The Hisatsinom Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society will offer a free drone mapping class this week, paving the way for drone enthusiasts to learn the basics of the drone and processing data for creating maps.

The class is ideal for people who have a drone and will help students understand the drone’s working parts. It will also instruct students on how to process data and create maps for land documentation.

The class will be held Thursday and Friday at 5 p.m. for an hour each at Mitchell Springs Ruin Group, 7755 Road 25, just south of Cortez. People should park and meet the group at the red barn.

“There has been an explosion of drone sales over the last 10 years and many owners only know how to use a few of the features that affordable drones come equipped with,” archaeologist Dave Dove said. “This class will be more of a demonstration than a college-level course but it will take the student through the basics of the drone.”

The class is taught by Dr. Steven DiNaso, a professor at Indiana State University, who creates high resolution 3D topographical maps using photogrammetry with drones. It will use the software package Drone Depoy, which works with many different drone platforms. The operators can preplan the flight to make the drone automated and permit the operator to create maps even with little to moderate vegetation.

The last session will be held on Zoom for when Professor DiNaso returns home and will go over the data acquired to create high resolution topographic and site maps.

Dove said that the students will fly their drones to map a “prehistoric 30-room pueblo (circa 900-1230) that is under excavation” that is about 200 feet by 140 feet.

Students will create maps using the data during the final class and a 3D model will be produced at the Beckman Institute.

For questions or to sign up for the class, contact Dave Dove at davidmdove@msn.com.