  As wireless researchers are tasked to enable wireless communication as
infrastructure in more dynamic aerial settings, there is a growing need for
large-scale experimental platforms that provide realistic, reproducible, and
reliable experimental validation. To bridge the research-to-implementation gap,
the Aerial Experimentation and Research Platform for Advanced Wireless (AERPAW)
offers open-source tools, reference experiments, and hardware to facilitate and
evaluate the development of wireless research in controlled digital twin
environments and live testbed flights. The inaugural AERPAW Challenge, "Find a
Rover," was issued to spark collaborative efforts and test the platform's
capabilities. The task involved localizing a narrowband wireless signal, with
teams given ten minutes to find the "rover" within a twenty-acre area. By
engaging in this exercise, researchers can validate the platform's value as a
tool for innovation in wireless communications research within aerial robotics.
This paper recounts the methods and experiences of the top three teams in
automating and rapidly locating a wireless signal by automating and controlling
an aerial drone in a realistic testbed scenario.
