Want to become a builder? Check out the Build a Drone Workshop
Live in Arizona or nearby? The Build a Drone Workshop is based in Tempe, Arizona and is teaching students how to build and program a quadcopter.
Education is a critical need in our industry. If you want to build a drone, become a licensed operator, learn to fly a quadcopter, or simply better understand the latest rules and regulations, education is the key. The Build a Drone Workshop is focused on helping people learn to build and program UAVs, inspiring people to learn more and get into this growing market.
Here is our interview with the Build a Drone Workshop team.
Q. How did you get started with the concept of the build a drone workshop?
My first build took me many hours of research and a lot of help from friends. Luckily, I had good friends who were into the hobby who were willing to answer my numerous questions. Despite the help I had, the process was still confusing and I missed ordering a couple parts, and had to wait an extra week to get them (in my case, I forgot to order some very small things: bullet connectors and nylon risers). I really wanted to build my own, instead of going the Ready to Fly, Prebuilt route, as I felt I would gain a greater understanding and the process would be a lot of fun. In addition, I would have the skills to fix my quadcopter when I would inevitably break it. I created a service which would have been a lot of help to me when I first started.
Q. You are located in Arizona, do you get a lot of local business or do you also find out-of-state people attending?
So far we have had only Arizonians attend, though someone did drive over four hours to come out.
Q. Is your Build a Drone Workshop training available online, for a fee, or only via in person workshops?
We are expanding our workshop to be online in the next couple of weeks. We will be able to serve a much larger audience that way.
When did you build your first quad? Any advice for people just getting started?
I built my first quad in July 2014. My advice would be to jump in and get working on your first build. You can spend a lot of time getting lost in rabbit holes of research, but once you start the build process everything will start to click.
Q. Any quick words of advice for those looking to get started building their own drone?
I would recommend a Build a Drone Workshop!
Shameless plugs aside, I would buy a cheaper quadcopter such as the Syma X1 to get some piloting experience before you attempt flying your real build. There is no greater buzzkill than destroying the quad you just spent 6 hours building.
