Nearly 50 Pilots Competed On The Campus Of Purdue University Saturday

Georgia Tech won the first-ever Collegiate Drone Racing National Championship hosted by Purdue University on Saturday, scoring more than $15,000 worth of equipment and prizes.

The gusty winds and winding track were no match for the 48 pilots and their homemade drones. The races went off without a hitch, despite challenging 19-20 MPH winds.

Georgia Tech beat out the other 26 universities to claim the top spot. The University of California, Berkeley finished second, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Unviersity-Daytona third and Purdue finished fourth.

"It was a fantastic event," Tyler Landers, president of the Purdue Drone Club said. "It was a bit windy, but I think everyone had a good time. It was great for Purdue to host the first ever. Congratulations to Georgia Tech they had a great day today."

The final race consisted of Corey Ibanez from the University of California Santa Cruz, David Dominguez Hooper from UC Berkeley, Nick Willard of Georgia Tech and Ivan Rodriguez of the University of Texas-Arlington. Rodriguez beat out Ibanez for the top spot in the race, followed by Willard in third.

(Images provided with Purdue University news release)

FMI: www.purdue.edu