26 July 2024
Part-time soldier and Army Drone Team racer, Corporal William Maloney, is determined to give young people in rural NSW opportunities to gain knowledge and experiences often more accessible to city students.
Corporal Maloney grew up on a remote farm in Oberon with limited opportunities to pursue a tertiary education, which meant moving away from home and supporting himself.
He decided to join the Army Reserve as an infantryman with 1st/19th Battalion, the Royal New South Wales Regiment, to pay his way through university.
Little did he know that 13 years later, his part-time Army career would have a direct connection to his full-time career as an educator.
In 2023, Corporal Maloney joined the Army Drone Racing Team to pursue his interest in racing and avionics.
Apart from enhancing his racing skills, it ignited a passion for teaching coding, programming and engineering concepts for building and maintaining drones.
Corporal Maloney is the head teacher of technology and applied studies at Denison College, Kelso High Campus in Bathurst.
Serving about 800 students, the school is located in an area with a socioeconomic status below the state's average. Many students face barriers to their learning because of poverty and disability, which, for some, can lead to inconsistent attendance and disengagement resulting in poor learning outcomes.
Inspired by his experience in the Army Drone Racing Team, Corporal Maloney created a STEM program for the curriculum, centred on drones.
“There is a natural synergy in implementing drones within an applied learning setting, making it a perfect fit to incorporate my experience with the Army Drone Racing Team into our school program,” Corporal Maloney said.
“This hands-on experience allows students to build, program and fly their own drones.”
The STEM outreach program blends technical expertise with drone racing as well as equipping students with creativity and problem-solving skills.
“It's incredibly fulfilling to mentor young people, helping them not only improve their drone piloting skills, but also expand their understanding of avionics, drones, and encourages critical thinking,” he said.
“For some of our students, success in traditional course work can be infrequent, so this program provides them with an opportunity to gain valuable skills and confidence while enjoying themselves.”
Corporal Maloney also supports the development of the Australian Army Cadet Drone Racing Team. Over the past two years, the cadet team has grown significantly, largely because of guidance and mentorship from Army Drone Racing Team pilots.
"The Army Drone Racing Team conducts a cadet drone camp each year, and the progress of these young pilots has been remarkable. In fact, one cadet who started flying just this year will represent Australia in China later this year,” Corporal Maloney said
Drone racing is becoming more popular because of its accessibility, low equipment costs, and the immersive first-person view of the race action. It is an authorised and encouraged adaptive sport in the Army.
The Army Drone Racing Team engages in Defence and civilian activities to promote and foster involvement in the sport.
