Setting Up Your Space for Safe Flight with VEX AIR

Flying the VEX AIR Drone indoors is a hands-on learning experience that requires clear roles, shared responsibility, and consistent safety habits. The guidelines in this article are designed to help teachers and students understand how to set up their indoor environment to support safe drone operations. When flying, all students and adults present are responsible for maintaining a safe space for flight.

Define a Flight Area

A safe, indoor flight environment should be established before any drone is powered on. This includes defining a well-lit, obstacle-free flight space for the drone to fly within. There should be enough room for takeoff, landing, and recovering the drone. Your flight area should be clearly marked and labeled, so that all students and adults present know where and when drone activity is taking place. 

Flight Area Boundaries

Establishing clearly marked boundaries for the flight area, pilot station(s), and buffer zones is the first step to a safe flight environment. The following guidelines are recommended for a flight area for up to two drones:

• A 3m (~10 ft) square flight area, marked on the floor.
  • Takeoff and landing zones should be on level surfaces within this space.
  • Use tape, cones, mats, or other visual markers to indicate the boundaries. 
  • Remove desks, chairs, or loose objects in or around the flight area in preparation for flying. (You can move classroom furniture to setup your flight area, then replace it when you are finished flying.)
• At least 2.5m (~8 ft) of clear vertical space in the flight area.
  • Remove any decorations or obstacles hanging from the ceiling in the flight area.
• Defined spaces around the flight area for pilots, co-pilots, and observers.
  • Pilot Station at least 0.3m (~1 ft) outside the flight area, marked on the floor.
    • One pilot station is needed per drone (up to 2 per flight area).
  • Buffer Zone of at least 1m (~3ft) around the flight area, marked on the floor.
    • All students and adults who are observers and are not actively piloting should be within or beyond the Buffer Zone during flight.

If you do not have the necessary space to safely operate the drone in your setting, you can explore other indoor areas of your school, like a gym, lab, or large room with movable furniture.

Flight Area Signage

Post visible signage in and around the flight area, so that everyone knows where and how to interact with the space.

• Label the flight area, pilot stations, and buffer zones. 
• Post procedural information and reminders outside the flight area, in view of the Pilot Station: 
  • The Maximum Z-Height the drones should be set to
  • Emergency Stop 
  • Roles and Responsibilities before, during, and after flight
• Put a sign on any entrances to the indoor space to show that drone activity is happening inside, and that people should wait to be let in when it is safe to do so.

Other Environment Considerations

Safe flight takes place in an environment that supports clear flight and focused pilots. Be sure that anyone in, or entering, the room or area where you are flying is aware that drone activity is taking place.

• Minimize distractions in the room.
  • Be sure that all students know what they are supposed to be doing throughout the flight session.
  • Keep voice levels low while flights are in progress.
• Keep doors closed and lights on.
  • Keep doors to the classroom or indoor area closed whenever possible.
  • Post signage on the door to alert anyone entering that drone flight is in progress. Make sure that students or adults in the space only let people enter when it is safe to do so.
  • Keep the flight area well-lit, and avoid glare or deep shadows.
• Remove anything that could interfere with drone movement within flight area.
  • Turn off or relocate any fans that are blowing into the flight area.
  • Close windows around the flight area.
• Set up a charging station.
  • Designate a location in your space where batteries and controllers can be charged. 
  • To learn more about the charging components in the VEX AIR Kit, see this article.
  • To learn more about battery charging best practices, see this article.
• Be aware of recording restrictions in your school.
  • Be sure that students are never using the drone cameras to record students, faculty, or school premises without proper permission. Any flight recording should be done in accordance with school privacy policies.

Establishing a safe environment for flight is an important first step to ensure student and teacher success with VEX AIR. To learn more about other classroom management considerations when teaching with VEX AIR, read this article.