Drone-Up! 2025: Calgary’s First Youth Drone Competition Takes Flight
On July 12–13, Calgary witnessed a groundbreaking event that soared beyond expectations. Drone-Up! 2025, hosted by Advanced UAV (AUAV), brought together over 100 students, hobbyists, audience members, and innovators from across the country for an unforgettable two-day competition centered around drone technology.
From adrenaline-pumping FPV (First-Person View) races to exciting autonomous flight missions, this event was a celebration of youth innovation, hands-on learning, and cutting-edge STEM education.
More than just a contest of technical skills, Drone-Up! was a launchpad for the next generation of engineers and developers, giving them direct, real-world exposure to one of the world’s fastest-growing technological fields. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement, quite literally — as buzzing rotors filled the air and teams pushed their limits in design, coding, and piloting.
The idea behind Drone-Up! was born from a powerful vision: to equip youth with real-world experience in drone technology — an industry transforming fields from agriculture to entertainment. Organized by Advanced UAV (AUAV), a Calgary-based tech company specializing in drone development, the competition aimed to make drone innovation accessible and inspiring for young people.
Students weren’t just flying drones — they were programming them, calibrating them, problem-solving on the fly, and working as teams to tackle real engineering challenges. AUAV designed the event to ignite curiosity in STEM while fostering critical thinking in high-pressure environments.
Participants included high schoolers, university students, and independent tech enthusiasts. While many came in with limited drone experience, all shared one thing in common: a strong drive to learn, build, and compete.
Drone-Up! featured two main competitive categories: Manual Flight and Autonomous Flight, with both a qualifier and final stage spread across the two days. Those who performed well in the qualifiers advanced to the finals for a shot at winning medals, prizes, and glory.
The Manual Flight category tested participants’ control, coordination, and reflexes as they navigated complex obstacle courses in real time. The tracks were designed to challenge pilots with intricate routes and sharp turns. Scoring was primarily based on the time taken to complete the course, with bonus points for precise landings and penalties for collisions or missed gates.
From breathtaking dives to razor-sharp turns, participants showed incredible dexterity and control. The result? Heart-pounding races that had both judges and spectators on the edge of their seats.
Autonomous Flight was where coding met creativity. Teams were given a map of the course and asked to write flight programs that could navigate the route without manual control. But there was a twist — some obstacle descriptions were intentionally vague, forcing participants to write conditional logic and use detection algorithms to adapt on the fly.
Points were awarded for coding efficiency, program runtime, and obstacle completion. With guidance from on-site technical mentors and plenty of trial-and-error, students demonstrated impressive problem-solving and algorithmic thinking. It was a showcase of how coding, hardware, and real-world engineering come together in the skies.
Drone-Up! wasn’t just a student competition — it was also a gathering place for industry leaders, academic experts, and policymakers.
The opening ceremony was attended by professors from the University of Toronto and Concordia University, as well as city councilors, provincial legislators, and the former Alberta Minister of Culture. Their speeches emphasized the importance of innovation, the power of youth engagement in tech, and the bright future of drone technology in Canada.
The finals were judged by Peter Jarmicks, CEO of AUAV, and the captain of Seagate Airlines, adding both entrepreneurial and aviation perspectives to the evaluation process. Several drone companies also attended to scout talent and demonstrate the latest hardware and software, creating real networking opportunities for the competitors.
The event saw several standout performances that left audiences in awe:
● In the FPV Flight category, Richard Li impressed everyone with his lightning-fast reflexes and technical skill, finishing with a time of just 25.7 seconds.
● In the Manual Flight category, Jasper breezed through the course flawlessly, with zero penalties and a record time of 42.5 seconds.
● In the Basic Autonomous Flight category, Martin topped the leaderboard with a clever program that leveraged sensor-based detection algorithms to navigate every obstacle.
● In the Advanced Autonomous Flight category, Ethan Hou delivered a near-perfect run using autonomous sensing and real-time navigation logic, earning top marks and audience applause.
Drone-Up! 2024 proved that when students are given real tools and real challenges, they don’t just meet expectations — they surpass them. Whether it was their first time flying or their tenth time coding, every participant walked away with new skills, new ideas, and new confidence.
As one student put it, “This isn’t just a competition. It’s a beginning.” For many, Drone-Up! was the first step toward a future in robotics, engineering, or computer science. The event also showcased the value of mentorship and community support — with guidance from university faculty, industry professionals, and dedicated volunteers, the learning didn’t stop at the competition.
Drone-Up! is just getting started. With overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants, guests, and partners, AUAV is already planning for Drone-Up! 2025 — with expanded categories, a larger venue, and even more opportunities for learning, innovation, and fun.
Whether you’re a student, teacher, parent, or drone enthusiast — now is the time to get involved. Help us elevate the next generation of drone pilots, engineers, and STEM leaders!