Much of the heart of the class was on the current, and I would add emerging, FAA regulations pertaining to the operation of drones. You cannot, as a government agency, just start using drones without going through an application process. And you cannot just "legally" use a hobbyist to help your agency. Not all the processes are the equivalent of fiery hoops, but you do need to follow the regulations as they exist today. To sum up the regulation part, "The Wild, Wild West of drones is over."
I recommend the course to any agency looking to implement a UAS program for their jurisdiction.
One last comment. I found it interesting that the greater number of public agencies in attendance came from the smaller jurisdictions and not larger cities and counties. Looks like they will be the first to take advantage of the technology in this region of the United States.
