Smithsonian Museum Day Live

Saturday, September 22, 2018

FREE ADMISSION!

Drone Rangers ($69 – $59 Members) Launch an adventure into multi-rotor flight accessible for the youngest aspiring drone aces!  Drone Rangers is designed for children ages 5-10 and includes a range of explorations into remotely operated vehicles.  Each 2.5-hour program includes:

• Introduction to robotic flight
• Examination of remotely pilot aircraft in Museum’s collection
• Hands-on experiments in vertical flight
• Introductory flight training using drone flight simulators
• Dual flight instruction and free flight in Drone Plex flight center
• Complete entry-level drone system including aircraft, radio, battery and charger

Each participant masters the basics of vertical flight with a simple hand-powered helicopter before learning to fly multi-rotor aircraft on the simulators and in the Drone Plex.  All participants will take home a working quadcopter and all support equipment required to fly it.  Aircraft used may vary between programs, but all models used in Drone Rangers are below the weight threshold for FAA certification. Children are checked in to instructional staff for the duration of each program.  Please complete a Student Information and Medical Form and have ready to provide directly to your child’s instructor at the time of check-in.  Parents are welcome to observe but need not be present during the program.

Nano Drone Workshop ($199 – $179 Members)

Micro-scale drone racing is the fastest, easiest way to become a drone sports pilot.  This special 2.5 hour program presented by Aerial Sports League and the Hiller Aviation Museum features a tiny but powerful quad-rotor helicopter with integrated camera and FPV googles, a screen system that provides a drone’s eye view of flight to the pilot at the controls.  Each program features:

• Introduction to drone operations
• Nano drone systems and flight preparation
• Flight training using drone flight simulators
• Progressive flight training in the Museum’s Drone Plex
• Complete FPV nano drone flight system, including aircraft, camera, radio, goggles and more

Students learn the basic by building their own micro-drone from scratch, with hands-on help and guidance from ASL’s professional pilot instructors.  Students then learn to fly, starting with basic hover-and-land skills to more advanced racing techniques.

Registration includes admission for the participant (minimum age 10) and one guest.  Pilots ages 10-14 must be accompanied by an adult.   All equipment needed to operate the nano drone including, battery and charging equipment, is included.

Join a Drone Competition!

Fly with the best of the best in a thrilling series of multirotor competitions.  Each Drone Meet event focuses on a different skill in quadcopter flight, and utilizes the Hiller Aviation Museum’s Drone Plex facility.  Drone Meet events include:

• Preflight briefing
• Practice with a drone flight simulator
• Competition using a Museum-provided Drone appropriate for the event

Each Drone Meet features rounds at 1, 2 and 3 PM.  Events are included with Museum admission, but space for each round is limited.  Competitors must register at the Invention Lab (10 AM – 1 PM) or Drone Plex (1 PM – 4 PM) on the day of competition.

Event Descriptions

Precision Landing:  Master low-speed hovering and precise multirotor flight.  Practice landing on a designated target, then complete by flying to and landing within the smallest possible distance from the target in the time available!

Loop-the-Hoop:  Take on the challenge of flying up to, around and through an obstacle!  Learn the maneuvering needed to pass safely through a target loop, then race the clock to cleanly fly a loop routine in the shortest possible time!

Relay Race:  Fly like the air racers of old, completing a circuit around pylons spaced around the Drone Plex.  Fly in teams to complete the race without crashing ahead of the competition!