Pryor High School was one of only three schools selected to send a team to an upcoming Search and Rescue Demonstration and Competition at Camp Gruber, and that opportunity is already taking shape. On Monday, April 6, PHS educators Dr. Peters and Mrs. Rowland participated in “UAVs in Search & Rescue Training” hosted by Oklahoma State University and OAIRE at the OAIRE Research Center and Air Park in Stillwater.
The event brought together 50 AOPA You Can Fly curriculum teachers from across Oklahoma. Participants were divided into 10 teams, with one Part 107 drone pilot assigned to each team. Because both Dr. Peters and Mrs. Rowland hold their Part 107 Drone Pilot certification, each served as a team leader during the training.
Teams were tasked with locating two targets during a timed search-and-rescue simulation. Each five-person team included the roles of Incident Command, Pilot, Data Analyst, Engineer/Visual Observer, and Communicator. After receiving a report, teams had just 12 minutes to locate their assigned target.
In the attached drone photo, Mrs. Rowland is shown flying while her team works alongside her during the exercise.
The skills and information gained through this training will directly benefit Pryor High School aviation students. PHS will use what was learned to develop a team for the April 15 Search and Rescue Demonstration and Competition at Camp Gruber. The event will be a joint effort involving the Oklahoma National Guard, OSU OAIRE, and ODAA.
The training also opens the door for future opportunities. A new state aviation competition focused specifically on search and rescue is set to launch in fall 2026. By participating in this week’s training, Pryor High School is now eligible to send a team to that competition as well.
Pryor Public Schools looks forward to continuing to build these skills while expanding opportunities for students to explore the many pathways available through drone and aviation education.