School of drones: B.C. instructors offer classes on commercial drone flying

A drone school is opening later this month and offering classes in B.C.'s interior.

Over the last decade, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles or 'drones' have drastically expanded, but the regulations and training have continued to lag behind.

Ernie Zeisman and his business partner Ron Wyres decided to begin offering courses for people wanting to learn how to fly drones commercially.

They will be operating out of a commercial airport in Grand Forks, B.C.

"They are getting extremely popular and the problem is you can buy them off the shelf," said Wyres.

"Most people don't realize you have to have training, have insurance and be qualified under Transport Canada."

Zeisman gravitates towards drones for jobs like power line inspections, which he says are cheaper and safer than helicopters.

Their announcement comes on the heels of yet another close call last week when a drone almost hit a seaplane flying over Vancouver.

In the meantime, Transport Canada continues to review this country's drone regulations.

"It's the wild west right now and they are trying to figure out how to get a handle on it," said Wyres.