Eight pilots have successfully passed their drone flight training in Tunisia under the pilot project on the use of drones for agricultural development projects.

Organized by the Ministry of Agriculture of Tunisia, the African Development Bank and Busan Techno Park, the two-week intensive training period took place in Tunis from 19-30 November 2018.

It focused on the handling, maintenance and security aspects of flying drones.

The eight are the first batch of 40 candidates selected for the exercise, which anticipates training a total of 400 young Tunisians by 2021.

The project will also see the setting up of a training center equipped with training drones as well as computer simulation tools for drone control.

This center is expected to be upgraded to a center of excellence in drone technology.

The training also focused on promoting drone-centered activities in Tunisia in view of promoting efficiency and effectiveness.

“It is very good training. I want to share my experience. I would like to participate in this project and contribute for the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in my country Tunisia and my region, Africa,” said Lazhar Meskine, an air traffic management engineer who was among the trainees.

After accumulating 20 hours of flight time and passing the practical flight, trainees obtained a “Drone Pilot Certificate” recognised by the Tunisian government.

The four best trainees from this first batch will undergo further training for eight weeks to accumulate 100 hours of flight time.
This will make them eligible to take another certification examination and qualify as drone pilot trainers.

“I have also learned many things through Tunisian trainees. It gives us a great chance to understand the local situation for further projects by using drone technologies,” their instructor, Seo Yong-ju added.

About the Project
Tunisia and the African Development Bank have signed an agreement for the launch of a pilot project to use drones for data collection to enhance management of agricultural projects in the country.

The project is being implemented over the next ten months beginning in August and will receive technical management and assistance from South Korea.

The pilot project on the use of drones for agricultural development projects in the Sidi Bouzid region (central Tunisia), is financed by a grant from the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC), under the management of the African Development Bank and Busan Techno Park. Busan Techno Park has already tested the drones for efficacy in managing similar urban projects.

Korea is a leading country in the development and use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for real-time data collection and processing. Drones have been used in agriculture to provide fast and accurate data, helping to improve decision-making at all stages of a project, from preparation to implementation and evaluation.

By: ClaraDoku/techvoiceafrica.com