Drone Training in Iowa
Drone training in Iowa delivered at your facility, job site or farm by FAA Certified Flight Instructors who travel to teams from Des Moines and Cedar Rapids to Davenport, Iowa City and Sioux City.
Drone Universities Courses
5.00 (20K+ Joined)
FAA Part 107 Training
Prepare yourself for the FAA Part 107 Knowledge Test. Learn to fly, how to understand industry-standard flight systems, and most importantly, safe and legal flying practices. If you do not pass the FAA Part 107 exam after completing our training, we will either refund your training fee or retrain you at no additional cost.
DJI Mini 4K included!
Duration
$2,500
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Advanced Aerial Inspections and Cinematography
This one-day course teaches you advanced aerial photography and videography. All classes are taught by working professionals. Learn what it takes to get great shots for clients like Discovery Channel and National Geographic.
Duration
$1,000
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This one-day course teaches you all about GIS. You will learn everything you need to successfully collect usable data on your flights. We’ll guide you through planning and flying successful operations, programing flight patterns.
Duration
$1,000
4.87 (1.6K+ Joined)
Drones in Agriculture
Join Drone Universities’ one-day Drones in Agriculture course. Learn precision flights, multispectral imaging, and field methodology to boost crop yield. Sign up now!
Duration
$1,000
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Drones for Public Safety and Transportation
Learn to use drones for infrastructure inspection and planning. Our one-day course improves public safety and transportation by saving time, money, and resources.
Duration
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Drone Training for Iowa Farms, Wind Farms, Plants and Insurers
Iowa lies between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, and drone work changes across the state. Crews in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids plan around Class C airspace, Quad Cities and Council Bluffs teams work near Class C airports across the river in Illinois and Nebraska, and farm, wind energy and utility crews cover wide stretches of corn and soybean country. Strong winds, spring storms and cold winters that sap battery performance all shape flight planning.
Iowa courses meet on your ground, whether that is a corn and soybean operation, a wind farm in the north-central counties, a food processing plant in Cedar Rapids or a claims office covering hail country. Lessons follow the Part 107 exam outline and add depth on the Des Moines and Cedar Rapids Class C airspace, prairie wind and convective weather, loading and pilot-observer coordination. Supervised flights at your site finish each training day.
We work with Iowa growers and livestock producers, agronomists, wind operators and electric cooperatives, equipment makers and processors, insurers and roofing contractors, engineers and public safety agencies. New pilots prepare for the Remote Pilot Certificate, and certificate holders sharpen crop scouting, turbine inspection or damage documentation skills. We also explain the Iowa correctional facility rule and limits on government drone use.
What Sets Drone Universities Apart for Iowa Teams
Teaching remote pilots since 2014
Drone Universities has trained remote pilots since 2014, and Iowa crews benefit from a curriculum shaped by that experience.
On-site anywhere in Iowa
Instructors travel to you, from Sioux City and Mason City to Dubuque and Ottumwa, so lessons fit your own fields and facilities.
Iowa classes led by FAA Certified Flight Instructors
FAA Certified Flight Instructors teach every course and cover the Des Moines and Eastern Iowa Class C areas and the Waterloo, Dubuque and Sioux Gateway towers.
Based on Iowa work
Exercises reflect your jobs: stand counts and tile drainage checks, turbine and line inspections, plant roof surveys or hail damage claims.
Quick to arrange
Call 1.818.255.0406 or request training online, and we will settle dates, group size and a practice field near your Iowa site.
Where in Iowa We Teach
Instructors travel to Iowa groups in and near these cities:
Des Moines
Polk County insurance, finance, manufacturing and public agency clients near the Class C airspace at Des Moines International Airport.
Cedar Rapids and Iowa City
Eastern Iowa manufacturing, campus and healthcare clients near the Class C airspace at The Eastern Iowa Airport.
Davenport and the Quad Cities
Scott County clients near the Class C airspace of Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, Illinois.
Waterloo and Cedar Falls
Black Hawk County manufacturing and university clients near the Class D airspace at Waterloo Regional Airport.
Dubuque
Northeast Iowa clients along the Mississippi River near the Class D airspace at Dubuque Regional Airport.
Sioux City and Council Bluffs
Western Iowa clients near the Class D airspace at Sioux Gateway Airport and the Class C airspace of Eppley Airfield in Omaha.
Working somewhere else in Iowa, such as Ames or Mason City? Let us know your Iowa location and we will schedule training on site. Organizations with sites in neighboring states can also see our Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Missouri drone training pages. Request a course location »
Where Iowa Businesses Put Drones to Work
- Agriculture. Corn, soybean, hog and cattle operations use aerial imagery to scout fields, check stands and review drainage and tile lines. Drone spraying in Iowa requires IDALS commercial applicator certification in the aerial category, working through a licensed commercial pesticide applicator business, and Iowa DOT aircraft registration, in addition to an FAA Part 137 certificate.
