IC News

The members of the Ithaca College men’s and women’s crew teams were not the only IC students heading to the Liberty League conference championship races in Saratoga Springs. As the rowers departed the Robert B. Tallman Rowing Center on campus armed with boats and oars, a dozen students left the Roy H. Park School of Communications armed with drones, joysticks, computers, and monitors, ready to broadcast the competition live to fans across the country.

After arriving, the athletes split off into their respective boats and prepared their shells, while the Drone Squad students split into groups of their own. Several set up a field communications command center at a nearby boathouse, while others prepared to capture the races using a pair drones.

As the competitors’ shells cut through the water of Fish Creek and crossed the finish lines, the drones of the newly re-launched Ithaca College Drone Squad — an organization operating as part of Park Productions, IC’s student-staffed media production company — flew through the air and captured every moment of the races.

And when the athletes’ celebrated their victories in the competition, the drone squad members were celebrating as well.

“It was incredible to be a part of the championship,” said Jack DeNick ’27, who is the Drone Squad’s manager. “Working in conjunction with the Liberty League and our coaches to organize and produce the broadcast was an amazing professional opportunity, and the teamwork and dedication our whole team exhibited was fantastic.”

“I’m incredibly impressed by how self-driven they are,” Accardo said. “They largely direct and lead their own projects. I’ll just say, ‘tell me what you need’ and use that information to help them write their project proposals or put together a broadcast crew. Then they’re off and running.”

Because of the high-quality work the squad produces, they’re approached by outside clients for paid projects. The money goes back to Park Productions to pay the students as well as cover the cost of hotels, travel, and operational expenses like purchasing and repairing drones as needed.

In addition to paid work from outside clients, the squad is available to help students with class projects such as end-of-semester films.

But before they can take to the sky, the students take to the classroom. In order to pilot the drones for commercial purposes, students need to obtain Remote Pilot Certificates under Part 107 from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which requires taking a prep course from a licensed instructor and passing an exam.

Students had the opportunity to take the weekend-long course earlier this spring and spent time in the classroom learning about FAA regulations and flight restrictions while studying aeronautical charts and local maps.

On a beautiful day with the sun shining and winds mild, they took to a parking lot and practiced controlling the drone under the guidance of instructors.

“I was really nervous,” admitted Carly Kuriger ’25, one of the first students to take the joysticks that day. “I’d never done anything like that before.”

Kuriger, a Television and Digital Media (TVDM) major, was inspired to learn about filming with drones after a summer spent interning with WFMZ 69 News in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

“I had no idea what you could use a drone for in news coverage,” she admitted. “But I went with a videographer to cover the vandalism of a local basketball court and saw how the drone provided a look at the damage that you couldn’t otherwise get.

“I want to be a multimedia journalist and adding ‘I can fly a drone’ to my resume is going to help me stand out,” she continued.

The potential for professional development opportunities also interested TVDM major Isaiah Girgis ’26.

“I saw the drones flying outside the Park School last year,” he said. “It piqued my interest, so I followed their social media accounts to learn more and got hooked. The media industry is growing, and this is a skill that’s going to be in demand.”

As word of their work spreads, the squad is hoping to continue to grow in scope and impact.

“It’s part of the reason I enrolled at Ithaca College,” said TVDM major Ayush Makadia ’27, who is the squad’s flight operations manager. “In high school, I worked for a news station, and I was intrigued by how I could use drones in the Park School. When I got here, I bought a drone and got my recreational license. I was able to fly around campus and film things like Applefest.”

As for where the squad’s going to fly to next, that’s unknown, but the sky is the limit.

“We’re turning this into a business while keeping it a learning experience,” said Nick Polisi ’26, the squad’s finance manager. “We’re always thinking about where we want it to grow, and where we can be most useful to the campus community.”