APPLE VALLEY, Minn. — A pair of Twin Cities high schools took to the air to compete in the first ever Minnesota state high school drone racing tournament. Apple Valley High School began a ‘Drone’ elective this spring, where students would learn how to build, modify and fly drones competitively. St. Louis Park High School started to teach FPV drone science in its Engineering 3 class this spring. The students in each class have become skilled at building and piloting ‘Whoop Quadcopters’ indoors.
Both of the schools are at the forefront for competitive high school drone racing in the state of Minnesota. The event took place on May 18, students put their flying skills to the test as they had to navigate obstacles around the Apple Valley library. From racing against teammates, to even racing against certified Drone League racers, the students were tested to see who the fastest school in flight is in the Twin Cities.
Chris Spangler, the 2019 Swatch Drone Racing League Simulator Champion, who can be seen racing on NBC this summer as part of the DRL Season 4, has been spending his free time teaching drone racing techniques to the students. Hear how the high school drone racing community is taking off in the Twin Cities.