2025 - Q4 Impact
Drone Legends - "Helper Bees"
Drone Flight School Hosts Drone Legends “Helper Bees” STEM Module for Homeschool Students
Hands-on flight, teamwork, and tech take center stage in a 2-day program
Drone Flight School recently hosted a two-day learning experience featuring the Drone Legends “Helper Bees” module, bringing together a group of 12 homeschool students for a hands-on journey into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Each day consisted of a 2-hour class designed to blend creativity, collaboration, and drone flight skills into one buzzing, high-energy program.
The “Helper Bees” mission challenged students to think like drone pilots and engineers, solving real-world problems inspired by nature’s most efficient workers — honeybees. Through guided exploration and teamwork, students learned how drones can play a vital role in agriculture, environmental science, and problem-solving across industries.
Over the course of the program, students rotated through the Drone Legends flight stations, mastering the fundamentals of safe drone operation, coding, and mission execution. They practiced communication and leadership skills as they took on roles within their teams, simulating professional flight missions where coordination and precision matter just as much as technical ability.
“This is exactly the kind of experience we love to offer,” said Jason Allen, Executive Director of the Franklin Center for Innovation and founder of Drone Flight School. “Drone Legends gives students a framework to explore STEM through stories, teamwork, and problem-solving — not just worksheets. These kids didn’t just learn how to fly drones — they learned how to think like innovators.”
For many of the homeschool students, this was their first introduction to drone technology, and the excitement was palpable. From takeoff to landing, each mission brought new discoveries about flight physics, environmental awareness, and the ways drones are transforming modern life.
Programs like this reinforce Drone Flight School’s mission to make STEM accessible, engaging, and future-focused. By combining fun storytelling with real technology, students get to see the direct connection between classroom learning and real-world innovation.
The school plans to expand future homeschool offerings, building on the success of the “Helper Bees” sessions with additional Drone Legends modules and flight challenges throughout the year.
FlyCode Takes Flight: Updating Our Tablets for the Next Era of Drone Coding
The classroom was buzzing with anticipation as we lined up our fleet of tablets for a full software refresh. Each one received the latest updates and—most excitingly—the installation of the new Drone Legends “FlyCode” app. This powerful addition lets students take hands-on control of their Tello drones through a simple, intuitive coding interface. The connection process couldn’t be easier: open FlyCode, link to a drone, and within moments students are programming flight paths, maneuvers, and creative missions right from their screens.
We’re especially excited to announce that Drone Flight School will be beta testing the new FlyCode coding environment, giving our students an early look at how coding and drone control come together in real time. This next step in our Drone Legends curriculum turns basic flight into a platform for computational thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork. As we test and refine this new coding module, our students will help shape the future of drone-based STEM learning—proving once again that innovation really does take flight right here in our classroom.
Color-Coded Control: Simplifying Drone and Tablet Pairing
To make our drone operations smoother, faster, and more student-friendly, we’ve introduced a color-coding system that pairs each tablet with its designated drone. Each drone and its corresponding tablet now share a unique color label—blue, red, green, yellow, and so on—so users can instantly see which device belongs to which aircraft. This eliminates confusion during setup and flight sessions, ensuring that every team connects to the right drone the first time. It’s especially helpful during group classes, where multiple drones are flying at once and quick identification is key. The system not only reduces setup time but also helps students take ownership of their equipment, fostering responsibility and teamwork. With this color-coded approach, we’ve made the technology easier to use, the workflow more efficient, and the learning experience more seamless for everyone involved.