UTICA, NY – Drone teams from Connecticut to Syracuse will compete in Rig Rescue, Central New York’s first low-cost, open Team Drone Challenge, Sunday, April 15, 2018 in the SUNY Polytechnic Institute Campus Center Gym. High school teams from West Haven Connecticut, Syracuse City Schools, Oneida City Schools, and Vernon Verona Central Schools will join local private groups, Team Tabor and Team RoboSpartans in a 9 element, oil platform themed competition on a 30 by 60-foot field. This year’s competition dispatches teams to navigate their drones through shark infested waters to help secure the facility and retrieve platform workers and data. Rig Rescue is part of CNY Drones’ efforts to promote STEM, provide awareness of drone technology educational and employment opportunities and build a safe flying recreational drone community.
Teams will begin practice at 8:00am on Sunday. The public is invited to view the free event starting with an opening ceremony at 10:15am. Flights will run throughout the day, ending with an awards ceremony at 4:45pm. In addition to drone flying, spectators will be treated to interactive STEM exhibits including a test flight zone, flight simulator zone, and an Experience FPV (First Person View) zone. The event is a community project, hosted by the SUNY Polytechnic Institute Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) University Model Aviation Student Club, the first drone club of its kind in New York State. The focus will be on a day of competing, learning, sharing, and networking with local drone enthusiasts, engineers, and educators.
For more information on Rig Rescue, go to www.CNYDrones.org or contact CNY Drones Administrator, Lisa Payne at 315-732-1001.
