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Tell me a bit more about you!
My name’s Vinay Hirani, I’m currently an Associate Systems Engineer working in UAS Trials and Experimentation in QinetiQ’s Small UAS facility, where we build, test, modify and fly UAS for a variety of different applications. We do all the flying ourselves as a capability, as we all have CAA certification, along with internal and external training programmes to be able to handle multiple platforms, complex tasks and beyond line-of-sight flights.
How has being a part of the UAS Challenge prepared you for working at QinetiQ?
I competed in the UAS Challenge in 2021 just after COVID-19 and I was a mentor to the 2022 and 2023 teams as well. I graduated in July 2023 after completing my Master’s degree of Aeronautical Engineering at Loughborough.
What I’m doing now is directly linked to my course in Aeronautical Engineering and diploma in Industrial Studies, and being a part of the UAS Challenge gave me the right knowledge and experience to be in the role I am now. The challenge gives you a taste of what drone technology is available now and where it's going, because you're always trying to come up with cool, radical concepts for your UAS and as a team you try to put it all together.
You're submitting your ideas, business plans and doing all the engineering reporting for your UAS, which is exactly what it is like in the real world. It’s perfect: you don't realise it at first and think “Oh, this is all a bit of a waste of time; I'm not here to do business, I’m here to do engineering!” and then you realise “Actually, hold on a minute: this is exactly what it's like!” You bid for a project, submit all your technical analysis and engineering reports, get it approved and then go out, build it and fly it. It really is as real world as it gets for a student.
What would you say to a student who is thinking about doing the UAS Challenge?
If you have never competed before, don’t worry! There are always people in the team who have been in the exact same position and there's always someone that you can reach out to and work with.
The fly-off is a great atmosphere as well. Everyone wants to get everybody’s design that they have been working on all year up in the air and flying. When I took part in 2021, I remember helping a lot of the other teams, especially with their fail-safes and getting their flight parameters sorted, because at the end of the day, everyone just wants to see their UAS fly - everyone's here clapping and cheering each other along.
Finally, the UAS Challenge is a great way to find out about and meet the sponsoring companies and hear how you could do this as a job if you really want to!
What advice would you give to teams?
Don't be afraid! I did this as a hobby before I started the UAS Challenge; that's an easy way in if you don't really want to do it as part of a big team.
There are loads of YouTube videos and kits you can pick up to have a tinker with and I would encourage you to get in touch with your drone society as well – it’s a great way to get you started. I know a lot of societies have training platforms available to fly and someone from the society will be more than happy to teach you how to build and fly them.
How can UAS Challenge participants learn more about QinetiQ?
QinetiQ offer undergraduate placements and internships, which gives the chance to work across lots of different projects and locations, and they support the work you do as part of your course. Visit our Early Careers page for more information and to sign up for alerts when applications open again later this year.