JROTC All Service National Drone Championship
Remaining: 80
📌 Event Details
Season: 2026-2027 Season
Code: ADC20267910
Timezone: UTC
Event Dates: 03/05/2027 - 03/06/2027
Registration: 09/30/2026 - 02/15/2027
📍 Location
Reno, Nevada 89595
📋 General Information
This is the JROTC All Service National Drone Championship - It is an invitational tournament for JROTC drone teams winning a qualifying spot as determined by the designated awards listed on the RECF event platform.
Teams invited and approved by their military service will have their trips funded by their military service per their team travel funding procedures (may differ by service).
This is a two day, two division competition held in Reno, Nevada. Teams will be lodged at the same resort with the competition being held in attached convention center, 5 & 6 March. Team registration/check in will be conducted on the 4th of March and morning of the 5th (see agenda for specifics). All elements of the competition will be held in the main room including pit tables, teamwork, skills and team interviews. The event will be streamed live.
Catered breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided for all teams, coaches and chaperones in the Crystal Room, across the hall on both days (see agenda for specifics). The Dinner on the 6th will be an awards banquet followed by a dance in a separate room.
Digital logbooks will be pulled from the RECF registered team list at 1700 Pacific time on the 19th of February. These will be scored by the judge team prior to the event - teams must ensure that their logbook link is uploaded before that time and/or ensure that their live link is working prior to that time.
Coaches should stay in contact with their higher headquarters if their teams win a qualifying award to ensure that they let their service know their intent to attend this event or not.
⚠️ Emergency Info
Any weather cautions, delays or cancellations will be sent to coaches via the email address connected to their team account. These should be sent to teams a minimum of 3-5 days prior. It is a very rare event if the airport here is closed during the winter and/or flights delayed. If you are driving from California over Donner pass, you will want to monitor conditions there prior to your trip, chains and/or 4 wheel / all wheel drive is often required to drive over the pass during the winter. When these requirements are in effect, traffic delays should be expected as law enforcement units check every vehicle prior to approve to negotiate the summit = ensure you have water and snacks on hand and take your bathroom breaks prior to approaching the summit.🧳 Travel Information
Any weather cautions, delays or cancellations will be sent to coaches via the email address connected to their team account. These should be sent to teams a minimum of 3-5 days prior. It is a very rare event if the airport here is closed during the winter and/or flights delayed. If you are driving from California over Donner pass, you will want to monitor conditions there prior to your trip, chains and/or 4 wheel / all wheel drive is often required to drive over the pass during the winter. When these requirements are in effect, traffic delays should be expected as law enforcement units check every vehicle prior to approve to negotiate the summit = ensure you have water and snacks on hand and take your bathroom breaks prior to approaching the summit.
The Venue is only two miles from the Reno/Tahoe International Airport. Rental car service is located at the airport. The airport is small and easily navigable.
The Venue has many fun activities for cadets after competition hours and there are areas of Reno that offer stunning views of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range and Lake Tahoe if time permits. Things to do in Reno
Note that Cadets are not permitted in the Casino area of the resort = this area has continual security officers on hand and they will immediately escort any cadets found in this area to the front desk where you will be paged to come and pick them up. There is a Starbucks and a small store near this area with souvenirs that may attract cadet's attentions so please ensure you are properly supervising your cadets during their stay.
🗓️ Agenda
Below is the agenda for the event = this is subject to change up until 4 March. Any changes to the agenda once the competition has begun will be relayed to coaches and team captains via the house PA system or a quick huddle in the competition room.
Thursday 4 Mar - Set Up & Team Check in (4 X Teamwork; 6 x Skills Fields) (Note - no practice on any of the fields is permitted)
- 08:00 am: Set up crew arrives
- 12:00 pm: lunch break
- 1:00 pm: Continue set up
- 3:00 pm: Final inspections & IT Checks
- 7:00 pm: Traveling teams check in & Inspection, Pit Set up
- 9:00 pm: Venue closed
Friday 5 Mar - Competition Day 1
- 6:00 am Breakfast in Crystal Room (open till 0830); Pit area open
- 7:00 am: Inspections & Team late check in; (3) Skills fields open for practice (3 min sessions only). Flight test areas open all day
- 8:00 am: Team late check in and inspections closed. Practice closed.
- 8:15 am: Opening Ceremony
- 8:30 am: Pilot & Safety Briefing
- 9:00 am: (3) Skills fields open for Piloting Only (1 run per team at a time)
- 10:30 am: Piloting only closed. Team Interviews begin; Teamwork qualification matches begin. Skills fields open autonomous
- 12:00 pm: - 1:00 pm: Competition break – in summit pavilion (lunch open 1130-1330)
- 1:00 pm: Interviews, autonomous and teamwork continue
- 4:45 pm: Interviews, Teamwork and Autonomous Skills End; 1st day closing remarks
- 5:00 pm: Venue closed.
- 5:30 pm: Pizza Dinner – Crystal room
Saturday 6 Mar
- 6:00 am Breakfast in Crystal Room (open until 8:30); Pit area open
- 7:00 am: (3) Skills fields open for practice (3 min sessions)
- 8:00 am: Practice fields closed. Pilot’s Briefing
- 8:30 am: Teamwork and Skills fields open (1 piloting field, 2 autonomous). Team interviews open
- 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Competition Break (lunch in Crystal room 11:30-1:30)
- 1:00 pm: Teamwork, Piloting (as needed) and Autonomous missions continue. Interviews as needed
- 2:30 pm: Teamwork and Skills fields closed. Interviews closed. Alliance selections
- 3:00 pm: Elimination matches begin
- 5:00 pm: Venue closed
- 6:00 pm: Banquet dinner – Silver State Ballroom (Escalator near Grand Pavilion down, left turn to main downstairs hallway then straight to the end - Silver State is next to the gym)
- 6:45 pm: Awards Ceremony
- 7:30-9:30 pm: Dance
⚙️ Judging Format
Digital logbooks will be pulled from the RECF registered team list at 1700 Pacific time on the 19th of February. These will be scored by the judge team prior to the event - teams must ensure that their logbook link is uploaded before that time and/or ensure that their live link is working prior to that time.
Team interviews will be conducted both days of the event until completed. There is no schedule for this = it is the team's responsibility to ensure that they complete the team interview as their schedule allows if they wish to compete for judged awards.