Expanding horizons: North Carolina aviation and aerospace companies are soaring in new directions, thanks to the state's workforce-training efforts, business opportunities and assets.

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Farming is hard work done at the mercy of Mother Nature. Technology, such as improved seeds and fertilizer, has eased the chore and added predictability. It's poised to offer more help, says Bobby Walston, director of the N.C. Department of Transportation's Division of Aviation. "The day is coming when a farmer can wake up and his drone will have flown over his fields and will state a report to him. So he can say, 'Oh, there's an infestation of deer,' or 'There's a problem with whatever,' and see where to remedy the situation. It's going to produce better information at a fraction of the cost."

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Drones--unmanned aerial vehicles --are gaining popularity because they deliver recreation, impressive aerial photos and, one day soon, your Google or Amazon.com order. Fairfax, Va.-based aerospace industry researcher Teal Group Corp. says worldwide drone production will surpass $90 billion within 10 years. That's because new uses, such as field flyovers, are discovered daily. "We're having a Wright Brothers moment in aviation right now," says Jeff Jennings, aviation department chairman at Lenoir Community College in Kinston. "There's still going to be a time to adjust. Even the Wright Brothers had to try at Kitty Hawk about four times before they could get it to work."

All growing industries face challenges, and drone makers are no exception. Theirs include manufacturing, marketing, piloting and conforming to Federal Aviation Administration regulations. "You hear about them landing in places they're not supposed to," Jennings says. "We're trying to figure out how to integrate drones into the airspace."

Last summer, representatives from community colleges statewide met at Lenoir's Aviation Center to discuss their solution: an unmanned aircraft systems associate degree. It was approved and will roll out in August. "We'll bring in students who want to be professional drone operators," Jennings says.

"They'll take traditional pilot courses and six brand new classes in unmanned systems. The teachers are all certified flight instructors, but, of course, there will be new regulations, and we'll have to adapt the new FAA rules into the drone classes." He says enrollment probably will include students who want the degree for fun and those who want it for their business such as commercial photography.

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"I saw [a drone] at a concert, going down the street, videoing everything [from above]," says Bobby Merritt, Lenoir Community Colleges director of workforce development and customized training. "Maybe they can start building them in Kinston. That would be great. We certainly have the facilities and the room, and the training already is in place."

With more than 180 aerospace manufacturing companies, 72 airports and a community-college system for no-cost workforce training, North Carolina offers the right conditions for soaring aviation and aerospace companies. They include industry giants such as Evendale, Ohio-based GE Aviation and Falls Church, Va.-based Northrop Grumman Corp. "And some are pursuing major expansions and manufacturing cutting-edge products in North Carolina," says Christopher Chung, CEO of Cary-based Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina Inc., the public-private effort that markets the state for business and tourism. Greensboro-based Honda Aircraft Co., for example, announced its twin-engine, corporate-sized Hondajet was FAA-certified in December. It already has 100 orders for the plane, which...