What does my team need to do for this competition?
What are the dates for the UAS4STEM competition?
What are the benefits of competing?
How much does it cost to participate?
Where will the competition be held?
What if your group has more than 10 students?
What ages are allowed to participate? Does the team have to be affiliated with a school?
Interested in contributing a sponsorship?
Ordering a Quadzilla Drone Kit?
Have any other questions?
What does my team need to do for this competition?
Your team will be challenged with a specific mission using a drone which varies depending on whether you choose the beginner, intermediate or advanced division. Your team will purchase the components, build a drone and learn to pilot it. Advanced division teams will also design and build a custom mechanism for the drone to complete the specific mission. You will need to learn how to program an autopilot system, so that the tasks can be performed autonomously when possible. Students will complete an online ground school that covers basics of flight, safety, the national airspace, and more. This competition requires students to be responsible for their learning by seeking out resources and skills in order to meet the challenge, with the guidance of an adult team manager.
For the virtual competition (taking place each spring), your team will have the opportunity to demonstrate their readiness to fly the mission. They will submit video of their aircraft performing the tasks they were able to achieve and deliver a Flight Readiness Review presentation live to our judges, following the guidelines in our rulebook.
Teams will also complete a brief challenge that showcases their ability to program the autopilot software and answer a few questions from the judges. Teams will be scored on their efforts, and the top-scoring teams in the intermediate and advanced divisions will be invited to compete in-person at our championship at the end of July to be held during AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the world’s largest aviation celebration.
What are the dates for the UAS4STEM competition?
Teams may begin meeting at any time.
Virtual meetings for team managers will be held on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 PM ET. These sessions are recorded for those unable to attend.
Registration for the 2026-2027 season opens September 1, 2026
Registration deadline is January 12, 2027
Roster completion deadline is January 19, 2027
Final registration payment is due March 10, 2027
Intermediate and Advanced Ground School completion deadline – April 1, 2027
The Intermediate and Advanced division virtual preliminary competition will be held April 14-April 28. Each team will book a 50-minute time slot during that window.
Beginner Ground School completion deadline – May 1, 2027
The Beginner division virtual competition will be held May 12-26. Each team will book a 50-minute time slot during that window.
Ground School Re‑Check for Intermediate and Advanced Championship Competition – July 1, 2027
Top-scoring teams will be invited to the in-person championship competition held July 26-28, 2027 at AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
If you have questions, contact us at education@modelaircraft.org.
What are the benefits of competing?
Participation provides students with technical skills in the area of uncrewed air systems. Students also develop professional skills such as teamwork, communication, time management and critical thinking. Winning teams at the national level are presented with scholarship money, directly creating a pathway from this competition to education and a career in a STEM field. Competitors who responded to our most recent survey indicated that due to participating in UAS4STEM, they feel more prepared to succeed in science, technology, engineering and math. They also feel improved confidence along with a better capacity for teamwork, communication and leadership.
Beginner Division:
1st Place = $995 toward next season’s registration fee, trophy, individual medals, individual certificates
2nd Place = $895 toward next season’s registration fee, trophy, individual medals, individual certificates
3rd Place = $795 toward next season’s registration fee, trophy, individual medals, individual certificates
Advanced Division:
1st Place = $2,500, Skydio 2+ Pro drone, trophy, individual medals, individual certificates
2nd Place = $2,000, Skydio 2+ Pro drone, trophy, individual medals, individual certificates
3rd Place = $1,500, trophy, individual medals, individual certificates
Intermediate Division:
1st Place = $1,250, Skydio 2+ Pro drone, trophy, individual medals, individual certificates
2nd Place = $1,000, trophy, individual medals, individual certificates
3rd Place = $750, trophy, individual medals, individual certificates
Dewey O. Brogerg Jr. Award = $500, awarded by judges to one student competing at the championship
All students:
individual certificates
How much does it cost to participate?
Get started for a down payment of just $299! Full registration for a Beginner Division team is $995.00, while Intermediate and Advanced Division teams are $1,495.00. Remaining balances beyond the initial down payment are due by March 10. Additional teams registered under the same team manager receive a 50% discount, reducing registration fees to $497.50 for additional Beginner teams and $747.50 for additional Intermediate or Advanced teams. International teams are $1,695.00. The price difference for international teams is due to the additional cost of connecting affiliate memberships between AMA and the organizations representing model aircraft pilots in other countries.
The registration fee covers:
- entry costs for virtual and championship competition (if applicable)
- AMA membership for up to 10 student team members, the designated lead team manager and additional adult assistant team manager
- credentials to access the UAS4STEM virtual ground school for all team members
- EAA membership for the designated lead team manager
The registration fee does not include:
- the cost of sUAS equipment, which is purchased separately based on the component specification list provided upon registration. Components vary in price by manufacturer. A bundle of competition-compliant components is available for purchase external vendors such as Quadzilla and Ready Made RC. Teams will also need to supply a laptop to serve as the ground station and have access to hand tools including a soldering iron.
- The registration fee does not cover certain expenses for the championship competition. Teams advancing (by invitation) to the in-person championship are responsible for travel costs to AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI. Admission and campsites for AirVenture are provided by our partner, the Experimental Aircraft Association, at no cost for teams and up to 5 accompanying adults.
Camping equipment (or alternative lodging arrangements), meals and other miscellaneous expenses are the responsibility of each individual team.
Where will the competitions be held?
The Beginner division competition is virtual, and so is the preliminary competition for the Intermediate and Advanced divisions. Your team will join our judges live from the location of your choice!
The championship competition (by invitation, top-scoring teams) will be held at AirVenture! Hosted by the Experimental Aircraft Association at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, AirVenture is known as “The World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” and has it all when it comes to aircraft.
What if your group has more than 10 students?
Each UAS4STEM team has a maximum of 10 student team members, in order to allow each participant the opportunity to have a role that contributes to the success of the team. Schools or clubs may register multiple teams, at a discounted rate, to accommodate all of the students who wish to participate.
What ages are allowed to participate? Does the team have to be affiliated with a school?
The UAS4STEM competition is targeted to students age 11-19, with the support of an adult mentor who manages the team. An additional adult may be designated as an assistant team manager.
We welcome teams from schools, neighborhoods, Civil Air Patrol squadrons, scouting groups, homeschool co-ops, community groups, and more.
This competition sounds GREAT! I would love to provide sponsorship.
We are actively seeking sponsors to allow more teams to participate, increase the amount of scholarship money given to the winning teams, and grow the program. UAS4STEM is an educational program of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, a nonprofit dedicated to the hobby of model aviation. You can learn more about sponsorship opportunities and benefits here.
Ordering a Quadzilla Drone Kit?
Quadzilla kits are bundled and shipped in monthly batches. Orders are collected at the end of each month, then processed and shipped as quickly as possible. Please plan ahead and allow for this lead time when preparing for your team’s build and flight activities.
Help! I have an important question that you didn’t answer here!
We are happy to assist! Drop us an email anytime: education@modelaircraft.org