Three Wrangell T3 Alaska Drone Club Members Become Certified Aviators

Three students, Ander Edens, Spencer Petticrew, and Sean McDonald, from Wrangell High School, dedicated over a year to earn their FAA Part 107 Certification. They are part of the T3 Alaska Drone Club, an extracurricular program at their school focused on enhancing STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) skills.

On February 16, 2024, the trio traveled to Juneau to undertake the challenging exam. All three students successfully passed their FAA Part 107 exam, granting them the certification to operate drones for commercial purposes. Beyond the legal and professional benefits, this certification opens up a wide range of career opportunities in various industries.”

The students were accompanied by Brian Reggiani, T3 Alaska Student Engagement Lead, along with local community partner Claire Froehlich from the US Forest Service. T3 Alaska not only provides STEM curriculum, but also connects students with community partners to work on problem-based challenges. The US Forest Service – Wrangell Ranger District has been instrumental in partnering with T3 Alaska giving students the opportunity to apply their skills to meaningful projects in the Tongass National Forest.

Part of this trip was dedicated to building those experiential opportunities. After completing the exam students visited Pat Dryer with the Alaska Department of Transportation to explore drone technology being deployed around Alaska for mapping, hazard assessment, and avalanche mitigation. There are ample opportunities for certified drone use in the transportation industry.

T3 Alaska is grateful to all of their community partners, with a special thanks to the Alaskan Airmen Association and Educating for Leadership who hosted FAA Part 107 study sessions and funded the students’ online ground school and testing.