Photo above – Frontier Precision Unmanned’s Cole Martz (third from right) poses with AeroX President Basil Yap (far right), AeroX STEM partner Donald Sweeper (center) and Sweeper’s students after donating drones to AeroX.
Measurement technology provider Frontier Precision Unmanned has donated two drones valued at $50,000 to AeroX to support its STEM and workforce development initiatives.
The drones will be used in two new AeroX programs that prepare high school and college students for jobs and careers in the fast-growing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS, or drones) sector.
“This generous gift will be invaluable in helping young people in this community gain the experience they need to qualify for new high-paying jobs we expect to attract through AeroX’s work. We applaud and thank Frontier Precision Unmanned for playing a leadership role in helping us propel our workforce and our economy,” said Donald Sweeper, drone aviation and animatronics engineering educator, who serves as AeroX’s STEM/Workforce development coordinator.
“Giving back to the community and younger generation is a big part of what Frontier Precision Unmanned and myself want to be a part of. This donation will give students the resources for UAS experience,” said Cole Martz, UAV operator – sales and services support specialist for Frontier Precision Unmanned. Martz previously worked as a UAS operator for UPS Flight Forward and was integrally involved in advancing its path-breaking drone medical package deliveries, routinely operating across the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist campus since 2020. As a specialist with Frontier Precision Unmanned, Martz has been an active supporter of local unmanned aviation youth camps, offering demonstrations and talking with students about unmanned aviation career opportunities.
Frontier Precision Unmanned has donated a Delair UX11 PPK mapping drone used widely in the construction and environmental industries to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional maps of targeted areas. The second drone, a DJI Matrice 210 RTK, is commonly used for inspecting infrastructure and structures of any kind, as well as taking pictures of accident and incident scenes to provide situational awareness for public safety agencies.
AeroX will use the drones for two STEM initiatives under development for summer 2023 – a summer internship program for students enrolled in Elizabeth City State University’s aviation science bachelor’s degree program, under a recently signed partnership agreement, and a program that will provide training and work experience for high school students to prepare them for jobs as UAS operators upon graduation.
