The high-pitched whine of motors buzzing while the rotors accelerate is heard across campus. Recently the popularity of drones has exploded with its ease of flight and prices becoming more affordable. In fact, drones have become so popular that several Bowie teachers plan to implement them into their curriculum, and students have taken to the sky to fly drones.

Bowie teachers, Chanel Dobrzenski, Andrew Nourse, and Bowie students junior Nick Moczygemba and sophomore Luke Leifker, have different methods for using drones in the classroom and out. Dobrzenski has decided to implement the drone into her commercial photography class and Nourse has decided to include the drone into his animation class. Additionally, Moczygemba uses a drone in JROTC and Leifker uses a drone for football.

“It would be good for students to have experience using a drone,” Dobrzenski said. “Drone photography has gotten so popular.”

In 2020, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) predicts there will be 3.4 million consumer drones, more than three times the 1.1 million drones in 2016. Real estate photography, landscape photography, and wedding photography are popular types of drone photography.

“I actually have a drone company called High Up Cams, we do aerial photography and videography,” Nourse said.

All teachers and students all have different have unique backgrounds of their first use of a drone. Moczygemba was gifted his first drone for Christmas four years ago, by his grandparents.

“Last year we had a commercially available drone, but this year we are fundraising for a Search and Rescue drone and a FPV drone,” Moczygemba said. “We do have members that bring their own drones.”

JROTC has a drone team that competes in competitions against other JROTC programs. The competition has three events: Search and Rescue where pilots fly a drone over a course trying to find an object, the Obstacle Course where the pilot flies the drone in first-person and the Stringer where pilots move objects.

“I am the commander of the JROTC drone team,” Moczygemba said.

Leifker and the Football Film Crew film games and important parts of practices. The drone allows the football team to get more angles of the team practicing so that the team is    able to find more ways to improve compared to just a camcorder.

“I enjoy the fact that flying a drone allows me to analyze game footage in real time, allowing me to get a better understanding of the game,” Leifker said.  “I believe my job allows the football team to improve by watching film of their practices.”

Wile the film crew uses the drones for the football team, in animation the drones for will be for students individual use.

“We will mainly be using drones for aerial videography, time lapses, unique angles, and motion tracking,” Nourse said. “Students will be using drones around campus and outside of school.”

The addition of a drone into animation class will allow students to take to the sky with drones to take aerial photography and aerial videography. Student’s creativity will be met with more chances to make amazing videos and interesting animations.

“My students who want to fly drones are going to obtain FAA licenses” Dobrzenski said. “I want to prevent pilots from losing drones, hurting people, and damaging property. ”

Dobrzenski is making sure that her students get their FAA licenses before they start flying drones. In order to obtain an FAA license students must take a test about airspace information, airspace procedures and safety.

“Risks will be mitigated by making sure the students obtain licenses so they follow the rules and regulations of the FAA,” Dobrzenski said.

The Commercial Photography and Animation program will be sharing a drone that will be arriving within the next month. The JROTC is preparing for its competition in four months. The Football Film Crew is allowing the football team to find more ways to improve.

“We film during practice, we film the 7-on-7 and game like scenarios so that they can improve for the actual game,” Leifker said.

Drone photography and videography along with other uses for drones is going to become even more popular. Nourse and Dobrzenski are preparing their students for the future.

“My favorite thing about flying the drones is that it is allowing me to prepare for college and other places where I will be working with football teams and filming teams and practices,” Leifker said.