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How Mexico Is Becoming The Drone Capital Of Latin America

How Mexico Is Becoming The Drone Capital Of Latin America
Farah Mohamed
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Managing Editor, The WorldPost

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 04: Drone operator, Ken Butti and Camera operator, Robbie Josephsen carry the custom built DJI s1000 Drone following a flight at Palm Beach on July 4, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. Commercial and recreational UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) sales in Australia have regulators concerned about safety, privacy and security, while the commercial industries of mining, farming, property, and sport are embracing the new technology. Under the current CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) regulations all unmanned aircraft weighing more than 2kg need to have a UAS operators certificate. Licensed operators are not allowed to fly above 400ft, not within 5km of an airfield boundary and can't fly within 30 metres of people not involved with the operation. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 04: Drone operator, Ken Butti and Camera operator, Robbie Josephsen carry the custom built DJI s1000 Drone following a flight at Palm Beach on July 4, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. Commercial and recreational UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) sales in Australia have regulators concerned about safety, privacy and security, while the commercial industries of mining, farming, property, and sport are embracing the new technology. Under the current CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) regulations all unmanned aircraft weighing more than 2kg need to have a UAS operators certificate. Licensed operators are not allowed to fly above 400ft, not within 5km of an airfield boundary and can't fly within 30 metres of people not involved with the operation. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

A lack of strict aerospace regulations combined with a growing manufacturing and aerospace industry could turn the country into the drone capital of Latin America. Mexico recently opened the first drone pilot academy in region, and now hopes to become a global competitor in the high-flying industry.

“We saw a wave of consumers buying drones, but they didn’t know how to operate them,” Jose Luis Gonzalez, director of Mexico’s Drone Academy and CEO of Unmanned Systems, told Fusion. So he opened a drone academy in Mexico City and began offering a 9-hour course. They’ve already graduated 50 drone pilots in less than a year.

Read more on Fusion

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Farah Mohamed - Managing Editor, The WorldPost

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