Drone Training in Minnesota
Drone training in Minnesota delivered at your facility, job site or farm by FAA Certified Flight Instructors who travel to teams from Minneapolis and Saint Paul to Rochester and Duluth.
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
4.79 (5.4K Joined)
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
4.96 (2.6K Joined)
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
4.82 (2.6K Joined)
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
$1,000
Minnesota Drone Training from the Twin Cities to the Iron Range
Minnesota stretches from the Red River Valley to the North Shore of Lake Superior, and drone work changes along the way. Crews in the Twin Cities plan around the Class B airspace at Minneapolis-St. Paul International, farm teams scout corn, soybean and sugar beet fields across the south and west, and mining, forestry and utility crews cover long distances on the Iron Range and in the northern woods. Cold winters that sap battery performance and summer storms both shape flight planning.
We run Minnesota courses at the place your pilots will fly, whether that is a food plant in the metro, a taconite operation near Virginia or a sugar beet farm in the Red River Valley. The classroom block mirrors the Part 107 test outline, with added depth on the Minneapolis-St. Paul Class B airspace, cold-weather battery performance, icing and gusty prairie winds, loading calculations and crew resource management. Then your instructor supervises live flights at the same site.
Food processors and medical device makers, Iron Range mines and quarries, growers, wind and transmission operators, engineering firms and county sheriffs’ water patrol and rescue units all train with us. Beginners prepare for the Remote Pilot Certificate, and experienced crews add mapping, thermal or inspection work. Because Minnesota adds its own requirements, we also explain MnDOT aircraft registration and the commercial operations license.
Minnesota Teams Choose Drone Universities for These Reasons
Instructing since 2014
Our company has delivered instructor-led drone courses since 2014, and Minnesota groups receive that experience in a format built for their own sites.
Instructors come to Minnesota job sites
Whether you are in Rochester, St. Cloud or Duluth, your course happens at your location, with the lakes, trees and structures your crew works around.
Classes taught by FAA Certified Flight Instructors
FAA Certified Flight Instructors handle every course and teach the MSP Class B and Twin Cities reliever airports the way a manned-aircraft pilot reads them.
Drills based on your work
We plan practice around your missions, such as pit and stockpile mapping, turbine inspections or shoreline searches for a sheriff’s water patrol.
Straightforward booking
Request training online or call 1.818.255.0406, and we will help you pick the course, the dates and a practice area for your Minnesota team.
Minnesota Cities Where Our Courses Run
On-site courses are regularly held in and near these Minnesota cities:
Minneapolis and Saint Paul
Hennepin and Ramsey county organizations under the Class B airspace of Minneapolis-St. Paul International and near the Class D airspace at St. Paul Downtown Holman Field.
Twin Cities suburbs
Suburban clients near the Class D airspace at Flying Cloud, Anoka County-Blaine and Crystal airports.
Rochester
Olmsted County healthcare, technology and industry clients near the Class D airspace at Rochester International Airport.
Duluth
Lake Superior port, industry and public agency clients near the Class D airspace at Duluth International Airport.
St. Cloud
Central Minnesota clients near the Class D airspace at St. Cloud Regional Airport.
Southern and western farm country
Agricultural, utility and wind energy clients around Mankato, Marshall and Willmar.
Working somewhere else in Minnesota, such as Moorhead or the Iron Range? Give us your Minnesota address and we will hold the course at your site. Organizations with sites across the state line can also see our Wisconsin and Iowa drone training pages. Request a course location »
Key Drone Uses in Minnesota Industries
- Manufacturing and food processing. Minnesota food, medical device and equipment plants use drones to look over large roofs, stacks and exterior walls and to map their campuses without bucket trucks or scaffolding.
- Agriculture. Corn, soybean, sugar beet and livestock operations use aerial imagery to scout fields, check stands and review drainage. Spray work is regulated separately: the Minnesota Department of Agriculture places unmanned aircraft under its general aerial application category, and drones that dispense pesticide also need an FAA Part 137 certificate.
- Mining and aggregates. Iron Range mines and quarries use drones to measure stockpiles, map pits and document site conditions without sending crews onto unstable ground.
- Utilities and wind energy. Electric utilities, cooperatives and wind farm operators inspect lines, substations, towers and turbines across long rural corridors.
- Construction and engineering. Minnesota contractors and engineers record progress on road, bridge and building projects during the warm months, measure stockpiles and generate orthomosaic maps for project managers.
