- Ofqual-regulated TQUK Level 5 Award for UAS Operations Managers praised by Dale Wallis, who heads up the drone division for West Midlands Ambulance Service Hazardous Area Response Team;
- He says the course sets the foundations for safe and effective drone operations and helps the transition from pilot to team leader;
- Best practice principles from the course have been adopted by the drone team to further enhance its operational capabilities;
- Level 5 syllabus, covering operational oversight and governance, was designed with the help of heliguy™ and is delivered by heliguy™ instructors;
- The course is a Regulated Qualification: The equivalent to a foundation degree and is recognised as a professional management qualification.
The Ofqual-regulated TQUK Level 5 Award for UAS Operations Managers equips accountable leaders with the knowledge and best practice principles to run an effective and safe drone programme.
That's the view of Dale Wallis - who heads the UAS division of West Midlands Ambulance Service Hazardous Area Response Team (WMAS HART) - after completing the qualification with heliguy™.
The specialist syllabus, endorsed by awarding body Training Qualifications UK (TQUK), is tailored to drone programme leaders, covering modules such as operational oversight, governance, hazard management, and risk mitigation.
It is designed to raise industry standards and facilitate safe, compliant, and successful UAS operations.
For GVC-holder Dale, the course delivered an important overview of how to lead a UAS programme and helped with his transition from drone pilot to accountable manager.
He said: "The course provided a good insight into the management process and pilot requirements to run an effective UAS operation.
"I took away some key lessons and strengthened my knowledge of UAS following on from the GVC, as part of my move from pilot to manager."
Level 5 UAS Operations Manager Award 'Adds Best Practices' To Emergency Services Drone Programmes
The Level 5 Award is a Regulated Qualification: The equivalent to a foundation degree and is recognised as a professional management qualification.
Dale believes the takeaways from the course will benefit WMAS HART drone unit's daily operations, as the team strives for continued operational excellence and enhanced flight safety - particularly important for public safety enterprises.
He said: "The course sets the foundations for successful and safe UAS operations.
"It increased my knowledge of the legal framework surrounding UAS above what the GVC provided, adding some best practices to our operations.
"I found the safety management and safety cycle interesting, regarding how we adapt our systems already in place to create a safe environment for our UAS operations, ensuring that pilots are able to speak freely and raise their concerns, and these are appropriately actioned to create a safe flying environment.
"The course has also been very valuable to ensure we are keeping up-to-date with the requirements set out by the CAA to ensure that our operations are compliant."
How WMAS HART Deploys Drones For Public Safety
heliguy™ has supported WMAS HART in the development of its drone capability through hardware supply and drone pilot training, including dedicated emergency services instructor-led closed course tuition.
WMAS HART deploys drones for search and rescue, command and control, overseeing safety, and supporting initial dynamic risk assessments after arriving on scene.
This enhances situational awareness and provides a quick overview of a patient's condition and location - as these two training images below demonstrate.
The team also utilises UAS technology to provide multi-agency support. For instance, in 2021, the HART drone unit was called to a warehouse fire and deployed skills learnt just days after completing the heliguy™ Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course. Read the full story, here.
Raising Drone Industry Standards With TQUK Level 5 Award For UAS Operations Managers
The Level 5 course is held at The Village Hotel Newcastle in a residential-style environment, over a five-day period. The content is delivered by the heliguy™ instructors.
As an industry-leading drone training provider and RAE (Recognised Assessment Entity), heliguy™ worked with TQUK to build the syllabus, designed to raise professional standards.
The new course is different to the former Level 5 Award for Chief Pilots, with learning outcomes more suited and tailored to UAS operations management.
Dale said: "I would encourage people to take this course.
"It is intense but enjoyable. The assignments require in-depth answers, but the heliguy™ instructors are available to assist with any queries, both during the classroom time and remotely afterwards.
"They were very responsive and approachable which made the assignments easier to grasp."
To find out more about the TQUK Level 5 Award for a Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations Manager course, and to book your place at one of our upcoming courses, click here.
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