As drones have moved from fringe hobbyist gear to mainstream technology, they’ve taken off in schools, too. What once was an extracurricular curiosity is now a core part of STEM education in classrooms across the U.S. And into this space steps Drone Legends, a full-service platform promising to bring aerial robotics to students from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Drone Legends offers a range of kits and curricula designed to teach everything from basic science concepts to real-time first-person view (FPV) drone racing. It’s ambitious. It’s relatively polished. Yet — for many schools — it’s expensive. I spent hours digging through the curriculum materials, examining the hardware partnerships, comparing competitors and evaluating whether Drone Legends is worth the price tag.
My take: it’s one of the most comprehensive options available, especially for schools that want to go beyond one-off drone demos and build a long-term, standards-aligned program. But it’s not the cheapest, and it’s not for every classroom.
Drone Legends: What you get
Drone Legends is not one product. Rather, it’s a suite of educational programs designed for different age ranges:
Little Legends (Grades K–3): A story-based program focused on teamwork, play, and early STEM exposure. There’s no drone piloting here. Instead, kids follow characters through themed challenges designed to teach concepts like problem-solving and cooperation. (Price: $2,999)
STEM Fundamentals (Grades 4–8): The flagship program for upper elementary and middle school. This includes actual drones and missions that task students with solving simulated real-world problems, like disaster response or environmental mapping. Students work in teams and use basic coding, critical thinking and design skills. (Price: $5,499, though it’s modifiable with small or large class options)
Egyptian Expedition (Grades 5–8): A virtual extension of STEM Fundamentals that brings coding and drone simulation into a narrative set in ancient Egypt. It’s ideal for schools that want a digital-only option or a budget-friendly add-on.
FPV Initiator (Grades 8–12): This is Drone Legends’ most ambitious program. It’s designed for high schools and primarily built around real FPV racing. It’s a precision drone pilot training course that culminates in live multiplayer competitions through the Unified Scholastic Drone Racing Association (USDRA). Students use real drones, fly in simulators and even compete in livestreamed races. (Price: $12,500, though there’s a small class option for $6,499)
Why the high school program focuses on FPV
The standout piece of the Drone Legends course series is its FPV Initiator program, aimed at high school students.
Now I’ve reviewed many high school drone programs. Some are generic to just building drones or coding them to fly autonomous in a specific direction. I particularly enjoy drone light show courses, where high school students can actually choreograph their own custom drone show (offered through sites like DroneBlocks).
But few offer an entire curriculum dedicated to FPV (one of the few others being DroneBlocks). And yes, devoting an entire curriculum to FPV is a no-brainer for today’s students. FPV drone racing is gaining popularity fast, and Drone Legends has leaned into this with a competitive advantage: a structured path from classroom learning to national-level student leagues.
Through the Drone Legends FPV Initiator program, students are equipped with Orqa FPV goggles, controllers, and the lightweight NewBeeDrone AcroBee65 drone. These are legit racing tools — the same kind used in entry-level professional drone racing. Students also use Orqa’s free FPV SkyDive simulator to practice flying and race online in e-sports-style events. For schools looking to add a high-skill, high-reward activity alongside their esports or robotics team, this is arguably the most turnkey racing curriculum available.
More about Drone Legends costs — and when it’s worth it
For teachers on a limited budget, the biggest caveat with Drone Legends will likely be the cost.
The FPV Initiator full classroom kit, which includes hardware for 10 students, software, and the full curriculum, retails for around $12,500. That’s a steep investment, even by educational technology standards. Though, there’s also an option for smaller classes available for $6,499.
The STEM Fundamentals kit starts lower, but it’s targeting a younger demographic (elementary and middle school for STEM Fundamentals, versus high school for FPV Initiator). Still that one costs $5,500.
The upside? Everything is included, from lesson plans to flight gear. For a school looking to roll out a multi-year drone curriculum with competitive racing options, this is a one-stop shop. But for smaller programs, or schools testing the waters, the up-front cost might be prohibitive.
