It’s easy to focus only on the final outcome of a project and forget just how much work goes into getting there. In a competition like UAS4STEM, teams spend months preparing their aircraft, refining their programming, practicing flight missions, and developing presentations long before they ever reach the competition stage.
That’s what makes the UAS4STEM Preliminary Competition such an exciting milestone each year. The Preliminary Competition gives teams the opportunity to showcase everything they’ve accomplished throughout the season while allowing judges and the AMA Education Team to recognize the hard work, creativity, and dedication each team has demonstrated along the way.
This year, 26 teams participated in the 2026 UAS4STEM Preliminary Competition across both the Beginner and Advanced Divisions.
16 teams competed in the Beginner Division, while 10 teams competed in the Advanced Division.
Please note that all teams listed below are organized in alphabetical order and are not listed by placement within the competition.
The teams that participated in the Beginner Division are:
1430 Guide-Ons (Herndon, VA)
1430 Knights (Oakton, VA)
Airborne Vergence (Rockville, CT)
Carolina Reapers (Newland, NC)
Drones2Mars (Edwardsville, IL)
First Flight HS (Kill Devil Hills, NC)
Fly Guys (Newland, NC)
Frisco Sky Flyers (Frisco, TX)
Nequa Valley Blue (Naperville, IL)
Nequa Valley Gold (Naperville, IL)
Omega Flights (Spindale, NC)
Redstone Bravo (Huntsville, AL)
TLASCA (Edwards, CO)
TLAVCHS (Eagle, CO)
VCA (Edwards, CO)
West Side Dogs (Costa Mesa, CA)
The teams that participated in the Advanced Division are:
55 Knights (Brambleton, VA)
AeroDactyls (Deerfield, IL)
Hardin Valley AeroHawks (Knoxville, TN)
Red Stone Alpha (Huntsville, AL)
Scio Flyers (Dexter, MI)
Skyward Eagles (Apex, NC)
Some Assembly Required (Mount Airy, MD)
St. Mary’s CAP (Lexington Park, MD)
The Flying Nuggets (Decatur, GA)
YHS Corntographers (Yorktown Heights, NY)
The top-scoring teams from each division have earned invitations to compete at the UAS4STEM International Finals, which will take place during EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. As a reminder, the qualifying teams below are also listed alphabetically and not by placement.
The teams invited to compete in the Beginner Division Finals are:
The teams invited to compete in the Advanced Division Finals are:
1430 Guide-Ons
1430 Knights
Drones2Mars
Nequa Valley Blue
Nequa Valley Gold
Redstone Bravo
55 Knights
AeroDactyls
Scio Flyers
Skyward Eagles
Some Assembly Required
St. Mary’s Civil Air Patrol
We would like to recognize and congratulate the teams that participated in the Preliminary Competition but will not be advancing to Finals this season. Every team demonstrated an incredible amount of effort, teamwork, and innovation throughout the competition process. From flight preparation to FRR development, each team should be proud of what they accomplished this year.
We encourage all UAS4STEM participants to continue building their skills and pursuing new opportunities in aviation and STEM—whether that means preparing for Finals at AirVenture, returning for the 2027 competition season, or continuing their own aviation journeys in new and exciting ways.
We would also like to take a moment to thank our guest judges for this year’s UAS4STEM Preliminary Competition: Jeffrey Ward, Greg Schulz, Larry Erbach, Jim Tiller, Senthil Velayutham, Shalyn Drake, Aliyah Pandolfi, James Fogal, Kenny Cassidy, Matthew Clark, Doug Cronkhite, David Reynolds, JC Zankl, Ron Gendron, Angie Martin, James Brough, Jeffry Handal, Eddie Puckett Jr., Donald Shugard, and Lynn Garnand.
The 2026 UAS4STEM International Finals will be held from Monday, July 20 through Wednesday, July 22 at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
If you have any questions regarding the UAS4STEM Competition, please contact the AMA Education Team at AMAUAS4STEM@modelaircraft.org. We are always happy to help.
Next stop: AirVenture! Here’s hoping for smooth flights and clear skies ahead!
