About this competition
The Aerial Drone Competition runs small quadcopters through a netted arena in head-to-head matches that combine piloted flying, autonomous flight missions, and a communication or design component. It is run by the REC Foundation, the same organization behind VEX Robotics, so the tournament structure and judging will feel familiar to anyone who has done VEX or FIRST.
Cost is the headline advantage. A competition-legal drone and controller run a few hundred dollars rather than the thousands a rocketry or FRC program demands, the arena fits in a gym, and there is no launch field or flight waiver to arrange. Practice happens indoors, year round, after school.
It is the best on-ramp for a middle schooler drawn to flight. The autonomous portion also introduces real flight programming, which is the skill that carries forward into drone engineering and avionics.
Season & deadlines
Team registration opens in the spring for a season that runs fall through spring, ending in a championship event.
Season window: August through April.
Cost
$400–$1,500 — Team registration plus drone, controller, and spare parts. Expect to replace propellers and the occasional airframe — budget for crashes.
Prizes & outcomes
Tournament and championship placings, Excellence and design awards
Getting a drone team off the ground?
Aerospace & Rocketry Engineering is forming the next pilot cohort. Join the interest list — no commitment, no payment, we'll reach out personally.