Crestline drone team wins big with skills course mastery
Special to the Enquirer
A team of enthusiastic third and fourth graders, aptly named The Flying Tigers, had a stellar performance, earning top honors at the AEROpalooza Aerial Drone Competition, held in Arab recently. The young aviators, representing Crestline Elementary, secured the Coding Award, which is presented to the team with the most effective and consistent use of coding techniques and programming design solutions used in the Autonomous Flight Mission, and were crowned the Skills Mission Champion, demonstrating both their programming prowess and piloting precision.
Competing against teams from across North Alabama, students Leyla Bawolek and Collier Figh showcased their ability to write autonomous flight code, enabling their drone to navigate obstacles without manual control. Judges praised their programming creativity and problem-solving abilities.
“These kids have improved with each competition they’ve attended,” said Debbie Lee, the team’s mentor. “It’s great to see their hard work pay off.” The skills course, a test of both manual and automated flight proficiency, required competitors to guide their drones through a series of obstacles with speed and accuracy. Student pilots Jack Hill, Miken Draper and Samuel Clemons executed flawless flights, besting even a high school team.
Team member Leyla Bawolek described the experience as “awesome and exciting,” adding, “We worked really hard on the code, and were happy to see it fly well.” The team’s achievement highlights the growing importance of STEM education, especially in fields like robotics and autonomous technology. With their latest victory, this remarkable team has proven that the sky is truly the limit.
