On Friday, March 3, Brother Martin High School welcomed Ecko 360, a high-tech company offering aerial photography and video, who demonstrated and discussed drone operations and the importance of their place in technology.  NJROTC cadets and other interested students observed a flight demonstration of aerial mapping using LIDAR systems. In addition, members of Cleco Power and Entergy, as well as the Public Service Commissioner and former attorney general, attended the operations and spoke about how this technology plays a large role in accelerating power restoration after major storms and outages. This demonstration is in conjunction with Brother Martin’s Aerospace Science course, which is the first high school in Louisiana to offer a drone certification and training program. Students have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of professional Unmanned Aircraft System operators and prepare for their FAA Part 107 Commercial Drone Operations license. This one-semester class, instructed by Commander Bruce D. Nolan, USN (Ret) ‘90 and Senior Chief Romico J. Barnes, USN (Ret) teaches advanced safety training and certification through the Unmanned Safety Institute. Students learn about aerodynamics, aviation weather, flight rules, and crew management skills to operate professionally.  Students practice on professional quality drones provided by a generous grant from Cleco Power, Entergy, and Southwestern Electric Power Company. We are thankful to be able to provide this course for our Crusaders in the pursuit of Academic Excellence and Forming Young Men for Life.