Table of Contents
- Event Location
- Date & Schedule
- Program Coordinators
- Facility Rules
- Challenge
- Participating Schools
- Judges
Event Location
Joint Base Andrews
Prince George’s County, Maryland
The main gate is off of the Beltway (95/495), exit 9.
Challenge Date
The Air Challenge at the Patriots Air Summit will be held on Wednesday, March 5th, 2025 (new)
Time – Challenge Day Event Schedule (TBD)
Student Arrival and Registration
Presentation of Posters to Judges
Presentation of Research to Judges
Mission Flight(s) of Drone
Closing – Remarks, recognition & awards
Regional Coordinator
Thurman Jones
Patriots Technology Training Center
Central Coordinator
The Pennsylvania State University
Electro-Optics Center
222 Northpointe Boulevard
Freeport, PA 16229
Sea Air Land Group
Facility Rules
Conduct detrimental to the public interest or abuse of the building and grounds under any circumstances is expressly prohibited. The building, grounds, equipment and restrooms shall be left in a clean, orderly condition. Failure to do so may result in fees (as determined by the Owners) being assessed. No smoking is allowed in any building and no alcoholic beverages are permitted on the grounds.
Air Challenge:
There is a tremendous variety of careers in aviation, including those related to manned and unmanned aeronautical and astronautical programs, vehicles and uses. The purpose, education, training, skill sets and day-to-day operations vary greatly, providing a wealth of career opportunities in both civilian and military settings.
In the Challenge’s drone flying mission, students will learn about the use of drone flight for sensing radiation. For situations such as this, using sensors that will recognize differences in radiation concentration can increase the safety for the responders and civilians. Without a fully developed UAV, equipped with radiation detection equipment, first responders would have no indication as to whether the wreckage site is safe. This Air Challenge explores using sensors that could one day be used on UAVs. UAVs may also be called UASs or unmanned aircraft systems.
In the scenario, a freight train has derailed in a very sparsely populated area of the Great Plains. Cars from the middle of the train are scattered widely. Some of these train cars were carrying irradiated materials and radioactive samples which were headed to a western laboratory for an experiment. While emergency crews prepare to travel to the site, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with radiation detection capabilities is being sent to survey the scene. The UAV will be used to survey the cars which were carrying the materials and samples, and which may now have damaged packaging. With cameras, sensors and automated image processing, the UAV will fly to the wreckage and determine if and where any radiative matter is uncontained. A live relay of this information will be sent to the first responders, allowing them to remain protected at a safe distance until the best method of response is determined. In this way they will know the location of any radiation danger zone(s) and can warn the emergency ground crews.
 |
Air Guidelines 2024-2025 |
Past Participating Schools
DuVal High School
Shebach! Christian Academy
Past Judges
Dr. Denise Baken (Colonel, retired) – DTRA
SGT Akirya Blair– DTRA Human Resources
LCDR Bryan Conrad – Coast Guard
SES Albert Curry Jr – Coast Guard
Cristina Dixon (retired USAF) – DTRA
SGT Candice Herbert – DTRA Human Resources
J. Brandon Hicks (active duty) – DTRA
Terry O. McMurry – DTRA
LaTracia Price (retired USAF) – DTRA
Justin Valenti – Penn State University, IIRM
LCDR Wiest – Coast Guard
James Zingaro –Engineer, retired