UAV DACH PRECISION PILOT CHALLENGE 2026

Live Drone Competition at XPONENTIAL Europe in Düsseldorf

A bridge becomes the challenge.

The Theodor Heuss Bridge in Düsseldorf – built in 1957 – will serve as a real-world test site for professional drone inspections.

At XPONENTIAL Europe 2026, March 24–26, we will demonstrate how modern UAV technology can inspect infrastructure faster, safer and in a data-driven way.

How can we inspect infrastructure faster, safer and with data to support decisions?

Europe’s leading trade fair for autonomous systems and robotics is answering that question with a precision-focused competition: the UAV DACH Precision Pilot Challenge 2026, in collaboration with Airteam and DroneMasters.

You will not be flying alone out in the field. You will fly live as part of XPONENTIAL Europe 2026 in front of a community from industry, tech start-ups, research and public authorities.

A real bridge section.
20 minutes of flight time.
A competition that makes skill visible.

Why it matters: This is where you prove what professional drone inspection really means and measure yourself against other ambitious pilots.

And then comes the moment:
UAV DACH Precision Pilot 2026—awarded live on the XPONENTIAL Europe stage.

Your mission

Create a complete, structured, and technically sound bridge inspection.

This is where it becomes clear that drones can replace scaffolding, reduce closure times and enable digital twins that engineers can actually work with.

How it works:

Apply by 17 March 2026
Live flights on 24 & 25 March 2026 – data capture on a real bridge section
Final & award on 26 March 2026 – award ceremony live on the XPONENTIAL Europe stage

Real pilot skills will be evaluated

1. Flight precision

Requirement: manual flight mode
(not pre-programmed)
Clean image overlap
Stable camera work

2. Coverage of critical areas

Substructure
Piers
Transition structure / bearings
Cross girders

3. Data usability

Are the data accurate?
Is a clean 3D reconstruction possible?
Were relevant close-up details captured?

4. Inspection logic & documentation

Were potential weak points identified?
Is the structure traceable and clear?
Can an engineer work with it?

We look forward to your application!

Please send:

Name, age, and address / place of residence
Drone license (class)
Drone type and registration number
How many years you’ve worked as a drone pilot

Application deadline: 17 March 2026

Apply now!

Organized by:

The challenge is organized by UAV DACH e.V. – European Unmanned Aviation Association together with Airteam and DroneMasters. Taking part means: gain hands-on experience, build your network and become part of the European UAS community.