{"id":27865,"date":"2019-09-26T14:03:55","date_gmt":"2019-09-26T19:03:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/?p=27865"},"modified":"2019-09-26T14:03:55","modified_gmt":"2019-09-26T19:03:55","slug":"drone-club-at-apsu-ready-to-host-first-race-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.discoverclarksville.com\/articles\/2019\/09\/26\/drone-club-at-apsu-ready-to-host-first-race-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Drone Club at APSU ready to host First Race Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AustinClarksville, TN<\/strong> – The Drone Club at Austin Peay State University (APSU) is ready to follow up its inaugural racing season in which the team\u2019s top flyer qualified for the Collegiate Drone Racing Association national championships.<\/p>\n

\"Drone<\/a>

Drone Club at Austin Peay State University members Michael Hunter, left, and Rachael Perkins show off a racing drone and equipment during a recent event at APSU. (APSU)<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

The club will host its first practice race at 3:00pm Friday, September 27th, at Edith Pettus Park, 345 Farris Drive near the Clarksville campus.<\/p>\n

Anyone interested in drones and drone racing can come watch, including Austin Peay State University students interested in joining the club.<\/p>\n

Attendees will have a chance to fly some of the slower drones and watch a race through racing goggles, getting the drone\u2019s-eye view as it zips and dips<\/a> through the course.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe big thing right now is trying to grow the University racing club but then also having invitationals out in the community and with other colleges,\u201d said Michael Hunter, APSU Drone Club president. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to get people interested.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Drone<\/a>

Drone Club at Austin Peay State University’s Michael Hunter flies one of his racing drones through a racing gate. (APSU)<\/p><\/div>\n

Hunter represented Austin Peay State University in April when he qualified for the drone racing nationals at the University of North Dakota. He finished 22nd<\/sup> overall<\/a> at the competition.<\/p>\n

The club\u2019s racing season will start soon, as soon as the Collegiate Drone Racing Association releases its racetrack specifications.<\/p>\n

About the APSU Drone Club<\/h3>\n

The Drone Club has monthly races and meetings and co-hosts events with other clubs (such as an event September 20th with the GeoClub and design club AIGA). If you want to be a racer, dues are $25.00 each semester (to help cover the cost of drone crashes); if you just want to learn how to build and fly drones, dues are $20.00 for a full year.<\/p>\n

[320left]The biggest benefit of joining the club is you gain access to all the tools need to build drones.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead of spending $1,000 to get the equipment you\u2019ll need for the tools just to build one, pay the dues and you have access to all the equipment,\u201d Hunter said. \u201cIf you are interested in something like this, and you need help, that\u2019s what we\u2019re here for is for you to come in, and we can teach you hands-on how to build your drone, how to fly them, how to race them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Drone Club\u2019s next meeting is 5:00pm Friday, October 4th, in the Maynard Mathematics and Computer Science Building front lobby. The next open house and game night is 4:00pm Friday, October 18th, in Maynard Room 244.<\/p>\n

To Learn More<\/h3>\n