The Unmanned Safety Institute (USI), the world-leader in remote pilot training and certification to individuals, organizations, and enterprises around the world, announced today the launch of a new industry Professional Remote Operator™ (PRO™) certification. The PRO™ certification program was designed to offer an industry-leading credential to elite remote pilots who would like to differentiate themselves from other remote pilots who simply hold an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate.

The PRO™ program differentiates individuals by certifying that remote pilots possess not only the knowledge to safely operate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) but also the skills and abilities to safely and proficiently operate UAS. PRO™ certificate holders are recognized by USI and the UAS community as elite professionals who have clearly demonstrated their knowledge and skills and have been independently verified by USI as an authoritative body.

The specific prerequisites for a remote pilot to earn a PRO™ certification include:

• Learn – Meet all educational requirements that match the level of rating.

• Earn – Achieve the appropriate airmen certification from the FAA or equivalent civil aviation authority.

• Practice – Hone remote pilot skills by building flight hours and experience.

• Promote – Be an active member of the safety community, taking on higher levels of responsibility

and continuing to learn through professional development.

In addition to demonstrating proficiency through documented flight hours, all PRO™ applicants must complete at least 150 hours of educational units in aeronautical knowledge areas that include Crew Resource Management (CRM), Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM), and other essential subjects relating to UAS flight safety. USI offers the opportunity for the Learn requirements to be met online through their award-winning Small UAS Safety Certification™ or in-person through USI’s partnerships with many local colleges and universities. PRO™ Certificate holders must also earn four Continuing Education Units (CEUs) on an annual basis, to ensure they are up-to-date on changes in the industry. CEUs may be obtained through various workshops, education programs, industry trade shows, and much more.

In conjunction with today’s announcement, USI is also pleased to announce that SkySkopes, a professional UAS flight operator with a large team of elite UAS pilots headquartered in Grand Forks, ND, is the first company to have its remote pilots achieve a PRO™ certification. “Certifications such as PRO™ from the Unmanned Safety Institute set SkySkopes apart.” Said Matt Dunlevy, President and CEO of SkySkopes, “With the ever-changing state of the UAS industry, complex new use-cases for UAS presenting themselves every day, and BVLOS looming, continuing education and certifications are a necessary framework for top-tier UAS flight operators. Being the launch partner for USI’s PRO™ initiative is extremely important to SkySkopes and our University of North Dakota educated pilots as we continue to prove to end users that ours is a world class UAS flight operator. I applaud USI for further promoting UAS safety and training throughout the industry with the advent of their PRO™ program.” To learn more about SkySkopes, please visit www.skyskopes.com.

USI offers four levels of PRO™ ratings dependent upon the number of hours a remote pilot has flown a UAS, ranging from 50 to 1,000, as well as the number of years in which the applicant was performing professional flight duties:

• PRO™ Basic Certification: Any individual who meets all the pre-requisites and

holds at least 50 flight hours on a specific UAS, may qualify for the

USI PRO™ Basic Certification.

• PRO™ Level 1 (Silver): Any individual who meets all the pre-requisites and holds

at least 250 flight hours on a specific or combination of UAS may qualify for

the USI PRO™ Level 1 (Silver) Certification.

• PRO™ Level 2 (Bronze): Any individual who meets all the pre-requisites and holds

at least 500 flight hours on a specific or combination of UAS may qualify for

the USI PRO™ Level 2 (Bronze) Certification.

• PRO™ Level 3 (Gold): Any individual who meets all the pre-requisites and holds at

least 1,000 flight hours on a specific or combination of UAS may qualify for

the USI PRO™ Level 3 (Gold) Certification.

Remote pilots interested in earning a PRO™ certification from USI and becoming leaders in their field, can apply online at www.unmannedsafetyinstitute.org/PRO. If you would like to request more information, please e-mail [email protected] or call 1-877-535-SAFE.