DAYTON, Ohio — Only one college in Ohio offers a bachelor's degree in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) — Sinclair Community College. The UAS program was established in 2008. The program teaches the in's and out's of drone flight technology along with other modern flight systems. 

What You Need To Know

  • Sinclair College is awarding its first UAS Business Plan Competition Grant

  • Second-year UAS student Greg Wirth is the winner

  • He will receive $25,000 for startup funds

  • The grant will be used for creation, growth, and support of his company Airborne Solutions of Ohio

Now the program is taking its next step in advancement, awarding the first winner of the UAS Business Plan Competition. 

“This is a party for Greg Wirth,” Sinclair College President Dr. Steven L. Johnson said. “We’re here to celebrate the success of Mr. Greg Wirth, winner of our inaugural Business Plan Competition.” 

Wirth is in his second year in the UAS program at Sinclair. He said his winning idea for a pilot staffing and support company will provide opportunities not just for him, his fellow Sinclair students, too. 

“I’m going to basically be a flight service operator,” Wirth said. “I’m going to provide support personnel for Sinclair’s UAS program as they need it. Then the company will expand out to other avenues.” 

Wirth admits he’s not the age you’d expect for a typical college student, but to him that’s the beauty of the program. 

“It attracts people who have inquisitive minds who wanna learn and take on an opportunity that’s never been done before,” Wirth said. 

Wirth is being awarded a $25,000 support package from Sinclair and the Entrepreneur’s Center at the Hub. The funding will help with the creation, growth and support of his company Airborne Solutions of Ohio.

“It’s the school awarding me to help them, and then in turn I’m going to be helping the school and the students. It’s kind of one big happy family,” Wirth said.  

Executive Director and Chief Scientist of Sinclair’s UAS program Andrew Shepherd said it was a clear choice to pick Wirth as the winner.

“He has a great heart about him,” Shepherd said. “He wants to help the other students get their resume and their work experience through this flight services kind of a company.” 

Wirth said the startup will employ as many Sinclair UAS trained pilots as possible making him excited to see what the future holds.

“In an area like Dayton, Ohio that’s an aviation community I don’t see anything other than an upside to this,” he said.  

For more on Sinclair’s UAS program, visit its website.