- Public safety. Minnesota police, sheriffs’ offices, fire departments and emergency managers fly drones to survey scenes, search lakes and forests and assess storm and spring flood damage. Learn more in our police drone training.
Practice flights can be weighted toward the industry your Minnesota team serves. Groups certifying several pilots often choose corporate drone training, mixing exam preparation with exercises at your facility.
Minnesota Airspace, MnDOT Requirements and Park Rules for Drones
- Class B airspace. Minneapolis-St. Paul International sits under Class B airspace that covers much of the Twin Cities. Within that Class B airspace, and around the towered airports listed next, Minnesota pilots must get FAA authorization before flying, usually through LAANC or FAA DroneZone.
- Class D airports. Class D airspace surrounds St. Paul Downtown Holman Field, Flying Cloud, Crystal, Anoka County-Blaine, Rochester International, Duluth International, St. Cloud Regional and Camp Ripley. Several Minnesota towers close overnight, and the Chart Supplement lists the hours each Class D area is active.
- MnDOT registration and licensing. According to MnDOT Aeronautics, drones used by a business generally need to be registered with MnDOT as well as the FAA, and a Commercial Operations License is required when you provide drone services or flight results to others. MnDOT decides licensing case by case, so contact its drone staff with questions.
- Correctional facilities. Under Minn. Stat. 243.552, it is a crime to knowingly fly a drone over a state correctional facility or its grounds without the written consent of the commissioner of corrections or a designee.
- State parks. Minnesota Rule 6100.2200 bars landing aircraft in a state park except by permit, and the Minnesota DNR treats drones as aircraft. A permit to fly in a state park, recreation area or on a state trail may be granted only under special circumstances.
- National Park Service units. Voyageurs National Park, Grand Portage and Pipestone national monuments, the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area and the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway are managed by the NPS. NPS policy prohibits launching or landing drones in these units unless the park has approved it.
This overview reflects how we teach Minnesota and federal drone requirements and is not legal advice. Before any Minnesota flight, check NOTAMs and TFRs, FAA guidance, MnDOT requirements and local rules, and secure permission from whoever controls the site.
Getting a Minnesota Drone Course on the Calendar
- Start with a request. Tell us the Minnesota site, the number of pilots, their experience level and your preferred dates.
- Agree on the details. We confirm the course and instructor and check your site against nearby airspace, such as the MSP Class B shelf, before the class.
- Learn on location. Classroom sessions and supervised flights take place at your Minnesota facility in the weather and terrain your crew works in.
Request a Minnesota On-Site Drone Course
Whether your team works at a Twin Cities plant, a Rochester campus or a farm in the Minnesota River Valley, our instructors come to you.
From Minneapolis and St. Paul to Duluth and Rochester, we come to you. Call 1.818.255.0406, email info@droneuniversities.com or message our team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Minnesota business drone pilot need an FAA certificate?
Yes. Commercial flights in Minnesota are covered by 14 CFR Part 107, which requires the remote pilot in command to hold an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate obtained by passing the aeronautical knowledge test, and drones over 0.55 pounds must be registered with the FAA. The FAA explains the process in its remote pilot certification guide. Our Minnesota classes prepare you for the exam.
What extra drone requirements does Minnesota have?
Minnesota requires most drones used for business to be registered with MnDOT, and drone service providers may also need a MnDOT Commercial Operations License, which includes proof of insurance. State law also prohibits flights over state correctional facilities without written consent. The FAA continues to regulate the airspace.
Can I fly near Minneapolis or Saint Paul?
Yes, once you have FAA authorization. Minneapolis-St. Paul International is surrounded by Class B airspace, while Holman Field, Flying Cloud, Crystal and Anoka County-Blaine each have Class D areas. Facility map altitudes drop near the runways, so our training covers reading those maps and requesting LAANC approval.
Can I fly in Minnesota state parks or Voyageurs National Park?
Usually not. Landing an aircraft, drones included, in a Minnesota state park requires a permit, and the DNR issues drone permits only in special circumstances. At Voyageurs National Park, NPS policy prohibits launching, landing or operating drones except in limited, approved cases.
Where do Minnesota courses take place?
At your location or another site you choose. We have held Minnesota classes at plants, mine sites, farms, campuses and public safety training centers. If your site is too small or under restrictive airspace, we will help you find a practice area close by.
How do I schedule a Minnesota course?
Use the course request form or call 1.818.255.0406 with your Minnesota location, group size and target dates. We confirm the curriculum, instructor and schedule with you before anything is set.
