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To see the potential of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and the drone industry look no further than the morning session of the third annual ���ϲ����� Drone Day.

With approximately 175 attendees, vendors and volunteers looking on in Turner Theatre, on-site representatives from Frontier Precision collaborated with team members in Alaska and Washington to fly a drone in Colorado. Those in attendance watched as an autonomous drone launched, flew, and landed without support, all while streaming live video of its flight path.

“���ϲ����� Drone Day initially started as a way to help educate our campus partners, but it has become much more over the last three years,” said Senior Lecturer Randy Piland, who organizes the annual event. “I am excited that it has turned into a way to connect drone pilots, enthusiasts, industry professionals, as well as students, with what is happening in the industry. This year’s event was our biggest turnout ever, and we continue to see increased interest.”

Hosted at ���ϲ�����’s School of Communications, in partnership with NC AUVSI, the Nov. 3 program attracted recreational and commercial pilots, transportation and safety officials, educators, students and community members interested in unmanned aircraft systems. This year’s programming included presentations from industry professionals with Aloft, TruWeather Solutions and GeoOwl, discussing their products, services and industry trends. Session titles included “,” “” and “.”

Additionally, the event featured 20 different vendors on site, as well as an afternoon flight demonstration on South Campus. .

Piland said he was pleased to see interest on the high school level, with 33 students from Carver High School in Winston-Salem and 28 students from Hillside High School in Durham at the campus event. Both schools offer drone and aviation courses.

“It is great to have so many high school students in attendance because Drone Day is a conduit for them to learn more about drones, as well as expand on what they are being taught in their high school programs,” he said. “There is a lot of potential for them whether they decide to pursue a career in the drone industry or plan to fly drones recreationally.”

Piland thanked the vendors and supporters that provided giveaways to attendees, including N.C. State University, which generously raffled off a two-part Trusted Operator™ Drone Training course. Additionally, NC AUVSI provided financial support for coffee, pastries and lunch.

“We are thrilled to see this event grow in size and interest, but I’m also happy to see so many familiar faces come back to our event year after year,” Piland said. “I’ve heard from several people about how much they have enjoyed this year’s event and are already looking forward to next year’s.”

The fourth annual ���ϲ����� Drone Day is schedule for Friday, Nov. 1, 2024.