 | Aerial Drone Championship Brings 60 High School
Teams to Frisco, Texas
Student drone pilots from across the South Central United States will compete in two days of
high-speed aerial challenges, precision flight missions, and STEM competition.
WHAT
Sixty high school teams from across the United States will compete in the South Central Aerial Drone
Championship, a fast-paced STEM competition where students pilot drones through precision flight
courses and mission-based challenges.
The event marks the culmination of the Aerial Drone Competition Mission 2026: Time Warp season for
top teams across the South Central region.
• Teamwork mission – Two alliances work together to score as many points as possible on the
teamwork field.
• Autonomous flight skills mission – Teams demonstrate autonomous drone programming on the
skills field.
• Piloting skills mission – Teams showcase precision piloting while navigating the competition field.
• Communications mission – Competition logbook and team interviews evaluated by certified judges.
WHEN
Tuesday, April 7 – Wednesday, April 8, 2026. Opening ceremonies begin at 9:00 AM on Tuesday
followed by qualification flights throughout the day. Wednesday features final qualification flights,
championship elimination rounds, and an awards ceremony at approximately 4:00 PM.
WHO
North Texas high school teams from Dallas, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Fort Worth, and Grand Prairie will
compete alongside visiting teams traveling from across the United States, including New Mexico,
Oklahoma, Louisiana, Kansas, and Arkansas.
The event will bring together student drone pilots, coaches, educators, and STEM mentors from
across the region to showcase innovation, teamwork, and technical skill.
WHY
The Aerial Drone Competition, presented by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
(RECF), provides students with hands-on experience developing critical STEM skills including drone
piloting, programming, engineering design, and problem-solving.
|
