Drone Certification & Crash Reconstruction Course (In-Person) - June 8-12, 2026 - 8:00am to 4:00pm

Course Description:

This is a five-day hands-on course that provides the students with the source material to pass the FAA Remote Pilot written examination during the first two days. This certification is required to be a Public Safety Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Operator. Topics of instruction include Pilot Certification Process, FAA Rules and Regulations, Remote Pilot Operational Limitations, Airspace and Charts, Aviation Weather, Aeronautic Decision Making/Crew Resource Management, Airport Operations, Aircraft Performance, UAS Maintenance Requirements, Radio Communications, Physiological Factors Affecting Performance, Emergency Procedures Risk Assessment, UAS Best Practices and Accident Reporting.

The remaining three days will provide the student with the necessary training to successfully process a crash or crime scene using aerial photogrammetry with FARO Zone 3D Expert/Pro software. This course consists of classroom lecture and hands on work projects as well as field exercises. Each attendee is required to have his or her own laptop computer with certain specifications for the training. UAS aircraft will be provided for use. Acceptable laptop specifications are listed below. UAS aircraft will be provided for use.

Learning Objectives: 

1. Pass the FAA 107 Remote Pilot Certification Exam
2. Produce an orthomosaic image of the crash scene
3. Process a crash scene using FARO Zone 3D Expert/Pro software
4. Successfully complete all three crash reconstruction exercises

Prerequisites: In order to be eligible for consideration for the DCCRC course, you must: 

• Be a full-time law enforcement agency in the State of New Jersey
• Have dedicated staff that are certified Fatal Crash Investigator(s)
• Have an established drone program
• Complete the Drone Questionnaire (access by clicking here) 
• Possess an I-7 to I-9 laptop computer with 16-32 gigabytes of ram and a 64-bit windows 10 dedicated graphics card
• Registered with the FAA Integrated Airman Certification & Rating Application (IACRA) IACRA - Federal Aviation Administration (faa.gov) **Must use personal information, not department information**

Intended Audience:
Law Enforcement Crash Reconstructionists

Presenters: 
Ronald G. Leach Jr., Leach Strategic Partners; Russell Boynton, FocalPoint Forensics

Sponsors/Partners:
New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety

Requirements: To receive a DCCRC certificate of completion, you shall:

• Attend all 5-days of the course
• Prepare for the FAA Part 107 Drone License
• Successfully complete all 3 exercises in the Crash Reconstruction phase of the training
• A drone will be provided for the exercises, however, it is strongly recommended to bring your department drone to the training

Training Materials:  The Drone Certification and Crash Reconstruction Course will provide each attendee with the following training materials:

• Airmen Knowledge Testing Supplement
• Step-by-Step Processing Guide
• Mock Crash Final Project
• Flash drive containing training materials
• Although not provided, it his highly recommended that you obtain the Dauntless Aviation Software for the FAA Part 107 Exam at:  Dauntless Aviation - PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android Apps and Software for beginner through professional pilots. (dauntless-soft.com)

For more information, contact David Maruca, CAIT Project Manager, dem200@soe.rutgers.edu