Full Sail Stories
Published Apr 08, 2026
Students Explore Drone Technology at Full Sail’s Flight Fest
The Drone Innovation Center hosted a hands-on event combining competition, collaboration, and real-world learning for students of all ages.
Flight Fest at Full Sail University gave students a hands-on look at how drone technology connects across multiple disciplines in the all-new Drone Innovation Center. Open to Full Sail students and local K–12 visitors, the event combined a pre-event creative challenge with an on-campus experience, bringing together learners from programs like Computer Science, Film, and Graphic Design alongside younger students exploring future opportunities.
As Program Director Dr. Rebecca Leis explained, the event was “open to all students” and was structured in two main parts. Leading up to the event, students participated in a creative challenge where they were grouped into teams and assigned to fictional drone companies.
“They are challenged to work essentially for several fictitious drone companies,” Rebecca explained, each with a different focus, such as research, racing, or entertainment. Teams developed a cohesive concept, including visual identity elements like logos and technical or simulated components depending on their skill sets. Collaboration was central to the process, with students working together to “come together as a team… and present it as parts to a whole.”
On the day of Flight Fest, the Drone Innovation Center transformed into an interactive hub. Students started on drone flight simulators across 11 stations before advancing to flying physical drones in a controlled airspace. Workshops added another layer to the experience, including sessions on capturing and editing drone footage.
Flight Fest also featured sessions focused on building a drone company, along with showcases of student work. Projects from the pre-event challenge were displayed for attendees to explore and were formally presented to judges. Throughout the day, the focus remained on giving students opportunities to engage, experiment, and connect their skills to real-world applications.
The event served as both a creative showcase and a practical learning experience, reinforcing the importance of collaboration while highlighting the growing role of drone technology across industries.
