Young Pilots Take Flight at the 5th RoboPro Australia Youth Drone Tournament

Students from across Western Australia and Inner Mongolia, China, came together to demonstrate their drone piloting skills, resilience and problem-solving abilities.

The 5th RoboPro Australia Youth Drone Tournament was successfully held on 30 July 2026 at St Andrew’s Grammar School in Dianella, bringing together young drone pilots from 18 Western Australian schools and Inner Mongolia, China.

The tournament received 133 student registrations across three divisions: Lower Primary, Upper Primary and Secondary.

Organised by the Aerial Frontiers Association and Aicode Australia, the tournament provided students with an opportunity to apply their STEM knowledge in a challenging, practical and supportive competition environment.

More Than a Drone Competition

During the tournament, students were required to navigate their drones through a specially designed course and complete a series of flight challenges. Success required much more than speed.

Participants needed to demonstrate concentration, coordination, flight control, accurate landing, decision-making and the ability to remain calm under pressure. When flights did not go as planned, students had to recover, adapt and try again.

For many participants, simply stepping into the competition area and flying in front of judges and spectators was already a significant achievement.

The tournament was designed not only to recognise technical performance, but also to encourage confidence, resilience, sportsmanship and a continuing interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Connecting Students Across Schools and Cultures

This year’s event brought together students from a wide range of schools and year levels. It also welcomed young participants from Inner Mongolia, China, adding an international dimension to the tournament.

Students had the opportunity to meet other young people with similar interests, observe different flying techniques and share the excitement of drone technology across school and cultural backgrounds.

Their participation demonstrated how STEM education and friendly competition can create meaningful connections between young people from different communities.

Celebrating the 2026 Award Recipients

The achievements of the students were officially recognised at the RoboPro Australia Award Ceremony, held at Murdoch University on 1 August 2026.

Congratulations to the following award recipients:

Lower Primary Division

• Champion: Yixuan Zhao — China, Year 3

• Runner-up: John Chen — Oberthur Primary School, Year 3

• Third Place: Reyna Palanati — St Andrew’s Grammar, Year 3

• Girls in STEM Inspire Award: Katarina Barouky — St Andrew’s Grammar, Year 2

• Best Flight Control Award: Jing Yang Lee — All Saints’ College, Year 3

• Merit Award: Nirman Sojitra — St Andrew’s Grammar, Year 3

• Target Master Award: Logan Limb — St Andrew’s Grammar, Year 1

• Precision Landing Award: Muchen Sun — Hale School, Year 1

• International Young Innovator Recognition Award: Yibo Wang

Upper Primary Division

• Champion: Yuechen Zhao — China, Year 5

• Runner-up: Andrew Tran — St Andrew’s Grammar, Year 6

• Third Place: Joshua Krekora — Westminster Primary School, Year 5

• Girls in STEM Inspire Award: Quinn Cresey — Bibra Lake Primary School, Year 5

• Best Flight Control Award: Edward Clayton-Jones — North Balga Primary School, Year 6

• Merit Award: Isabella Liao — St Andrew’s Grammar, Year 6

• Sportsmanship Award: Lucas Preen — St Columba’s Primary School, Year 6

• Target Master Award: Wesley Van Maanen — St Columba’s Primary School, Year 6

• Precision Landing Award: Cooper Jones — Bibra Lake Primary School, Year 5

• International Young Innovator Recognition Award: Heng Zhao

Secondary Division

• Champion: Rohaan Shah — Al-Ameen College, Year 9

• Runner-up: Surya Rahsya Das Neves Soeyandra — Al-Ameen College, Year 9

• Third Place: Yousaf Bin Danish — Al-Ameen College, Year 7

• Girls in STEM Inspire Award: Nazia Afrin — Al-Ameen College, Year 8

• Best Flight Control Awards:

  • Sam Chen — Melville Senior High School, Year 8

  • Mahdi Akbari — Al-Ameen College, Year 9

  • Kareem Amin — Al-Ameen College, Year 9

• Merit Award: Luqman Bajerai — Al-Ameen College, Year 8

• Sportsmanship Award: Jaspjodh Singh — Balga Senior High School, Year 8

• Target Master Award: Mohd Hadi Shamsul Bahari — Al-Ameen College, Year 8

• Precision Landing Award: Zaid Arain — Al-Ameen College, Year 7

Each award recognised a different aspect of student achievement. While the Champion, Runner-up and Third Place awards reflected overall competition results, the special awards celebrated qualities including flight control, accuracy, sportsmanship, effort and positive participation.

A Memorable Award Ceremony

We were honoured to welcome distinguished guests to help celebrate the students’ achievements, including Ms Fu Lihua, Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Perth; the Honourable Dr Parwinder Kaur MLC, representing the Honourable Stephen Dawson MLC; Katy Mair, Mayor of the City of Melville; Professor Parisa Bahri from Murdoch University; and Mr Jinliang Hu, representing the World Robot Contest Organising Committee.

Their presence and encouraging words made the occasion especially meaningful for the students and their families.

Thank You to Our Community

The successful delivery of the tournament was made possible by the collective support of many people and organisations.

We sincerely thank St Andrew’s Grammar School for hosting the competition and supporting the event team with venue preparation and onsite arrangements.

We also thank our judges, teachers, coaches, parents, sponsors, supporters, staff and volunteers for contributing their time, expertise and encouragement. Their support helped ensure that students could compete in a safe, organised and welcoming environment.

Most importantly, we congratulate every student who participated. Every completed flight, recovered mistake and new attempt represented progress.

The tournament was not simply about who completed the course fastest or achieved the highest score. It was about giving young people an opportunity to challenge themselves, apply their learning and discover what they can achieve through preparation, perseverance and practice.

The Aerial Frontiers Association and Aicode Australia look forward to continuing to create inclusive opportunities for young people to explore drones, robotics, coding and emerging technologies.

We hope to welcome even more young pilots to the next RoboPro Australia Youth Drone Tournament.