By Photo Credit: Val Vesa / Unsplash
By Lily Lederman | The Now Daily
A new aviation training program at Texas A&M-RELLIS has reached its first major milestone, bringing a modern form of flight training to a site with a long history in American aviation.
Texas A&M-RELLIS and the Unmanned Safety Institute celebrated the first graduates of their Professional Remote Operator Program on Thursday, Aug. 20.
Three students completed the program, which focuses on preparing operators for professional careers involving unmanned aircraft systems.
The graduation represents an early step in a partnership aimed at developing workers for the rapidly growing commercial drone industry.
Historic Airfield Takes On a New Aviation Role
The location has a unique connection to aviation.
More than 80 years ago, military pilots trained at Bryan Army Air Field during World War II. The property later became Bryan Air Force Base before eventually becoming part of what is now the Texas A&M-RELLIS campus.
Instead of training pilots to fly military aircraft, the newest program is preparing students to operate unmanned aircraft systems used across a growing number of industries.
That includes more than simply learning how to control a drone.
Professional operators must understand regulations, safety procedures, flight planning and the technology involved in commercial unmanned aviation.
Drone Careers Are Expanding Beyond Photography
Consumer drones are often associated with photography and video, but professional unmanned aircraft are being used for significantly more complicated jobs.
Energy companies can use drones to inspect pipelines and infrastructure. Farmers can use aerial systems to monitor crops and land. Construction companies can track projects, while emergency responders can use drones to survey areas that may be difficult or dangerous for people to reach.
Mapping, surveying and infrastructure inspections have also become important uses for unmanned aircraft.
That creates demand for operators who understand professional aviation procedures rather than simply knowing how to fly a recreational drone.
RELLIS Continues Building Workforce Programs
The program also fits into the larger workforce-development role of the RELLIS campus near Bryan.
RELLIS brings together universities, community colleges, research programs and industry partners with an emphasis on education and technology.
Training workers for unmanned aviation gives the campus another connection to industries that are expected to rely increasingly on automation and remote systems.
The first graduating class is small, with only three students, but the completion of the initial program establishes a foundation that could expand as demand grows.
The partnership also gives students access to training connected to a rapidly changing part of the aviation industry.
Unmanned Aviation Continues to Grow
Drone technology has moved quickly from a consumer product into a tool used by businesses, governments and public-safety agencies.
As those applications become more advanced, employers may increasingly need operators with formal training in safety and aviation standards.
Texas is particularly well positioned for those applications because of its large agriculture, energy, construction and infrastructure industries.
The first graduates from Texas A&M-RELLIS are entering that field as unmanned aircraft become more common across those sectors.
For a location where generations of pilots once learned to fly military aircraft, the new program represents a different kind of aviation training — one built around aircraft that may not have a pilot sitting inside them at all.
Sources: Texas A&M University System, “Aviation Training Enters New Era at Texas A&M-RELLIS,” published Aug. 20, 2026.