Drone soccer takes flight at Aviation Expo

This year’s second staging of the Aviation Expo at Tinson Pen Aerodrome on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., promises plenty of fun and innovation, with a drone soccer exhibition among the event’s special attractions.

Founder and Director of the Aviation Expo, Celine Gordon of Captain Altitude Aviation Institute, said drone soccer may not generate the same excitement for every football enthusiast, but she believes it will be a major attraction for those with interests in technology and aviation.

“It is like football but using drones. It is very much like what we saw on television back in the day, like The Jetsons, that would show what the future looks like. So it is very futuristic.

“It promises to be great fun to see drone soccer. I’m not sure it will be as exciting as FIFA field soccer, as that is one of the greatest games, but it is going to be good,” she said.

Drone soccer originated in Korea. The game is played in a contained aerial arena, with two teams, usually consisting of five drones, enclosed in protective spherical frames that absorb collisions and help keep them airborne.

The objective is to manoeuvre the drones through the opponents’ goal, a suspended circular target roughly the size of a basketball hoop.

Players use handheld controllers to operate their drones, requiring a combination of dexterity, coordination and teamwork.

“I am still learning about drone soccer, but it is what it says. It uses the tool of a drone. It is a drone that has a round ball around it.

“There is a construction that looks like a contained field and a circle which essentially the drone will have to fly through to be counted as a goal,” she said.

Though not a professional aviator herself, Gordon said her passion for aviation grew through her marriage to a pilot. With both sharing a Jamaica Defence Force history, she said they remain motivated to contribute to nation-building and believe aviation is an area that deserves greater attention.

“It is really important for us to train our own aviators. It is not just about being a pilot. It’s being a technician, an air traffic controller, an airport manager, being industry people like logisticians.

“It is a multimillion-dollar industry, and it has a deficit of all these people, and I do not see us training our own people here at home.”

As a result, Gordon conceptualised the expo and said its inaugural staging last year exceeded expectations.

This year’s event promises an even bigger celebration of aviation, innovation, education and career opportunities, bringing together aviation professionals, industry leaders and educational institutions.

Patrons can look forward to aircraft displays, remote-controlled aircraft demonstrations, drone displays, flight simulators, aviation career exhibitions, interactive STEM activities, a kiddies’ village, entertainment, giveaways and opportunities for aviation scholarships.

Gordon is expecting increased attendance this year and said there will be something for everyone.

“We will have the simulators on the ground. We will have drone soccer, and we will have a 100-lb drone that can take objects from one place to another. Big objects.

“For the tech enthusiasts, there is a lot on the ground to see and do; and then the drone soccer will just make it fun, as that is the sporting event, but for the techies there will be a lot to do.”

The University of the West Indies and the University of Technology will showcase their aviation programmes.

There will also be Black aerospace professionals offering special giveaways, while members of the Jamaica Airline Pilots Association will be on hand to educate patrons.

“It is geared towards giving them a path, a roadmap on how to make their next move. So we will have scholarships and programme giveaways.

“Other than the real giveaways, we will have a lot of niceness. We will have about seven different food vendors. It is just a nice family fun day vibe.

“I am looking forward to a successful and exciting day. Admission is free. I know you will have a good time, and you will really be missing something if you do not come out,” she stated.

Captain Altitude is staging the event in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Authority and the Airports Authority of Jamaica.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com