Mr. John Dovale (right) handed over two drones to Acting Prime Minister Hon. Samiu Kiuta Vaipulu.

26^th September 2022 – Acting Prime Minister and Acting Minister for MEIDECC, today open a 5-day training on how to operate an unmanned aircraft system or it’s known as drones, coordinated, and funded by the United Nation agency Emergency Telecommunication Cluster of World Food Programme.

CEO for MEIDECC, Mr. Paula Pouvalu Maú delivered the opening speech highlighting the significance of this certificating training for the first time in the country as a result the participants will be issued with a Drone Pilot License from the Civil Aviation Authority NZ and Flight Test NZ.

Mr. Maú also stressed the significance of this training to the Ministry in times of post disaster assessment by the magnitude of qualified drone operators where he invited key ministries to attend including NEMO, Geology, and Communications.

UAS Drone Instructure and a participant on day-1 practical test flight.

ETC Pacific Coordinator, Mr. John Dovale provide the remarks by adding – “This high pace 5-day training will cover a series of theory curriculums and practical each day to make sure by the end of the training these participants are fully equipped with how to assemble the drone, preflight check, basic flight techniques, and also the principle and rules of flying a drone at any sort of events, especially post disaster assessment”.

To receive a Drone Pilot License, the participants will take a 3 hour online and practical exam.

ENDS.

Issued by the Department of Communications.