Mini-Challenge

In this mini challenge, students will put together everything they've learned so far to time themselves flying through all the yellow rings in a diamond shape. They should take turns completing their flight path at many times as time allows, so they can work to improve their time. This an ideal opportunity to discuss and reinforce the importance of practice when operating a drone. As you circulate throughout the room during the challenge, ask questions like:

• What do you need to work on to improve your flight time?
• What is the most difficult thing about flying in a diamond shape? How can you make it easier?
• Have you tried both headless and standard steering to see which one allows you to fly more quickly?
• How has your time improved over the course of the challenge? What is the reason for your improvement?

Remind students that they can always improve - there is no limit on their skill building, so continued practice is key. You may also want to remind students that acquiring new skills takes time - they are just beginning to learn to fly the drone, and they will get better and better at their own pace, as the course progresses.

Many professional pilots and training programs record simulator sessions in a flight log as “training time” because it documents practice, skills worked on, and readiness for real missions. While logging hours in a simulator is not necessarily required to become a professional drone pilot, many employers and insurance companies require simulator hours.