After a two-week training program by the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture in conjunction with the African Development Bank and the Busan Techno Park— eight pilots were finally graduated from the program. The training focuses on handling, maintenance and the security features of flying drones and their skills will be used to boost agricultural productivity in Egypt.
The eight were the first batch out of 40 candidates selected for the exercise and the initiative aims to train a total of 400 young Tunisians by 2021. The drone project will see the backers setting up a training center with computer simulation tools for drone control.
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After 20 hours of flight time and a practical flight exam, the candidates received certification from the Tunisian government. The top four pilots from this group will also complete 100 hours of flight time in the next eight weeks, and then be eligible to train others.
The drone pilot program is backed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), with funding through the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation program and Busan Techno Park in South Korea. This goes with the African Union declaring its support for Drone Technology. Although some countries haven’t adopted it as much, this is definitely a step in the right direction.