Two Fulton County seniors who had never flown a drone before enrolling last fall won the 2026 Georgia state drone championship, earning FAA pilot certificates along the way.

Jalen Moore and Harrison Edwards, 12th-graders from Westlake High School, claimed first place among roughly 20 teams at the Georgia High School Aviation Challenge in Warner Robins in spring 2026, according to a Fulton County Schools district announcement published July 8. It marks the third consecutive year the Fulton Schools College & Career Academy's Unmanned Aircraft Systems team has won the state drone title.

What Johns Creek families should know

The UAS program is open to high schoolers across Fulton County, including students at Johns Creek High School, Chattahoochee High School, and Northview High School, according to FSCCA's website. It is unclear how many students from Johns Creek-area schools participate in the drone pathway.

FSCCA offers six career pathways: Animation & Digital Media, Audio/Video/Technology & Film, Carpentry, Culinary Arts, Education as a Profession, and Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Students can complete a pathway in one year, earn three elective credits toward graduation, and leave with an industry-recognized credential.

Under instructor Alex Boy, drone students also earn SKYWARN certification, a National Weather Service storm-spotter credential, in addition to the FAA Part 107 drone certification, according to FSCCA coordinator Tonya Eaton.

Applications for the 2026-27 school year are open at collegecareeracademy.fultonschools.org. Families can also call (470) 254-0920. No closing date has been posted.

How they won

Edwards piloted the drone while Moore served as visual observer, a role requiring constant communication and situational awareness. Teams completed written exams the day before, then were thrown directly into flight planning and live flight tests upon arrival.

"The students' classroom knowledge and training were the factors that put them into the first-place position," said Boy, a commercial pilot, certificated flight instructor, and advanced ground instructor who spent more than a decade training aviators before joining FSCCA for the 2025-26 school year.

Moore and Edwards were the first students in their cohort to qualify for the FAA's Unmanned Aircraft General Exam, the first to pass it, and the first to earn their FAA Remote Pilot Certificates. In addition to gold medals, the pair received challenge coins from the Georgia chapter president of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International.

Eaton credited the program's peer-mentorship model for its sustained success. Second-year students return as work-based learning participants to coach newcomers on flying skills.

FSCCA's manned flight team also competed at the state challenge, finishing second and bringing home a silver medal alongside the drone team's gold.