AEAC Annual National Student Unmanned Aircraft (UAS) Competition 2026 – Ottawa ON Area X.O May 22nd – 24th 2026

The Aerial Evolution Association of Canada (AEAC) is thrilled to announce that the 2026 Annual National Student Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Competition will be hosted at Area X.O in Ottawa, Ontario. Operated by Invest Ottawa, Area X.O is a state-of-the-art test and demonstration facility. Distinguished among its peers for its unique combination of advanced technologies, expert collaborators, and secure private test environments Area X.O offers world-class resources for the development, validation, and real-world deployment of cutting edge drone technologies. The flying phase will take place May 22 – 24 2026.

The Scenario

AEAC SUAS returns with a second year of aerial firefighting–this time an urban firefighting challenge. Big City Fire Department is seeking bids for a firefighting unmanned aerial system (UAS) in the downtown core to make further use of the city’s UAM corridor infrastructure. Bidders are invited to submit a design paper and participate in the flight portion in May 2026. A preview of flight assessment criteria are given in the following 2026 Assessment Preview.

2026 Assessment Preview

2026-AEAC-CONOPS-v1.0-2025-09-14.pdf

The competition consists of two phases.

Phase I required Bidders to submit their proposals outlining UAS design concepts and plans by January 15, 2026.
Phase II, the operational demonstration, will take place May 22 – 24 2026 at Area X.O in Ottawa, ON, where Bidders showcase their UAS prototypes in actual flight scenarios.

Team Registration by 2025 – 11 – 28

First, teams must express their interest in participating in the competition by sending an email to competition@aerialevolution.ca with the following information: university name, team name, team contact email, and team Google Drive compatible email.

Second, teams must submit the following information and documents: captain contact information, estimated number of team members attending Phase 2, team description document, and team logo.

Lastly, teams must submit their team payment. The payment link will be active in early November. Complete registration details are in the CONOPS.

Support and Sponsorship Opportunities:

Your Strategic Partnership in Shaping the Future of RPAS Leadership:

Sponsorship goes beyond just having your logo featured at an event; it represents a strategic investment in the future trailblazers of the RPAS sector. Your invaluable support empowers us to elevate standards year after year, drawing in top-tier teams with revolutionary ideas. As a sponsor, you actively engage in a dynamic real-world scenario, immersing yourself in the leadership, innovation, and teamwork that define our competitors.

This presents a distinctive opportunity to enhance your competitive edge in talent acquisition. Sponsors attending the competition will receive student competitors’ resumes and have exclusive access to interact with the students throughout the weekend.

To express your interest in sponsoring the 2026 National AEAC Student UAS Competition please contact the sponsorship committee at sponsorship@aerialevolution.ca

Your participation is not just a contribution; it’s a strategic alliance that propels both your brand and the future leaders of the RPAS sector to new heights.

About the Competition

Competition Objective:

Each year, participating teams are tasked with creating innovative concepts, designing a done system, and competing in a sub-scale assessment of their prototypes. These prototypes are evaluated based on their ability to perform a specific task based on an annual competition theme which is selected by the competition committee to challenge the teams in a real-world drone application scenario. Beyond Visual Line of Sight capabilities are a key aspect of evaluation in the Phase 2 Flight Assessment. For reference the competition details are contained in the 2026-AEAC-CONOPS-v1.0-2025-09-14.pdf

Competition Eligibility:

To be eligible for the competition, all competitors must be enrolled either part-time or full-time at a Canadian College or University for the Fall 2025 and/or Winter 2026 terms. We highly encourage teams to embrace diversity by comprising students from various academic years, ranging from first year to graduate programs. Our goal is to promote collaboration and diversity of expertise, encouraging a holistic approach to problem-solving.

Moreover, we welcome joint teams consisting of students from multiple institutions, enabling meaningful collaboration between universities and colleges. Embracing diversity in team composition strengthens the fabric of innovation, fostering an environment where different perspectives and backgrounds converge to create groundbreaking solutions.

We invite all participating teams to embrace our DEI focus as they prepare for next year’s competition. Let’s work together to build a more inclusive and equitable industry, ensuring that every voice is heard and celebrated in the journey of aerial evolution.

Phase 1 Design Paper Winners

Congratulations to our winning teams, and to all of you for completing the first stage of this year’s competition!

First – University of Victoria – UVic AERO

Second – University of Waterloo – WARG

Third – University of Toronto – UTAT UAS

Phase 2 Winners

Congratulations to our outstanding winners.

Hats off to all teams who rose to the challenge with impressive innovation and perseverance, driven by comradery and team spirit.

Waterloo Aerial Robotics Group - WARG

First – University of Waterloo – WARG

Second – University of British Columbia UBC UAS

Third – Carleton University – Blackbird

Special Award Winners

These awards recognize a unique attribute displayed by the team.

Innovation Award University of Toronto UTAT UAS

UTAT UAS use of a computer vison code to approach and then load water from the barrel without any manual input allowing the drone to lock on to the barrel from above and descend while maintaining position wit the auto pilot. They effectively use their proprioceptive sensor suite allowed them to know the volume of water they were carrying each time.

Perseverance Award McGill University MDVFS

MDVFS flew their ambitious tail-sitter UAV progressing from control issues through minor crashes and finally to a more stable flight with a controlled landing, entertaining spectators with acrobatic maneuvers. Throughout their attempts, MDVFS members maintained a positive attitude and were eager to diagnose and correct technical issues. MDVFS demonstrated perseverance for their ability to take an initial setback and turn it into a success.

Judges Award University of Victoria UVic Aero

UVic Aero came prepared for every flight with extensive checklists, safety equipment, and their UAS ready for operations. Their UAS, including UAV and takeoff/landing platform, was easy to transport and quickly deployable. Their elegantly-designed water payload could load a large volume of water almost instantaneously using a plunger mechanism and had comprehensive safeguards for emergency landings, which UVic Aero did not have to use thanks to their refined mission procedures.

Team Spirit Award Polytechnique Montreal Zenith

Zenith brought enthusiasm and energy to the flight during Sunday’s water transport challenge. Having damaged their water tank, Zenith improvised an ingenious new tank with a discarded water bottle and a golf ball. The team was absolutely thrilled to discover their new design was holding and releasing water. Teams and spectators gathered to cheer on Zenith through the excitement of overcoming the odds to succeed in transporting water. Thanks to Zenith for bringing a positive attitude to transform their operation into one of the weekend’s most spirited flights.