Cayman Motoring Federation member Rhondel Ramdath went from never flying drones to completing an expert drone training programme in Trinidad and Tobago.
Ramdath was amongst 14 other participants from Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile mobility and sport clubs that completed the Drone and Vertical Mobility Academy Training Programme.
All other participants hailed from the Caribbean, Central America and North America.
The head of the FIA Drone & Vertical Mobility Academy, Nicolas Brieger, traveled from Europe to conduct the four-day training, held 26-29 May in Port of Spain.
Trinidad & Tobago Automobile Association along with Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile Region III hosted the training which consisted of a combination of classroom theory and practical flight exercises at the Arima Velodrome.
Ramdath, who has been a member of Cayman Motoring Federation for the past two years, told the Compass that the most challenging aspect of the training was the fact that he has “never interacted or flew drones prior to this [training]”. So, for him, this meant that it was a steep learning curve.
However, he said, “once you understand the fundamentals, it becomes as easy as riding a bicycle.”
The programme focused on and explored drone safety, regulatory frameworks, meteorology, human factors and the potential for integrating drone solutions into club and event operations.
In a recent Cayman Motoring Federation press release, Jane Scaletta, president of CMF said, “This training marks a significant step in our vision to future-proof both motorsport and mobility in the Cayman Islands.”
“Drones have the potential to assist with traffic monitoring, crowd safety, first-response coordination, and even last-mile transport. For a small island community, this technology represents an opportunity to innovate how we move people and services more efficiently, sustainably, and safely.”
Ramdath stated in the release, “The plethora of knowledge I’ve gained will directly support the safe and efficient running of our motorsport events and opens a world of new possibilities for how we approach safe mobility and logistics in the Cayman Islands.”
