Ready for Takeoff: A Hands-On Drone Workshop

Ready for Takeoff is a full-day, hands-on drone workshop for beginners who want practical experience flying a drone. You’ll learn what to do beforehand, how to prepare for the flight, how to get a drone safely off the ground, and how to start building good flying habits.

We’ll cover basic flight information, drone care, and the checklist I use before putting a drone in the air. You’ll also learn what to consider before flying your own drone. This beginner drone workshop connects those steps to practical situations you may encounter in the field.

Participants will take turns flying and practicing basic maneuvers. While one person flies, the rest of the group will watch, discuss the flight, and learn from the experience. This approach makes observation an important part of the drone flight workshop. We may also have additional experienced pilots available to help during the day.

You do not need to own a drone to participate. I’ll provide a drone for the workshop. You’re welcome to bring your own drone, and we’ll do our best to work with it. However, equipment and software vary, so I can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to fly every participant’s drone.

This hands-on drone workshop is limited to 10 participants. The small group gives everyone an opportunity to participate while keeping the flying environment manageable.

Weather will play an important role in the day. If conditions aren’t appropriate for safe flying, we may need to move the workshop to another date. Anyone who registers must be willing to accommodate that possibility. Participants must also sign a waiver before flying.

The goal of this hands-on drone training isn’t to make you an accomplished drone pilot in one day. Instead, you’ll leave with a practical foundation. You’ll better understand your drone, how to prepare for a flight, how to use a checklist, and how to care for your equipment. Most importantly, you’ll have actual flying experience to help you continue developing your skills.