Awareness
Required Course Materials
Federal Aviation Administration. Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement for Sport Pilot, Recreational Pilot, Remote Pilot, and
Private Pilot (FAA-CT-8080-2H) – Amazon. Hard copy required. Ensure you buy the 2023 version. Amazon Link
Federal Aviation Administration. Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25B) - Amazon. Ensure you buy the
2023 version.
Amazon Link
Magnifying Glass (Optional). The Testing Supplement can be difficult to read at times when looking for specific pieces of
information. A magnifying glass is recommended if you have trouble reading the small lettering. I will have my copy of the testing
supplement in class with me on the first day so you can look and see if you think you need one. DO NOT BUY ONE WITH A
CAMERA AS PART OF IT. The FAA will thoroughly examine your magnifying glass before you are allowed to use it on the exam.
FAA Part 107 Certification Exam
At the end of the course, students will be required to take the FAA Part 107 Certification Exam as their Final Exam. The current cost
for the exam is $175 (subject to change). The exam is mandatory, and the student is responsible for the exam fee.
Assessment
Assignment
Grade Weight
Exam 1
15%
Exam 2
15%
Aerial Photo Project
Aerial Video Project
5%
10%
Sectional Map Test
10%
Quizzes
10%
Flight Hours
10%
Final Exam (FAA Part 107 Test)
25%
Total
100%
DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENTS
Exam 1 & 2: Exams 1 and 2 will be closed book exams that cover material on the part 107 exam as well as flight operations and
aerial photo and video information.
Aerial Photo Project: Students will shoot an aerial photograph using their drone. Photos will be graded based on composition,
creativity, and beauty.
Aerial Video Project: Students will produce a short, 1-minute video that could be used to promote a location.
Sectional Map Test: Students will be tested on their knowledge of the sectional map.
Quizzes: Students will be assigned practice FAA quizzes at points throughout the semester to gauge their understanding of the inclass material.
Flight Hours: Students will be required to log 10 hours of drone flight time with the following grade breakdown:
0-10 hours – 0-75
10-12 hours – 76-80
12-14 hours – 81-90
15+ hours – 91-100
The School of Communication Emphasizes Analytical Thinking, Communication Skills, Interpretation of Converging Information, Technological
Development, and Integration of Theory and Practice
The Nido R. Qubein School of Communication Values Expression, Integrity, Excellence, Accuracy, Diversity, Curiosity and Awareness
Grading
Final grades are assigned based on assignment weight. I evaluate the end products of your work, not effort. In fairness to all students
in this class, I do not negotiate final grades. Students are encouraged to keep track of the grades they have earned. Your grades
earned for each assignment will be posted on Blackboard, so you can monitor your performance. Feedback
for any creative project will be written in the feedback section of the assignment on blackboard. It is
inappropriate to ask me (or any professor) to change your grade for any reason other than an error in
grading.
If you disagree with my evaluation of your assignment, please see me within one week after I have returned
your work. I will not discuss grades via email as that is a violation of FERPA rules. The attached table is
used to determine letter grades.
GRADE APPEAL. If a student has a complaint or concern about a faculty member regarding a grade, they
should first try to resolve it with the instructor in question. If the complaint is not resolved through this
interaction, the student should then go to the Department Chair. If the instructor of the course also serves as a
Chair, then the student should approach the Dean as the first step in the process.
For this course, a student should pursue the following process:
1. Talk with the instructor of the course,
2. Talk with Mr. Robert Powell who serves as the Chair of the Department of Media Production.
The decision of the Chair is final.
GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE. If a student has a complaint or concern about a faculty member regarding
any matter other than a grade, they should first try to resolve it with the instructor in question. If the
complaint is not resolved through this interaction, the student should then address the issue with the
following—in this order—until resolved or at the final step:
1. the Department Chair;
2. the Dean of the School of Communication; then
3. the Provost of High Point University, which is the final step in the grievance process.
Bypassing any of these steps—going directly to the president, for example—will not resolve the issue and will only delay resolution.
Senior administration will not deal with grievance issues unless it has been discussed at the appropriate level.
If the instructor of the course also serves as a Chair, then the student should approach the Dean as the first step in the process.
For this course, a student should pursue the following process:
1. Talk with the instructor of the course.
2. Talk with Mr. Robert Powell who serves as the Chair of the Department of Media Production.
3. Talk with Dr. McDermott, who serves as the Dean of the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication.
4. Talk with Dr. Dan Erb, who serves as the Provost of High Point University.
The decision of the Provost is final.
