Drone Engineers

Keep up with what's going on in the drone engineering field by reading publications such as Drones Monthly (https://www.dronesmonthly.com), Drones World (https://www.dronesworldmag.com), and DRONELIFE newsletter (https://dronelife.com).

If you know someone who owns a drone, ask if you can use it to learn how it operates. You can also buy your own small drone and study how it works. Better yet, try building your own basic drone. Ask your shop teacher for guidance and/or check out online tutorials for advice.

Get an internship or summer job with a company that has drone engineering services. This will give you the opportunity to work with people in the field and make connections that can be valuable for future employment. Get involved in a professional association for engineers and engineering students, such as the Technology Student Association (https://tsaweb.org). The TSA offers a Drone Challenge competition for high school students who must "design, build, assemble, document, and test fly an open-source unmanned aerial vehicle according to the stated annual theme/problem specifications." Participants also must create and present a documentation portfolio (which includes a photographic log, wiring schematics, and a description of the programming software that was utilized to design and build the drone), as well as participate in an interview (semifinalists only).

Participate in other competitions to hone your skills and meet others who share the same interests. Here are a few competitions to check out:

• The Drobots Company National Aerial Robotics League Drone Competition: https://drobotscompany.com/drone-stem-competition-grades-1-12-high-school-kids-teens
• Collegiate Drone Racing Association: https://cdra.net

Participate in information interviews and job-shadowing experiences with drone engineers to learn more about the field. Ask your school counselor and science or shop teacher for help setting up these experiences.