Imaginations Take Flight at Drone Invitational

The Stables program, which is housed at the Kentucky Horse Park, hosted families and students from several campuses to showcase aviation opportunities in Fayette County Public Schools and beyond.  

In a Drone Invitational, students tested their flight skills in a district-sponsored contest that required them to maximize coordination, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. The participants – mostly working in pairs – hailed from Dixie Magnet, Northern, and Wellington elementaries; Edythe J. Hayes and Leestown middle schools; and SCAPA at Bluegrass. 

“We have several schools that have drones and use drones, and we just wanted to give them the chance to have a competition and practice their skills,” said Christie Ping, a digital learning coach in the Office of Instructional Technology.  

The event’s combination of technology, aviation, and hands-on learning hopefully fueled students’ curiosity about careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. The Stables staff also wanted to make sure parents knew about the various uses of drones and career prospects for youngsters who lean into the wind.  

Several interactive resource stations were spread throughout the property:

• Air Force JROTC – Students from Bryan Station High shared the benefits of Air Force JROTC. Jackson Hatfield, a senior whose home address is zoned for Tates Creek High, attends Bryan Station instead because of this specialized program. In his career path, Jackson aims to be a pilot in the military, then study law, then go into politics. “If you’re interested in learning about aerospace or joining the military, we encourage you to join us,” he told the youngsters. 
• The Hub for Innovative Learning & Leadership (The HILL) – Nathan Hoskins, an FAA-licensed instructor, trains aspiring pilots at this FCPS career and technical education center for high school students. 
• Drone Flight School – Staff from this Frankfort-based business set up in the expansive horse arena, where they allowed students to test-fly their drones through an obstacle course.  
• Lexington Police – In the parking lot, police officers demonstrated their drone in flight. 
• Kentucky Department of Aviation – Jermaine Bibb Jr. brought along a kid-friendly flight simulator, which caught families’ attention. “There’s jobs in aviation outside of being a pilot. There’s different opportunities,” noted Bibb, who cited engineers, maintenance workers, and nurses as a few examples.