Last Update September 26, 2024
What is the Aerial Drone Competition?
Supported by the REC Foundation, the Aerial Drone Competition offers an exciting educational drone sporting event that focuses on hands-on, student-centered learning.
Teams learn about drones, flight principles, programming, documentation, and communication skills while expanding their understanding of and building interest in drone-related workforce and career opportunities.
Teams compete in four missions: Teamwork, Piloting, Autonomous Flight, and Communications.
Season Timeline
April 2024: Mission 2025 season opens for team registration
September 10, 2024: Mission 2025 competition rules released
October 2024 - March 2025: Local qualifying events
December 13, 2024: Deadline for team registration
April 2025 - June 2025: Regional Championships
Teams
What are the age requirements?
The Aerial Drone Competition is recommended for students ages 10 - 18. For additional details on age requirements, please refer to the Competition Manual.
How many students are on a team?
We recommend 3-5 students per team. Each team needs one drone.
A school or organization can register multiple teams to accommodate student interest. Each school/organization registers a base number, such as 1234, and each team within that base number has a letter, such as 1234A, 1234B, etc. A base number can support up to 22 teams from a single organization.
How much time do teams need to practice?
This can vary from program to program based on resources and age of the students. A typical team will practice 2-4 hours per week after school.
How do I register a team and how much does it cost?
Visit RobotEvents.com to register. The cost is $175 USD per team for the 2024-2025 season.
A school or organization can register multiple teams to accommodate student interest. Each school/organization registers a base number, such as 1234, and each team within that base number has a letter, such as 1234A, 1234B, etc. A base number can support up to 22 teams from a single organization.
Step by step instructions on registering a team(s) can be found in our REC Library.
Are there teams/events in my area?
Aerial Drone Competition is the fastest growing program at the REC Foundation. We encourage you to check RobotEvents.com for the latest events. As this season gets underway, new teams and events will continue to be added. Please reach out to your Regional Support Manager (RSM) to discuss development in your area.
Is there someone to help me get started?
YES! Your Regional Support Manager (RSM) will provide support and share resources to guide you and your team to be successful.
Equipment
What equipment do I need to compete in the Aerial Drone Competition?
A drone, controller, a computer for programming, and spare parts (batteries, motors, propellers).
What drones are legal for competition?
For the 2024-2025 Season, there are 3 legal drones: CoDrone EDU, CoDrone EDU (JROTC Edition), and Parrot Mambo.
Note: The JROTC edition was created to meet funding requirements for the JROTC programs. It’s the same drone as the CoDrone EDU, but with specific components sourced from different manufacturers to meet those requirements.
Where do I order drones?
We recommend you purchase drones from Robolink.
How do I troubleshoot when my CoDrone EDU or controller isn’t working properly?
Solutions to the most common problems can be found at Robolink Website Help Page.
What equipment do I need to set up a competition field?
There are two types of competition fields and each has a different layout: Piloting Teamwork Mission Field and Skills Mission Field.
You will need
- Field Element Kit(s) - $1000 USD (reused every year)
- Game Element Kit - $350 USD (changes each season)
- PVC Piping - approximately - $200 USD (most is reused every year)
What is included in the Field Element Kit?
Each Field Element Kit has enough hardware to set up 1 Teamwork Mission Field or 1 Skills Mission Field. If you want to set up both at the same time, you will need 2 Field Element Kits.
- 3 Sets of Arch Gate Hardware
- 5 Fabric Arch Gates (2 Red, 2 Blue, 1 Screen)
- 2 Keyhole Gates (1 Yellow, 1 Green)
- 2 Landing Pads (1 Red, 1 Blue)
- 2 Small Cubes (1 Red, 1 Blue)
- 2 Large Cubes (1 Red, 1 Blue)
What is included in the Game Element Kit?
The Game Element Kit for Mission 2025 includes pieces for both the Teamwork Field and the Skills Field Layout.
For the Teamwork Field Layout you will use:
- 7 Drop Zones
- 7 Bean Bags
- 10 Balls
For the Skills Field Layout you will use:
- 2 Solid Panels and Brackets
- 1 Fly Through Panel
- 3 Programming Mats
- 3 Color Mats
Note: Each Game Element Kit has enough pieces to set up 1 Teamwork Mission Field and 1 Skills Missions Field.
Where do I purchase competition and game elements?
You can purchase competition and game elements from Drone Competition Gates.
Does the field and game change each year?
The competition elements (Arch Gates, Keyhole Gates, and Landing Pads) will be used every year. Each year we will reveal a new mission that will include different game elements; therefore, new game elements will need to be purchased each year by the team/organization.
I'm on a limited budget, do I need to purchase a field and game elements to compete?
While it is helpful to have a field and game element to practice with, it is not necessary! Many of our new teams start off by using pool noodles, hula hoops and boxes. Approximate measurements of the field elements can be found in the Competition Manual.
Competitions
Where can I read the rules for this year’s competition?
The Competition Manual can be found on the REC Foundation Aerial Drone Competition Webpage.
What is a competition like?
Students participate in 4 missions at an Aerial Drone Competition:
- Teamwork Mission: Two drone teams compete as an Alliance in 90-second matches, working collaboratively to score points on a field approximately 20’x20’.
- Autonomous Flight Skills Mission: A drone is programmed by students to operate entirely autonomously earning points to complete as tasks. Each team will be given the opportunity to have 2 five minute sessions at the field to complete up to three Autonomous Flight Skills Mission runs each session.
- Piloting Skills Mission: A drone is piloted by students to fly through an obstacle course. Teams compete alone to score as many points as possible by flight through, under and around obstacles. Each Mission is 60 seconds and teams will have 2 opportunities at each competition.
- Communications Mission: During the Communications Mission, teams will interview with judges to answer questions about their team, drone, programming, and competition logbook documentation.
Competitions typically take place on Saturdays and run from approximately 8am - 4pm.
What is the cost to attend competitions?
Once your team is registered with the REC Foundation, the fee to attend a local competition varies by state and region. Registration fees for a competition typically range from $50 - $100 USD per team. Championship registrations fees are typically higher. Please visit RobotEvents.com to determine the cost of each event in your region.
Where can I find a competition?
Visit RobotEvents.com to search for Aerial Drone Competitions near you. Don’t see an event near you? Consider being an event host! We’ll train and support you all along the way.
Championships
When/where are the Aerial Drone Competition Regional Championships?
Each region will have a Regional Championship for Middle School teams and a Regional Championship for High School Teams. Plans are being made for the Mission 2025 Championships and will be announced in the fall of 2024.
Which Regional Championship can I attend?
Teams in the US and Canada are assigned to regions and will be invited to the Regional Championship of their assigned region as shown on the map below. For teams outside the US or Canada, please reach out to our international Regional Support Manager for more details.
How do we earn a spot at a Regional Championship?
Teams that earn selected awards at local qualifying events will be invited to their Regional Championship. The number of teams and invitations issued depends on factors including:
- # of Registered Teams
- # of Events in a Region
- Size of Regional Championship
More details can be found in the Qualifying Criteria.
More Information
Where can I find more information?
Check out the REC Library for additional documentation for teams, event partners, judges, and volunteers.
How can I learn more?
Contact your Regional Support Manager or email drones@recf.org.