VEX AIR Drone Competition Safety Policy

This policy covers the VEX AIR Drone Competition only. For the safety policies of the other VEX Robotics Competition Programs, see the Safety Policy.

Why Safety Comes First

Safety comes before everything else in the VEX Robotics Competitions: before a Match, a score, or a win. A drone can be repaired and a Match replayed, but an injury cannot be taken back. Safety is everyone's job, students and adults alike, so look out for each other and speak up the moment something looks wrong.

This policy describes how the community keeps people safe, so everyone can keep flying, competing, and learning. It works alongside two other sets of rules: the Code of Conduct, which sets the standards of behavior for everyone who takes part in the VEX Robotics Competitions, and the safety rules of your school, venue, and event. It does not replace either one.

Battery Safety

Drone batteries store a lot of energy, and they are charged and swapped often during an event.

• Charge batteries only with the USB cables and charging hub that come in the kit.
• Use a charging station outside the flight area for batteries and controllers. Keep it clean and uncluttered, with no food or drinks nearby.
• Keep a charging battery where someone can see it, and unplug the charger when you are done.
• Never charge or use a battery that is puffy, cracked, hot, or damaged. Tell an adult right away.
• If a battery smokes, hisses, or gets very hot, move away and tell an adult immediately.

Your Workspace and Flight Area

VEX AIR Drones are designed to be flown indoors, away from wind, uneven surfaces, and outdoor obstacles that interfere with stability and control.

• Keep the workspace clear. Put parts and tools away when you finish, keep walkways open, and clean up spills right away.
• Tell the Coach about a broken or damaged part so it can be fixed, replaced, or set aside.
• Mark the flight area before anyone powers on a drone. Use the VEX AIR Competition Field when possible, or mark the area with tape or mats. Leave 8 feet (about 2.5 m) of vertical clearance, set up a pilot station just outside the area, and keep a buffer zone of at least 3 feet (about 1 m) for everyone who is not flying.
• Clear the space. Remove furniture, obstacles, and loose or lightweight objects such as paper and cups. The downward airflow from the propellers (prop wash) can lift and scatter them.
• Post signage. Label the flight area, pilot stations, and buffer zones, and put a sign on the door. At the pilot station, post the Max Z-Height that drones should be set to, along with the emergency stop (E-Stop) steps.
• Take off from a level surface. The drone cannot take off from an uneven one.

Every Flight in Your Workspace and at Events

• Fly VEX AIR Drones indoors only.
• An adult supervises whenever anyone flies.

Before Takeoff

• Be Fit to Fly: focused, ready, calm, safe, prepared, and aware. If something feels unsafe, do not fly. If you have any doubt, check with the supervising adult first.
• Check the drone before every flight. Use the Pre-Flight Checklist to make sure your drone is ready to fly.
• Tie back long hair and secure loose clothing so nothing gets caught in a spinning propeller or blocks your line of sight.
• Set the Max Z-Height so the drone stays at least 3 feet (about 1 m) below the ceiling or any fixture. The drone cannot fly higher than 8 feet (about 2.5 m).
• Know how to E-Stop. Pressing the Propeller Lock and Takeoff & Land buttons at the same time shuts down the motors and drops the drone, so when time allows, check that the space below it is clear first. Use the E-Stop only for safety, never as a strategy, and check the drone after it is retrieved.
• Wear the Controller Lanyard whenever the drone is out of Propeller Lock (Prop Lock), and hand off the controller only while the drone is in Prop Lock.
• Wear eye protection at the Field. Flight team members wear eye protection whenever they are at the Field for a Match. Everyone on a team is encouraged to wear it near the Field and in the Pits.
• Carry your drone with the power off, or in Prop Lock if it is on.

In the Air

• Never fly over or toward people. Keep the drone inside the flight area and in your line of sight at all times.
• No one enters the flight area while any drone is flying or out of Prop Lock.
• Keep your hands off a drone unless it is in Prop Lock. Prop Lock keeps the motors and propellers from turning. Engage it before you handle a drone that is on.
• When more than one drone is flying, never fly over or under another drone, and keep at least 3 feet (about 1 m) between drones when possible.
• Keep drones inside the Field, and land when the battery reaches 10%.
• If you lose control, let go of the joysticks so the drone hovers. Do not chase it. Use the E-Stop if anyone is at risk.
• After a crash, wait until every drone is in Prop Lock before you retrieve yours. Check the propellers, guards, frame, Landing Feet, and battery. A damaged drone must be fixed before it flies again.

Staying Safe at Events

Every student is supervised by an adult for the whole event. A Head Referee watches every Match, and an adult watches every Practice Match and Skills run.

• Walk, do not run, through the Pits and Queuing Areas, and keep walkways and doorways clear.
• Fly only on designated Fields, never in the Pits.
• Complete the Pre-Flight Checklist at the queuing table before every Match.
• Stay off the Field tiles. Only the Head Referee or event staff step onto them, and they retrieve any drone you cannot reach safely.
• Be ready for a pause or E-Stop. The Head Referee may pause or E-Stop any drone at any time for safety reasons.
• Follow the instructions of event staff. Referees, Judges, Robot Inspectors, and venue staff are there in part to keep everyone safe. Do what they ask, even if you do not know the reason yet.

When Something Goes Wrong

1. Stop what you are doing.
2. Make it safe, if you can without putting yourself or others in danger: let go of the joysticks, use the E-Stop, and stay away until all drones are in Prop Lock.
3. Tell an adult right away. At an event, tell the event staff too.

Speaking up is not about getting anyone in trouble. It is what a good teammate does. In a true emergency, such as a fire, a serious injury, or someone in danger, get the nearest adult. Anyone, including you, can call emergency services.

Be safe. Speak up. Have fun.