FLIGHT CLUB | Show & Tell | OCT 10
NEXT MEETUP Saturday, October 10
2.00p to 4.00p
$0/person
“When we are out flying, we represent ALL pilots.”
Chantelle said that during our Helios Flight School beta, and it struck home. Every time we put a drone in the air, someone is watching: a neighbor, a family at the park, or, if one of us ends up in the news for the wrong reasons, a lawmaker deciding what drones should and shouldn’t be allowed to do. Like it or not, we’re the face of this technology. Helios is where we practice being good at it, as pilots, as builders, and as good citizens of the sky. Flight Club is our gathering place.
Join us on Saturday, October 10 from 2:00p to 4:00p.
This Saturday, we’re cracking open the black box. Most of us fly drones without ever seeing what’s going on inside. Gordon brings a wealth of drone-building experience to the Helios team, and he’ll walk us through the components of a multi-rotor, from motors and props to the flight controller that keeps it all in the air. He’ll use our in-house Flight Trainer as a live demo, then open the floor for discussion. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to understand how a drone works, and after Saturday, you’ll see yours a little differently.
Bring whatever’s on your bench: a build in progress, a crash survivor, your everyday flyer, or a question you’ve been chewing on. SHOW & TELL is where the Helios crew trades stories, swaps fixes, and geeks out over what everyone’s been flying. Then stick around for open workshop time, with tools and experienced builders on hand to help with whatever you’re working on. New to drones? Come watch, ask anything, and find your next step.
The last few weeks have been big ones. In late September we ran the full beta of our first three Flight School classes. Intro to UAS covered the essentials: FAA regulations, flight safety, setup and teardown, basic maintenance, and what it means to be a responsible ambassador for drone flight. Two days later, Basic Controlled Flight 01 and 02 took participants who were new to flying, or had never flown at all, to confident, controlled flight in a single Saturday, including the tricky part, flying when the drone isn’t facing the same way you are. We had a blast, and we proved the model works. It was great watching participants help each other out. A huge thank you to everyone who took part. Your energy and feedback give shape to what Helios Flight School becomes.
Our last SHOW & TELL went wide, with a conversation about where the drone industry is heading and where Helios fits in. We talked about more support for drone design and development, ways to back early-stage ventures coming out of our own community, evolving battery technology, and computer vision. David L also showed off the latest from his ongoing DJI Tello experiment. Hope you join our next conversation.
Who Can Join?
Everyone’s welcome — whether you’re a seasoned pilot or brand new to drones, come share, learn, and connect with fellow enthusiasts.
HOST _ David Voetmann
David, a lifelong designer and maker, spent his childhood in Africa. This formative experience instilled a conviction that it’s better to create your own solutions than to wait around hoping someone else will solve your problems. To this end, he earned a BFA in Industrial Design at the University of Washington. This study deepened an enduring conviction that solving problems and making things is deeply coded into our humanity. Over the last few years he has explored the transformation of our economy as new technologies democratize opportunity. He now runs The Facility Makerspace where ordinary people with extraordinary ideas gain access to an 11,000sf sandbox for innovation with all the tools, training, and community you need to turn thoughts into things.
Flight Club is back to meeting 2 times a month: every 2nd Saturday from 2.00p – 4.00p as well as the 4th Thursday of every month from 6.00p – 8.00p.
Moving forward, we will prioritize SHOW & TELL. So let us know you’re coming and share what you’re working on and geek out over everyone’s progress. We will also have some time to talk about where HELIOS is going and explore the schedule of upcoming events.
Please feel free to contact David ( david.voetmann@edmonds.edu ) if you have ideas for future Flight Club events.
This 2-hour meetup takes place adjacent to a working shop. If you would like to explore our workshop full of tools please be prepared for the following safety precautions.
SAFETY
– Closed-toed shoes
– No loose-fitting clothing
– Tie back long hair
– Eye protection (available on site)
NOTE
Please make every effort to show up on time.
This meetup is open to anyone over 16 years old. Kids under 18 years old will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Please feel free to pass this invitation on to others.
