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-let, 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. Use floor tape, cones, mats, or other visual markers to indicate the boundaries. The following guidelines are recommended for a flight area for up to two drones.
- Recommended minimum size:
- 3m square (~10ft) for basic takeoff, landing, and straight-line flight
- 3.5 - 4.5m square (12 - 15ft) for coordinate-based or maneuvering activities
- Takeoff and landing zones are on level surfaces
- Ceiling height:
- At least 2.5 - 3m (8 - 10ft) of clear vertical space
- Clear of obstacles:
- No desks, chairs, or loose objects in or around the flight area
- No flying over people at any time
- Pilot station(s):
- One pilot station is needed per drone (up to 2 per flight area)
- At least 0.3m (1ft) away from the flight area
- Buffer zone around the flight area for all students and adults who are not actively piloting:
- At least 1m (3ft) on all sides of the flight area
Label the Flight Area
Post visible signage in and around the flight area, so that all who are in the flight space know where and how to interact with the space.
- Label the flight area, pilot stations, and buffer zones.
- Post the Maximum Z-Height the drones should be set to in the flight area.
- Put a sign on any entrances to the indoor space that drone activity is happening inside.
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.
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Keep doors closed
- 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.
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Remove anything that could interfere with drone movement within flight area
- Take down or relocate cords, banners, classroom decorations, or projectors that are hanging in the vertical space of the flight area.
- Turn off or relocate any fans that are blowing into the flight area.
- Close windows around the flight area.
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Keep the lights on
- Keep the flight area well-lit, and avoid glare or deep shadows.
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Minimize distractions in the room
- Be sure that all students know where/when they can interact with the locations in and around the flight area.
- Keep voice levels low while flights are in progress.
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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.
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Recording restrictions
- 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 to 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.