Getting Started
Arrow is a global community building open-source aircraft. No gatekeeping, no approval process. If you want to contribute, you can start today.
You don't need permission to start. Just communicate with the community so you stay aligned on what's actually needed.
Spend 20 minutes getting a basic picture of what Arrow is and how it operates before jumping into Discord or GitHub.
- What is Arrow? — Mission, structure, the short version
- Our Projects — Quiver, Spearhead, what's in development
- How We Work — Async culture and how decisions get made
- Why a DAO? — Why we're organized this way
Discord is where Arrow actually lives. Meetings, coordination, hardware updates, off-topic chatter. It all happens there. Drop into #community-chat and say hi.
We hold regular community calls announced in the events tab. These are the fastest way to get a feel for the project and meet people. No agenda required to attend.
Before jumping into work, read through some of the ongoing conversation.
The DAO Forum is where governance proposals, grants, and project discussions are posted publicly. Reading through a few recent AIPs shows you how Arrow actually makes decisions and what's getting attention right now.
The YouTube channel has flight test footage, build videos, and demos. Seeing the hardware fly makes the whole thing feel less abstract.
Arrow needs help across a wide range of areas. You don't have to be an aerospace engineer.
We regularly need people with skills in mechanical design and CAD, electronics and PCB work, software (embedded, web, companion computer, ground control), flight testing, documentation, and video production. If you have a skill and want to use it, there's probably something useful you can do.
Don't have expensive tools? Most design work happens in software — CAD tools like Fusion 360 and OnShape have free tiers, and all electronics work uses open source tooling. For hardware, most builds can be done with basic workshop tools or on-demand services like local makerspaces and PCB fabs.
Not sure how much time you have? However much you can give. Some contributors are here daily; others drop in once a month. Both are genuinely valuable. Arrow works because small contributions compound.
If you're not sure where to start, some genuinely easy first contributions: fix a typo in the docs, test a guide and report what's confusing, answer a question in Discord, or leave a comment on an open PR.
For funded work, browse open bounties on the Bounty Board or the DAO Forum. If you want to build hardware, we loan out Quiver dev-kits to contributors developing attachments. See the Project Quiver docs for details.
One thing you do need before any PRs can be merged: sign the Contributor License Agreement. It takes about a minute and only needs to be done once.
If you're contributing code or documentation, these are worth reading before you submit anything.
- Development Guide — Git workflow, branching conventions, commit style, local setup
- Writing Style Guide — How docs are written at Arrow
- Code Style Guides — Python, TypeScript, Rust conventions
- Brand Guidelines — Logos, colors, how to represent Arrow
Tools:
| Tool | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Discord | Chat, meetings, coordination |
| GitHub | Code, hardware designs, issues |
| DAO Forum | Governance, grants, proposals |
| Arrow Drive | Presentations, brand assets |
Adding your profile to the Contributors page is a solid first PR. It gets you through the full contribution workflow without any pressure, and it puts your name in the record.
- Copy the contributor template
- Go to the contributors directory on GitHub
- Click Add file, then Create new file
- Fill it out and open a PR against
staging
Questions? Ask in Discord.