Lisa Marie Payne
UTICA, NY – CNY Drones, in cooperation with the SUNY Academy of Model Aeronautics Student Club, SUNY Fabrication Club, SUNY Baja Club, SUNY IEEE Club and SUNY 3D Printing & Design Club, present DroneFest, Saturday evening, September 28, 2019 at SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Wildcat Field. The event combines two annual events, the 4th annual Drone Info Day and the 3rd annual NEON Night Race, for a celebration of all facets of drone interest. At 5:00 pm, the public is invited into an interactive display area in the Wildcat Field House Lobby. FARM-i-GEDDON, the 2020 Team Drone Challenge, an indoor competition for ages 12 and up, will be highlighted along with drone exhibits, activities and invited guest and club displays. The NEON Night drone race is presented as a MultiGP Racing event, with invited racers attending from across New York and beyond. Racing begins at 7:00 pm. Admission to DroneFest is free. Small donations are suggested for certain activities that benefit participating student clubs.
SUNY student clubs work closely with CNY Drones to host annual STEM events starting in September with DroneFest as a season kick-off and wrapping up with the Team Drone Challenge Northeast Competition Day in April. Students who stay in the area over the summer, assist with CNY Drones programs and help design field elements for the annual competition. For the first time, FARM-i-GEDDON’s Northeast Competition Day will include two divisions, middle/high school and a new college/adult level. For three years, SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s engineering clubs have helped give young students opportunities to participate in reasonably-priced activities that tie into New York’s growing drone industry. DroneFest will be followed by monthly Tech Meets and indoor races to further connect college age engineering students with their younger counterparts.
CNY Drones provides student and adult access to drone technology through an information hub and year-round events. CNY Drones is a volunteer run, community-based, not-for-profit under the fiscal agency of the Griffiss Institute. For more information, visit www.CNYDrones.org or email: CNYDrones@gmail.com.