Ridgefield engineering students test drones

RIDGEFIELD — Ridgefield High School students in Steve Rinard’s engineering class recently took drones they built in class and tested them in the school’s athletic fields. Early in the semester, students were still learning online about how drones operated, but when in-person classes resumed, they were able to work together to assemble the drones from a kit. The project took weeks of planning, building and testing before launch day. “We quickly learned that flying drones is not easy,” Rinard said. “It takes a little patience and a lot of practice to get the hang of it. And of course, it’s definitely helpful to have tools and extra parts on hand.” Senior Matthew Vance and his team enjoyed the drone launch. “There have been crashes, and broken pieces,” he said. “But flying the drones was a lot of fun.”