- Wind energy and utilities. Wind farm operators, electric utilities and cooperatives inspect turbines, lines, substations and towers across long rural corridors.
- Manufacturing and food processing. Iowa equipment makers, meat and grain processors and their suppliers fly drones over roofs, stacks and building exteriors and map plant layouts without lifts or scaffolding.
- Insurance. Insurers, adjusters and roofing contractors use drones to document hail, wind and storm damage on roofs and farm buildings without ladders.
- Construction and engineering. Iowa contractors and engineers document highway, bridge and plant expansion projects from above, measure stockpiles and produce orthomosaic maps for owners.
- Public safety. Iowa police, sheriffs, fire departments and emergency managers fly drones for scene documentation, rural searches and flood and tornado damage assessment. Learn about our public safety drone programs for agency teams.
We tailor flight exercises to the Iowa industry your crew supports. Employers certifying several people often choose corporate drone training, pairing knowledge-test preparation with exercises at the workplace.
Iowa Drone Rules for Airspace, Prisons, Government Use and Parks
- Class C airspace. Des Moines International and The Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids each have Class C airspace, and the Class C airspace of Quad Cities International and Eppley Airfield matters for Davenport and Council Bluffs. Inside that Class C airspace and other controlled airspace in Iowa, pilots need FAA authorization before flying, usually requested through LAANC or FAA DroneZone.
- Class D airports. Class D airspace surrounds Waterloo Regional, Dubuque Regional and Sioux Gateway airports. Iowa’s Class D towers are not all staffed full-time, and the Chart Supplement lists the hours each area is active.
- Correctional facilities. Under Iowa Code 719.9, it is a crime to knowingly fly a drone in, on or above a jail, prison, juvenile detention or community-based correctional facility or its grounds without permission from the authority in charge. Commercial flights that comply with FAA regulations, authorizations or exemptions are excepted.
- Government use. Iowa Code 321.492B bars the state and local governments from using drones for traffic law enforcement, and Iowa Code 808.15 makes drone information inadmissible in court unless it was obtained under a search warrant or otherwise lawfully.
- State parks. The Iowa DNR’s state park rules (Iowa Administrative Code 571, chapter 61) contain no drone-specific provision. Contact the park office before flying, follow posted rules and keep clear of visitors and wildlife.
- National Park Service units. Effigy Mounds National Monument near Harpers Ferry and Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in West Branch are NPS-administered. NPS policy on uncrewed aircraft bars launching or landing drones in either without a specific park approval.
This summary of Iowa and federal drone rules is training material and not legal advice. Before every Iowa flight, check NOTAMs and TFRs, FAA guidance and state law, and get permission from the landowner or operator.
Booking Drone Training in Iowa
- Submit your request. Share your Iowa location, the number of pilots, their experience and preferred dates.
- Review the course. We confirm the curriculum and instructor and look at nearby airspace, such as the Des Moines or Cedar Rapids Class C, before training.
- Fly at your site. Ground school and supervised flights happen at your Iowa location, in the fields and around the structures your pilots fly.
Schedule Drone Training for Your Iowa Crew
Whether your team works at a Des Moines office park, a Cedar Rapids plant or a farm in northwest Iowa, our instructors come to you.
Courses in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, the Quad Cities and rural Iowa. Call 1.818.255.0406, email info@droneuniversities.com or contact us online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need FAA certification to fly a drone for an Iowa business?
Yes. Commercial drone use in Iowa is governed by 14 CFR Part 107, so the remote pilot in command must hold an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate earned through the aeronautical knowledge test, and drones over 0.55 pounds must be registered. See the FAA’s guide to becoming a certificated remote pilot; our Iowa courses prepare you for the exam.
Which Iowa drone laws affect my operations?
Iowa prohibits flights over jails, prisons and other correctional facilities without permission, except commercial flights that follow FAA rules, and limits how government agencies may use drones. FAA airspace rules apply in addition to these state provisions.
Can I fly near Des Moines or Cedar Rapids?
Yes, once FAA authorization is in place. Des Moines International and The Eastern Iowa Airport have Class C airspace, and Waterloo, Dubuque and Sioux City have Class D areas. FAA facility map ceilings drop close to the runways, so we teach students how to read them and request LAANC approval.
Can I fly in Iowa state parks or at Effigy Mounds?
Iowa state park rules contain no drone-specific provision, so contact the park office and follow posted rules before flying. At Effigy Mounds National Monument, NPS policy prohibits launching, landing or operating drones except in limited, approved cases.
Where do Iowa drone courses take place?
At your site or a location you pick. We have trained Iowa groups on farms, at wind sites, in plants and at public safety training grounds. If your property is small or close to a towered airport, we will help choose a practice area nearby.
How do I schedule training in Iowa?
Use our training request form or call 1.818.255.0406 with your Iowa location, group size and preferred dates. We then reply with an instructor, dates and a course outline for your approval.