Policies For Assignments & Exams
Written Work and Deadlines. Unless otherwise announced, all work will be submitted via Blackboard and is due before class
begins. Work turned in late but within 24 hours of the deadline will receive an automatic one-letter grade penalty; work turned in after
24 hours will not be accepted.
It is your responsibility to confirm that your assignment has been uploaded to Blackboard. If you are having a problem uploading your
files, contact HPU's technical support. If you email your files to me on time, but your file was not submitted to Blackboard, it will not
be considered late. It will, however, still be your responsibility to submit to Blackboard for final grading.
I have received the “wrong” attachment or “corrupted” files from students in hopes that they will get a few extra days to complete an
assignment. This is a violation of the honor code, and it will result in a zero for the assignment. Just as in the work world where
The School of Communication Emphasizes Analytical Thinking, Communication Skills, Interpretation of Converging Information, Technological
Development, and Integration of Theory and Practice
The Nido R. Qubein School of Communication Values Expression, Integrity, Excellence, Accuracy, Diversity, Curiosity and Awareness
attaching the wrong file can get you fired, you should always double check your submissions to Blackboard and your attachments
prior to sending them.
No late assignments are accepted for exams or group work. For other assignments, only truly extraordinary circumstances will be
accommodated. These circumstances require prior, or as timely as possible, notification and all the requisite documentation. The only
University approved excuses are: (1) illness documented by a physician; (2) death in the family with requisite documentation; (3)
religious observance; (4) University-sanctioned activity. If you will not be in class because of religious observance or a University
activity, you need to inform me prior to the absence, so we can make other arrangements. Legitimate documentation for other
absences must be produced the next time you are in class. You are also expected to make every effort to notify me prior to the date
of the assignment.
Honorlock. Honorlock may be used to proctor your exams this semester. Honorlock is an online proctoring service that allows you to
take your exam from the comfort of your own home. You DO NOT need to create an account, download software, or schedule an
appointment in advance. Honorlock is available 24/7 and all that is needed is a computer, a working webcam, and a stable Internet
connection.
To get started, you will need Google Chrome and the Honorlock Chrome Extension. You can download the extension
at www.honorlock.com/extension/install. When you are ready to test, log into Blackboard, go to your course, and click on your exam.
Clicking "Launch Proctoring" will begin the Honorlock authentication process, where you will take a picture of yourself, show your
ID, and complete a scan of your room. Honorlock will be recording your exam session by webcam, as well as recording your screen.
Honorlock also has an integrity algorithm that can detect search-engine use, so please do not attempt to search for answers, even if it's
on a secondary device. Honorlock support is available 24/7/365. If you encounter any issues, you may contact them via live chat.
Attendance Policy
Each student will receive five (5) absences. As in the workforce, there are no excused absences. On the sixth absence you may be
dropped. In addition, if you miss four (4) classes before Spring Break, you may be dropped. Please note that if you arrive after I have
called roll, you will have been marked absent. It is your responsibility to get the absence changed to tardy. Two tardies = one absence.
If you miss class, it is your responsibility to get notes from your classmates and find out what you missed.
Communication
Assignments, due dates and exams will be housed on blackboard. Outside of that, email will be our communication tool for the
semester. Please feel free to email me at any point of the day! However, just because you email me at any point of the day or night
does not guarantee that I will respond right away. I will be actively checking email throughout the day and will do my best to respond
to any emails between the hours of 8:30am and 7:30pm, Monday thru Friday. If I happen to be checking my email before or after that
time then I will respond at that time, I won’t ignore you, but I cannot guarantee that it will happen. I will always respond as soon as I
can, but my teaching schedule may delay a response by a few hours during the day. I check email periodically on the weekends but
cannot guarantee a swift response if you reach out. Emails must be sent to the email address at the top of this syllabus. Emails sent to
other addresses will not be answered. Blackboard messages are also not checked frequently, so if you need to reach me, it needs to be
via email.
If you have questions regarding due dates, rules, if something is or isn’t allowed, etc. Please follow the below procedure.
3 Before Me
1.
2.
3.
Check the assignment sheet/notes – is my question answered in there?
Check Blackboard – is my question answered there?
Check the syllabus – is my question answered there?
If the answer to all three of those scenarios is no, then I encourage you to reach out to me with your question/request. However, if
what you are asking is answered or provided in one of those three locations then I cannot guarantee a response to your email.
