At Team Arrow, we love building and flying drones. But before we even get to the flying part, we have to conquer an entirely different challenge—transportation. If you’ve ever seen a group of people trying to squeeze an octacopter into a car or lifting a drone that feels heavier than a small fridge, welcome to our world.
When your drone is too big for the trunk, there’s only one logical place left—the roof. Strapping an octacopter to a car roof feels like preparing for battle. We’ve got bungee cords, zip ties, and an unreasonable amount of hope that it won’t turn into a flying saucer on the highway. Driving at anything above 40 mph becomes an adrenaline rush, with every gust of wind testing our engineering skills.
And just to add to the madness, since we couldn’t fully trust our tying skills, my teammates had to hold onto the drone's legs through the car windows. If you ever saw a car speeding down the road with hands sticking out clutching an octacopter for dear life—yes, that was us. Safety first? Well, improvisation first.
Some people go to the gym to lift weights. We just carry our octacopter from the workshop to the flying zone. It’s a full-body workout—shoulders, arms, legs, and even the occasional core engagement when trying not to drop it. And just when you think you’ve made it, there’s always that one teammate who yells, “Wait, we forgot the controller!” Back to square one.
Carrying a 15kg drone through uneven terrain is an extreme sport. Rocks, mud, and tiny but annoying obstacles become major threats to both the drone and our ankles. One unlucky teammate always gets stuck carrying the battery bag—because apparently, we need to bring what feels like a dozen bricks just to keep the octacopter flying.
After what feels like a journey worthy of an epic movie, we finally reach the flying zone. But wait—where do we set up? The grass is too tall, the ground isn’t level, and one wrong move could send the octacopter tumbling before it even takes off. Our only hope? A flat patch of land, which is apparently rarer than a perfect drone flight with zero crashes.
Despite the sweat, sore muscles, and occasional existential crisis while carrying a drone the size of a coffee table, we wouldn’t trade it for anything. The thrill of finally getting it in the air, watching it soar, and capturing amazing footage makes every struggle worth it. Plus, who needs a gym membership when you have a drone to transport?
Until we figure out a way to teleport drones, Team Arrow will continue this never-ending adventure—one heavy lift at a time.