To provide Elios drone owners with a way to assess their piloting skills, Flyability has partnered with the Commercial UAV Expo to showcase their new certification program.

Flyability designed the Elios drone for the inspection and exploration of inaccessible places. Missions using this drone usually include flying beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and in confined spaces, where many factors such as light, surface reflection, dust, protruding obstacles, airflow turbulence, or size of openings have to be taken into account. These uses require the skill of operators who know how to handle the drones in these kinds of situations.

One of the most interesting features of the drone is its modular carbon fiber structure that works as a protective frame, which is collision-tolerant up to 15km/h. Last year, we had the chance to speak with Flyability’s Head of Sales Roberto Passini, where he explained what makes the product different.

As it is the case with every drone mission, preparation is crucial to complete it successfully and to ensure efficiency and accuracy. Flyability’s certification and training program provide pilots with the knowledge to be able to perform the most difficult indoor inspection missions. Most importantly, the certification criteria test the pilots on their ability to assess the difficulty of a mission and put their own piloting skills into perspective.

The certification program is broken up into four certification levels, which gradually require more expertise and involvement from the pilot. Thanks to Flyability’s mission assessment matrix, a pilot can easily assess if they are sufficiently trained to perform a given mission. Each certification level is derived from practical experience and is applicable to real scenarios.

Furthermore, to make sure Elios pilots receive proper training and are conscious of their level of expertise, Flyability is offering the initial training leading to the first certification level through every purchase of an Elios drone. Charles Rey, Training Manager at Flyability, said that “being able to assess the difficulty of an inspection and staff it with the right pilot is essential to maximize the savings that can be realized thanks to a well-prepared mission.”

Once a pilot completes a certification level, they are registered in a central database allowing Elios owners to query for pilots in good standing with Flyability certifications.

Although the company is working around the globe to enable new training partners to facilitate access to a proper training, its first training program will happen this October from the 23rd to the 27th in the US, Las Vegas, during the Commercial UAV Expo.

"We’re thrilled that Flyability has chosen to hold training sessions in conjunction with Commercial UAV Expo,” says Lisa Murray, Director of Commercial UAV Expo. “The Flyability Elios is an exciting technology for professionals charged with inspecting interiors. Because Commercial UAV Expo attracts such professionals, including from power generation, oil and gas, and construction, holding the training during our event makes perfect sense," "Additional vendors and organizations likewise recognized the value of co-locating trainings, symposia and workshops during Commercial UAV Expo, including ASPRS, AirGon, MicaSense and Pix4D. We’re proud that they have chosen Commercial UAV Expo as a venue and we’re pleased to be able to offer additional educational opportunities to our audience."

Registration for this month’s training is now open to pilots who already own an Elios, and there are two available options: 400 USD per seat, with up to 3 participants per session; and 1000 USD per seat for the entire session with up to 3 participants at your discretion.