Drone Training with Cameroon Flying Labs for the Protection of National Parks

By Cameroon Flying Labs

At Cameroon Flying Labs, we believe that building technical skills and sharing experience are essential to conducting risk-free drone missions. Training is one of our core missions because using technology for social good is not just about drones buzzing in the sky; it's about safeguarding people, protecting goods, and preserving our environment.

The AGREGIR project framework includes the acquisition, installation and training of the Benoue and Waza national parks personnel for the surveillance and the protection of the ecosystem and the natural resources. Within this framework, Cameroon Flying Labs had the honour of  conducting an eight-day training to the national parks personnel on the utilisation of the Mavic 3 Enterprise. The training spanned from the 11th to the 19th of July 2023 at the Benoue and Waza parks, with four days dedicated to each site.

The training was split into two parts, the theoretical and the practical, both aligned with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) as well as the regulatory guidelines for drone operations established by the Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The objective was to furnish the trainees with tools to enhance their capabilities for future missions. The theoretical part included history of aviation, drone controls, drone regulations, airspace management, risk management, and safety culture, complemented by practical real life scenarios and experiences. The practical part included basic piloting skills, flying using DJI Fly simulator, creating and using a pre-flight checklist, manual flights for mapping, and data processing using PIX4Dmapper to generate a 2D map.

The trainees were first exposed to the history of drones and their applications to spark their interest. Later, we delved deep into real-life drone operations on the field, where the trainees were taught how to prepare and follow a pre- and post-flight checklist for a safe operation, use mapping software such as PIX4Dmapper to produce and interpret a map, and enhance the map quality by making use of Real-Time Kinematic (RTK). Armed with these skills and tools, we are confident that the trainees will be able to perform drone operations in the future with an unwavering commitment to safety. 

We were so pleased to share mutual knowledge and experience with the trainees. We learned a lot from each other, and to further cement their technical skills, we recommend that they refresh their knowledge on a regular basis.

We thank the administrative staff of the Benoue and Waza national parks for providing us with all the materials needed to conduct this training. Their support was integral to ensuring an effective training experience for the participants, enabling them to operate the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise safely and proficiently.