The School of Communication Emphasizes Analytical Thinking, Communication Skills, Interpretation of Converging Information, Technological
Development, and Integration of Theory and Practice
The Nido R. Qubein School of Communication Values Expression, Integrity, Excellence, Accuracy, Diversity, Curiosity and Awareness
Diversity
The NQSC encourages creative and independent ways of thinking, and mindfulness about cultural differences and multiple
perspectives. Visual storytelling provides a unique opportunity to showcase the diversity of our community. Effective drone
videography grows our visual storytelling skills so that we may highlight the diversity of a community in creative, effective, and
engaging ways.
Classroom Policies
Drone Policy. You are to always adhere to the university’s drone policy which follows the same guidelines as those set out by the
FAA. Alcohol should NOT be consumed within 8 hours of flying a drone. If you have consumed alcohol within 8 hours of class or are
on any medication that would impair your judgement, you must not fly.
It is your responsibility to always fly in a safe, responsible manor whether you are on campus or not. You must use the school
provided drone.
Starfish. High Point University cares about your success! This course is part of a HPU initiative that utilizes Starfish Connect, a
communication tool for students and faculty. Through Starfish, instructors, coaches, and advisors provide feedback to you about
course progress by emailing you about your academic performance. The emails are designed to be helpful by identifying strategies
that increase your success in courses. Be sure to open any emails you receive and follow the recommendations.
Your instructor, coach, or advisor may also recommend that you contact a specific campus resource, such as the Learning Lab or
Counseling Center. If an instructor makes a referral, you may also be contacted directly by this campus service as a follow-‐up.
Starfish also allows you to schedule appointments with various offices and individuals across campus and request help on a variety of
topics.
OARS ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE CLASSROOM
High Point University welcomes students with disabilities into our educational programs. HPU promotes efforts to provide equal
access and a culture of inclusion without altering the essential elements of coursework. If you anticipate or experience academic
barriers that may be due to disability, including but not limited to, chronic medical conditions, Deaf or hard of hearing, learning
disability, mental health, or vision impairment, please contact the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services at 336-841-9026 or
OARS@highpoint.edu. The OARS office is located on the 4th floor of Smith Library
If you have an OARS accommodation letter, you are required to do the following:
(A) Meet with me privately during office hours or a scheduled appointment as early in the semester as possible to discuss
implementing your accommodations. I am here to help you, and I want to make sure we discuss how best to integrate your OARS
approved accommodations in a way that helps make you successful. Your accommodations will be implemented only after we meet to
discuss the best path for your success.
(B) Give me reasonable notice (at least three business days) to implement your accommodations.
(C) If you have testing accommodations and we determine together that it would be best for you to take exams in the OARS testing
center, you must arrange through OARS with sufficient notice (3 business days for exams/quizzes and 6 business days for midterms
and final). If you do not arrange your exam with OARS, I will not be able to provide extended time, assistive technology, or a
distraction free environment, but you will be able to take the exam with the class.
(D) If you experience any access barriers in this course that are part of your OARS accommodations, such as with printed content,
graphics, online materials, or any communication barriers; reach out to me or OARS right away.
The School of Communication Emphasizes Analytical Thinking, Communication Skills, Interpretation of Converging Information, Technological
Development, and Integration of Theory and Practice
The Nido R. Qubein School of Communication Values Expression, Integrity, Excellence, Accuracy, Diversity, Curiosity and Awareness
Remote Access to Class
Unless otherwise noted, face-to-face attendance in classes, laboratories, and studios is required. A student may attend approved classes
remotely ONLY if*:
(a) They are approved by the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS);
(b) They have an approved Title IX accommodation;
(c) They are approved by Karen Naylon, Assistant Dean of Academic Services. (This includes, but is not limited to, students
who are isolated or quarantined as a result of a positive COVID 19 test or who have been identified as close contact.); or
(d) They are an international student who has received special permission for remote access because they are unable to enter
the United States due to COVID-19 restrictions.
EXPECTATIONS FOR REMOTE LEARNING
To ensure that students accessing classes remotely are successful, all remote students are asked to abide by these guidelines:
·
Coordinate with your course instructor about how you will access the class lecture/discussion
·
Be responsible for accessing all class materials and adhering to deadlines
·
Verify that you have sufficient internet access to attend remotely
·
Confirm that you have all the necessary equipment and software for completion of all course requirements
·
Adhere to any other remote access policies put forth by the course instructor
* Students may request a short-term exception to the remote learning policy for extenuating circumstances that prevent attending class
(e.g., extended illness or injury; university sanctioned travel). Exceptions can only be granted by Karen Naylon, Assistant Dean of
Academic Services, at (knaylon@highpoint.edu). Some courses are not available for long-term remote learning.
