Victorian Unmanned Aerial Systems staff Matthew and Michael Herbert will teach Hawkesdale P-12 College about the latest technology and its various uses. 

The pair will explain the current and future uses of remotely piloted aircrafts (RPA), to students next term who will investigate the concept of flight and design and test their own projects.

Matthew said the technology provided amazing opportunities. “The possibilities and technology are only limited by the imagination of those who want to use them.

“They have a lot of possibilities to make a lot of industries safer in the aspect of jobs that are dirty, dangerous or dull. If it’s dull, where a human being is going to get bored, dangerous or dirty these RPAs do those jobs really well.

He said the technology was constantly evolving. “The P4 isn’t even a year old and it’s been superseded twice.

Teacher Britt Gow said parent and community information sessions were also planned. “They’re really excited about the use of drones,” Ms Gow said. “Some kids have got drones on their farms so it’s starting to move into rural areas and the potential for use for livestock monitoring and water trough monitoring. If you want to deliver medication out to farmers in the field it saves a lot of time and man hours to be able to deliver it.”

Ms Gow said the sessions were made possible thanks to $1500 Victorian Teachers Mutual Bank Teacher’s Initiative Program grant. 

Assistant principal John Ralph said it was loads of fun. “When kids are having fun they’re learning,” Mr Ralph said. “It’s great. There’s future vocations here that haven’t even been thought of yet. It’s pretty exciting.

The school’s leaders are keen to learn about the technology. Noah Cameron, 11, said it would be “good to experience the drones” and Jordan Lang, 12, was looking forward to seeing what the RPAs could do. “It’s better than being stuck in a classroom all day,” she said.