Cleared for Takeoff: Georgia Students Soar to State Drone Aviation Titles
On a spring morning in Warner Robins, GA, the pressure was immediate. No warm-up, no easing in. Just clipboards, calculations, and the hum of anticipation. Dozens of students from across the Peach State gathered for the 2026 Georgia High School Aviation Challenge, but for Fulton Schools College and Career Academy (FSCCA), this was more than a competition. It was a proving ground.
FSCCA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems team with 12th–grade students Jalen Moore and Harrison Edwards of Westlake High School claimed first place among roughly 20 other drone teams. The school’s manned flight team secured an impressive second-place finish. Together, they brought home gold and silver medals, and something far more valuable, validation. They just had to overcome their nerves first.
“The teams were excited and nervous about what challenges to expect,” said FSCCA aviation instructor Alex Boy. “And upon arrival were thrown directly into flight planning and flight portions of the test, having completed the written exams the day before.”
Boy would know about those challenges. As a commercial pilot, certificated flight instructor, and advanced ground instructor, he has spent more than a decade training future aviators. Now, he’s channeling that experience into FSCCA’s Unmanned Aviation Pathway - where students don’t just learn about flight; they live it and that preparation paid off.
“The students’ classroom knowledge and training were the factors that put them into the first-place position,” Boy noted.
Moore and Edwards entered the Aviation Pathway just this year with zero prior experience. Months later, they stood as state champions. Edwards piloted the drone while Moore served as visual observer, a role requiring constant communication and situational awareness.
“Most importantly, the students themselves had to have the motivation to study and a passion for all things aviation,” Boy said. “Those students that won were also the first two in their class to qualify for the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft General Exam, the first to pass, and the first to obtain their FAA Remote Pilot Certificates.”
In addition to their gold medals, the winning duo took home gift bags and challenge coins from the president of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International’s Georgia chapter. This is the third consecutive year that FSCCA has swept the state title. Behind that repeated success is a culture of mentorship and momentum that extends beyond a single classroom.
“Our three-year success is a combination of many things,” FSCCA coordinator Tonya Eaton explained. “Students come back the second year as work-based learning students and assist the new students with flying skills. This helps them learn from their peers.”
Eaton also credits Boy with elevating the program in his first full school year.
“He has improved the program by having students earn additional certifications along with the FAA 107 Drone certification, such as SKYWARN,” she said. “Over the three years, the students have built synergy amongst themselves - and they function as a true team.”
That team spirit stretches to the program’s leadership as well. Support from CTI Coordinator Vanessa Stanley helped secure opportunities for students to compete at this level, often through behind-the-scenes efforts. The result is a program that’s not just teaching aviation, it’s shaping futures.