Middle and high school teams from across the Panhandle fly drones at the MLK Jr. Recreation Center on Nov. 16. Team registration runs Nov. 3 to 13 and is free.
Middle and high school students from across the Florida Panhandle will fly drones against each other at Panama City’s MLK Jr. Recreation Center on Monday, Nov. 16, in the Northwest Florida Aerial Drone Competition.
Teams will compete in drone piloting, autonomous flight and teamwork challenges from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Central time, with an awards ceremony at about 2:30 p.m., Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University said in an invitation to Panama City Daily.
The event is a partnership between Embry-Riddle, Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, the Panhandle Area Educational Consortium (PAEC), Florida State University and the City of Panama City Parks, Culture and Recreation Department, the university said.
“This event will bring middle and high school students from across the Florida Panhandle together to compete in drone piloting, autonomous flight, and teamwork challenges,” the university’s Gaetz Aerospace Career Academy said. It called the day “a great opportunity to capture students in action, interview young innovators and their teachers, and highlight the partnerships bringing hands-on STEM opportunities to Northwest Florida.”
What the teams will fly
The organizers released a preview of this season’s course, called Fast Track, from the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF), which runs the Aerial Drone Competition.
Each team is judged on four elements, according to the event flyer:
- a solo piloting mission
- a solo autonomous mission
- an alliance mission
- a communications mission interview with judges
The event listing on RECF’s site names seven awards: All Around Champion, Teamwork Mission Champion, Skills Missions Champion, Communications Mission Champion, the Coding Award, the Airmanship Award and the Judges Award. Judging follows RECF’s current Aerial Drone Competition judge guide, and every team can get a communications interview during the day, the listing says.
The day
The tentative agenda on the event listing, which notes times may shift on the day:
- 8:30 a.m.: check-in and inspection open; solo and autonomous missions start
- 9 a.m.: qualification matches begin
- Noon: 45-minute lunch break
- 12:45 p.m.: all matches resume
- 1:15 p.m.: alliance selection and elimination matches
- 2:30 p.m.: awards and dismissal
For teams: how to register
The competition is an invitational, open to teams invited by PAEC and Embry-Riddle, with room for 30 teams, the listing says. Registration runs Nov. 3 to 13 on the RECF Events site. The event itself is free; teams pay only their usual RECF team registration fees. Bryson Potts of Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division is the contact for registration and questions.
The flyer’s checklist for teams:
- Logbooks go to PAEC by Nov. 11, and teams bring hard copies to the interview on the day.
- Participant release forms must be completed and handed in at check-in.
- Bring CoDrones, batteries, laptops, chargers, release forms, team names, safety glasses, hair ties, and food or money for food onsite.
- Students are dropped off at the recreation center entrance. Buses park in designated parking across the road; the listing says free parking is available onsite for teams.
Food at the rec center
Teams can buy food at Pressed at the Rec, the restaurant at the center. The organizers ask teams to order soon after arriving, and ideally to prepare their order list before they come, so the kitchen can plan. The city publishes the full menu.
The concession board in the flyer lists hot dogs at $3.75, chili cheese dogs at $5.75, nachos and cheese at $5, popcorn at $3, and chicken tenders and fries at $8.
The MLK Jr. Recreation Center is at 705 E. 14th Ct., Panama City. The nearest hospital is Ascension Sacred Heart Bay on North Bonita Avenue, the listing says, and each team must have adult supervision at all times.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Northwest Florida Aerial Drone Competition?
Monday, Nov. 16, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Central time at the MLK Jr. Recreation Center, 705 E. 14th Ct., Panama City. Awards are at about 2:30 p.m.
Who can enter the drone competition?
Middle and high school teams. The event is an invitational open to teams invited by PAEC and Embry-Riddle, with room for 30 teams. Registration runs Nov. 3 to 13 on the RECF Events site and the event is free.
What do drone teams need to bring?
CoDrones, batteries, laptops, chargers, participant release forms, team names, safety glasses, hair ties, and food or money for food onsite, according to the organizers’ flyer.
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