As we head into the new year I wanted to share some of what I view as my accomplishments for last year as well as goals for this upcoming year. In 2025, I decided to really explore the drone world and completed the following courses:
Part 107 Certificate Prep
Introduction to GIS & Mapping
Processing Aerial Imagery with PIX4DMATIC
Commercial UAS Operations Management
All four of these courses were through Beaufort County Community College (BCCC). If you’re interested in drones, they’ve got some great courses for pretty cheap. I also attained my Part 107 Certificate after the prep class.
For 2026, I currently plan on taking the following courses:
UAS Components & Systems (BCCC)
Drone Building Workshop (BCCC)
NIST Open Lane Course (BCCC)
Drone Search and Rescue Essentials (Pilot Institute)
Basic Parachuting Course (Round Canopy Parachute Team)
Wilderness First Aid (Center for Wilderness Safety)
Fundamentals of SAR (National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR))
Low Power Variable Optic Course (Green Ops)
My goal is to attain my SARTECH II certification from NASAR and find a team that I can begin learning the practical use of drones in SAR. I also want to challenge myself and attempt the Norwegian Foot March.