What’s new with Drone Legends? A Part 107 prep course
Drone Legends is constantly evolving, and its new, classroom-ready Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 Remote Pilot Exam Prep curriculum is proof of that. Passing that exam gives you the license you need to legally fly drones commercially.
Unlike many Part 107 online test prep courses, this one is designed for in-person use, with group activities to keep students engaged. It also includes quizzes, mini exams and a full-length practice test, alongside printable materials and Google Forms.
The Drone Legends Part 107 course comes included for free with the FPV Initiator and STEM Fundamentals courses. Otherwise, standalone school site licenses are $2,900 per school site.
Though taking the Part 107 test is only available to people ages 16 and older, it still can work for middle and high school students to given them critical drone safety and operational information — and to ready them for when they turn 16.
How Drone Legends compares to other drone programs
Drone Legends is multiple different curriculums aimed at students of different levels, each tackling different subject areas.
And of course, Drone Legends isn’t the only drone education game out there. Competitors like DroneBlocks, Drone Cadets and CoDrone all offer more modular or coding-focused experiences.
Drone Legends versus DroneBlocks
DroneBlocks is great for teaching programming, particularly block-based and Python coding. It’s more affordable and flexible but you might find it lacks team-based curriculum depth that Drone Legends offers. Still, it’s likely the closest competitor to Drone Legends.
Like Drone Legends, DroneBlocks has its own drone racing kit, this one created in partnership with the MultiGP STEM Alliance. The DroneBlocks FPV kit includes hardware, curriculum and racing simulation software, plus registration for two teams to enter the MultiGP “Drones in Schools” League. That kit starts at $3,500 and includes five drones (so you may find yourself buying more so each student can have one).
DroneBlocks also takes things a step further with other course options. For example, there’s a DroneBlocks light show kit that includes both the curriculum as well as 10 swarm drones so you can build your own drone light show. That kit costs $7,500, though there are options to add more drones which increases the price (the 90-drone kit would cost $58,000).
Drone Legends versus Drone Cadets
What differentiates Drone Cadets is that it leans into community engagement, leadership, and social-emotional learning. It’s a compelling program for schools with strong youth mentorship goals, but its technical curriculum is less extensive.
Drone Cadets places a heavy emphasis on making drone light shows, which is also fun. If you’d rather make drone light shows versus do FPV racing, Drone Cadets might make more sense to you.
Drone Legends versus CoDrone
CoDrone is a solid mid-tier option, offering programmable drones with robust lesson plans. It’s not as rich in story or mission-based learning as Drone Legends, and doesn’t have the same esports or racing integration. But, it’s seen success in some powerhouse schools, including Kentucky’s Kammerer Middle School. In fact, their students wrote a review of the CoDrone (including some legitimate complaints) for The Drone Girl.
CoDrone EDU is available as a standalone drone for $249 each. Or, you can purchase a complete 18-pack CoDrone EDU kit with lesson plans for $5,700.
Where Drone Legends fits into the mix
Drone Legends stands apart by combining all three: flight, coding, and competition. It’s a good long-term pick as students can progress through the courses as they get older. And that final course is perhaps the most fun, offering structured entry into a national student racing league with livestreamed multiplayer events.
Drone Legends: is it worth it?
Drone Legends is one of the most thoughtfully developed K–12 drone education platforms we’ve seen. The materials are classroom-ready. The drones used are durable and appropriate for students. And the mix of mission-based learning, simulation and real FPV flight keeps students engaged and challenged.
That said, it’s a serious commitment — financially and logistically. Schools with a strong STEM or esports pipeline will likely find this program worth the investment, especially for the FPV Initiator track. But if you’re just looking to add drones as a STEM enrichment activity or club, you might be better served by a lower-cost, more modular platform like DroneBlocks or CoDrone.
I recommend Drone Legends for schools that are ready to go all-in on drones — not just as flying toys, but as serious tools for building teamwork, tech fluency and future careers.
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