Personal Technology
The use of personal technology is not allowed during class. Being on your phone, shopping, doing something other than following
along with the course content will result in you missing material. If your phone/other technology becomes a consistent issue, I will
require you to store it with me at the front of the room for the duration of the class.
The use of your personal computer is not allowed during class unless it is for taking notes or otherwise permitted.
FAA Part 107 Test: Students will take the FAA Part 107 Exam at the conclusion of the course. Passing this exam will result in FAA
certification.
Flight Days. Most weeks, we will fly once a week to practice skills and work on different aerial maneuvers. Obviously, weather will
dictate the best day to fly. Check your email regularly for class location.
The School of Communication Emphasizes Analytical Thinking, Communication Skills, Interpretation of Converging Information, Technological
Development, and Integration of Theory and Practice
The Nido R. Qubein School of Communication Values Expression, Integrity, Excellence, Accuracy, Diversity, Curiosity and Awareness
Course Calendar
Week of
Class Topic
Assignment Due
Jan 9
Class introduction
FAA Recreational Pilot Knowledge Test
Introduction to the DJI sUAS Platform
Schedule FAA Test
Jan 16
Loading and performance
Introduction to the DJI sUAS Platform Cont.
Read PHAK 4-5 + 4-6, 5-1 to 5-28 +
5-33 + 5-40 to 5-42
Jan 23
sUAS Regulations
Read AC 107-2 Ch. 3, 4, 5
Jan 30
Airport operations
Photography and videography with a drone
Assign photo project
Read PHAK 14-1 to 14-5, SUAS
Study Guide Ch 11
Feb 6
Aviation weather services
Weather’s effects on performance
PHAK Ch 12 + 13, SUAS Study
Guide Ch 3A +2B
Feb 13
Radio communication procedures
Photo Project due 11:59pm, Feb 17
Read PHAK Ch 14-22 + 14-23
SUAS Study Guide Ch. 7
Feb 20
Exam 1 on Feb 24, Flight Hour Check In #1
Feb 27
Physiological Factors Emergency Procedures,
Maintenance, Inspections, Pre-flight checklists
Read SUAS Study Guide Ch 9
Mar 6
SPRING BREAK
Read PHAK Ch. 15, AC-107 Ch 5.8
Mar 13
Understanding airspace
Reading sectional maps
Read PHAK 16-2
Mar 20
Sectional maps
Assign Video Project
Flight Hour Check In #2
Aeronautical decision making
Mar 27
Apr 3
SECTIONAL MAP TEST ON Apr 5th
Apr 10
Sectional Map Review and Retest, Sectional
Map retest on Apr 14
Exam 2 on Apr 19
Flight Hour Check In #3
Exam Review - prep for FAA Exam
FINAL Flight Hours Due – End of Class
Wednesday
FINAL EXAM - FAA Scheduled between
Apr28 – May 4 @ Triad Aviation
Apr 17
Apr 24
Apr 28 –
May 4
Read PHAK Ch 2, SUAS Study
Guide Ch 6
Video Project due 11:59, Apr 6
The School of Communication Emphasizes Analytical Thinking, Communication Skills, Interpretation of Converging Information, Technological
Development, and Integration of Theory and Practice
The Nido R. Qubein School of Communication Values Expression, Integrity, Excellence, Accuracy, Diversity, Curiosity and Awareness
Note: Revisions to calendar will be made as the semester progresses, at the discretion of the instructor. Changes will be announced in
class. You are responsible for changes to the syllabus.
DO NOT MAKE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS THAT CONFLICT WITH A SCHEDULED EXAM PERIOD.
Nido R. Qubein School of Communication Policies, Practices and Expectations
Students are expected to adhere to all standards outlined in the School of Communication’s Policies, Practices, and Expectations
located at http://www.highpoint.edu/communication/files/nqsc_syllabus_policies.pdf unless alternate standards are specifically
outlined elsewhere in this syllabus.
The School of Communication Emphasizes Analytical Thinking, Communication Skills, Interpretation of Converging Information, Technological
Development, and Integration of Theory and Practice