Oklahoma State University hosts second annual drone search and rescue championship

Stillwater Skies Host Student Rescue Drones

High school teams from across Oklahoma are gathering at Lake Carl Blackwell in Stillwater this week for a high-stakes test of aerial navigation and emergency response. On Nov. 3-4, the Second Annual Fly Forward Search and Rescue State Championship brings student operators to the water and tree lines to pit custom-flown aircraft against simulated disasters, kosu.org reported.

The competition puts robotic payloads through scenarios modeled directly on actual emergency services work. Student teams must pilot unmanned aerial vehicles to locate drowned or lost hikers, pinpoint stranded kayakers, manage medical emergency transport routes, and execute complex wooded-area searches.

Novice and Advanced Pilots Face Off

The two-day contest divides participants by experience level to manage a growing field of competitors. Forty-six novice teams take to the field on Tuesday, followed by 23 advanced teams registered to compete on Wednesday.

Oklahoma State University hosts second annual drone search and rescue championship

Defending titles add weight to this year’s flights. Wilson High School captured the overall state championship last year, while Putnam City Aviation and Kingston High School secured wins in individual categories.

Industry Growth and the Local Pipeline

The tournament arrives as local institutions look to deepen a regional workforce pipeline. The event is co-hosted by the Oklahoma State University Aerospace Institute for Research and Education and the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics.

Those agencies operate within an economic sector that now anchors a significant share of the state’s employment. According to the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics, aerospace and defense stands as Oklahoma’s second-largest and fastest-growing industry, supporting over 250,000 jobs statewide.