Drone zone: Clinton students take flight in competitive racing club
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Luke Amos, a member of the Clinton Blaze drone team, concentrates on his drone’s takeoff during a recent competition against Philadelphia Elementary School. The event was held at Clinton Elementary School. - Tony Cox
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Members of the Blaze Drone Team were interviewed by the Blaze Media Crew during the April 28 drone racing competition. - Tony Cox
While some race on foot and others in cars, still others program and control drones that race through the air.
Meet the Blaze Drone Club, a group of students in Clinton City Schools’ elementary schools.
They’ve so far raced physical drones against each other and against students from Philadelphia Elementary School in Loudon County.
Using a simulator, they’ve virtually raced against many other teams across the country, including some high schoolers.
Coach Kimberly Odell said there are many reasons why students like to race drones. Some just find it exciting.
“Things that go fast are just fun,” she said.
Another racer, however, looked forward to having a career working with drones like her father, Odell said.
Others like that the program gives them certification from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Odell also said it’s a sport everyone can do — even people with disabilities that prevent them from doing other kinds of competitions.
“As long as you can move your thumbs, you can play,” she said. The team also repairs its drones and takes care of them between races.
The team first formed last year and did some virtual races.
This year, however, was the first the school had competed physically against another one, with two meets against Philadelphia Elementary, one in Philadelphia and the other in Clinton.
She said with pride one student had gotten 28 on a virtual race leaderboard, which she said was “pretty good for her first year being a drone pilot.”
Students interested in the program can email her at odellk@clintonschools.org.
Odell said she’d like to get more people involved from other schools as well, to have more physical races.
“We hope to build the program so for us to build the program we have to get other schools on board,” she said.
“The simulator’s cool, but flying the actual drones in a live race seems to be what they enjoy most.”
