Ehime campus repurposes abandoned schools to train drone pilots

Mugen no Sora Co., Ltd., a company specialising in drone pilot training using repurposed abandoned schools, open its first Ehime Prefecture branch this month. The new facility, Drone Campus Ehime no Sora, is located within Wakurie Niihama, a multi-purpose community hub created from a renovated elementary school in Niihama City. The school will produce professionals for the aviation industry from this regional exchange hub while supporting local infrastructure maintenance and disaster prevention efforts.

The school utilises the gymnasium of the former school building to provide a spacious and controlled environment for flight training. The curriculum focuses on the Second-class Unmanned Aircraft Pilot national qualification. To accommodate participants from across the region, the school offers an intensive two day training programme. While the school provides the training, it directs students to nearby accommodation facilities, encouraging economic flow within the local community. The programme trains pilots with the skills required for infrastructure inspections and disaster sites to contribute to regional safety and development.

The opening of the school also creates new local employment opportunities. Mugen no Sora is currently recruiting opening staff and instructors to be trained under their established educational system.

Mugen no Sora has a proven track record, having received the highest awards from the Japan UAS Industrial Development Association (JUIDA) for three consecutive years since 2021 and is the first school to be inducted into the JUIDA Hall of Fame.