Also known as FPV (First- person view or video) drone racing, is a motorsport type of race that participants control drones that are equipped with cameras while wearing head-mounted displays. These displays are live streaming feeds that come from the drone. This type of racing is like the full -size air racing. The goal is to complete the course as fast as you can. It was an amateur sport that started in late 2014 in Australia.

This is a Minion 220 drone. It is a multi rotor vehicle that is missing a blade on its left rear propeller that broke during a long flying session. One of the issues that occurs when drones are racing.

You can find more about the start and everything related to drone racing here .

What types of drones are used for racing?

Racing drones are small quadcopter devices that are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

There are built specifically for FPV (first person view) racing. These racing events are held in most major cities in the US and around the world. There are also racing drones that are for three different skill levels. There is the Blade Inductrix FPV that is designed for beginners. They cost around $200 and the drone is a durable Tiny Whoop FPV that is great for first-time racers.

The next type of racing drone is for the intermediate racing drone user. It is called the Eachine Wizard X220. It is affordable and unbreakable at a cost lower than $300. It is a ready-to-fly FPV drone and well suited to compete in 250-class events.

The last racing drone is the Vortex 250 PRO. It is a lightweight, durable and very fast drone that is a 250-class winner. It is designed for experienced quad pilots. This drone is also easy to repair. It costs less than $500.

Different Types of Drones

There other types of racing drones that can be used in FPV racing as well. Here is a list of these drones according to skill level:

Beginner:

• Hubsan H107D FPV X4– This drone retails between $702 to $100 – It is a good starter drone for those that are just getting into the FPV drone racing game.
• Hubsan X4 Brushless FPV Quad – This drone retails for $250 to $300 – It is a quadcopter that comes in white and black. Another great choice if you are trying to get your feet wet in the FPV drone racing game.
• QAV FPV210 Kit – This kit is designed to be assembled. If does not come with the flight controller. It retails at $150 to $250.

Intermediate:

• Eachine Falcon 250 Pro FPV – This drone retails for $350 to $400 –it is equipped with a high-quality multidirectional antenna and low power detection that will let you know when it needs to be recharged.
• TargetHobbyKing TBS Vendetta 240 – This drone costs about $500 – it is good for the intermediate FPV drone racer. It has 3.5mm carbon fiber arms that are easy to replace. Weighs 410 grams without the battery and HD camera. This drone comes with GoPro and Mobius / Runcam mount is included with both 10 and 30-degree variations Lost model arm.

If you want more information about racing drones and their types, you can find more information here.

Which are some of the more popular Drone Racing Leagues?

Drone racing leagues are becoming very popular. It is a trend that is happening all over the world. Here are some of the drone racing leagues:

• Aerial Grand Prix: This is a gates-and-flags racing league for 250 Mini, Pro Super Mini and Open Class drones. They hold events in major cities around the world. The tracks can be either indoor and outdoor.
• Aerial Action Sports League: This is an event that lasts for 3 hours and it includes stunts and combat as a part of its schedule.
• FPVRacing TV: This is a social network of racers that are organized into teams. So far, they have 8,862 pilots and hold events in 87 countries to date.
• MultiGP– This racing league only allows first person view radio quadcopters only. They began in 2015 and just added some US cities to its chapter.

This the Huffinwiesser drone that is featured on MulitGP’s website.

 

• RacingFPV.com –This is a Canadian indoor racing league. 250mm and open class that features flags and gates in the structure of their drone races.

Types of Racing Drones used in these leagues

There is a huge list of racing drones that are used in the leagues. Here are some of the drones that are used in these races. The AGP league requires these drones for their beginner format. The drone has to be Mini 100-250 MTM with 4s 1300mah maximum, 5 inch propellers maximum.

Here is an example of the beginner racing drone:

This is the ZMR250 Mini H Quad: It can be used in beginner, intermediate and expert race formats.

The qualifiers for advanced racers are Mini 250 MTM 4s 1300mah maximum with 5 inch propeller maximum.

For expert drone racers, APG requires Mini 250-330 MTM, 3s -4s 1300-2200 maximum

What are FPV Goggles? Why are they needed?

FPV goggles are the devices used to see the feed that is coming straight from the drone the user is controlling. FPV stands for first person view or video. They are needed so the person wearing them can navigate the drone while it is in flight and to see the course as they are running the race. Here is what they look like:

These are a few FPV goggles that are used in FPV drone racing.

If you would like to check out more FPV goggles and their prices go to www.getfpv.com.

Different type of Drone Races

Drone racing leagues on tight, fast-paced course that has many obstacles. These obstacles require drone pilots that are good with how they maneuver through them because it is hard not to crash. The U.S. National Drone Racing Championship conduct their races in open areas where it is less likely have an accident. This is mostly due to flags and cones versus walls and tunnels. They are easier to get through. Here is an example of an indoor drone racing course:

MultiGP gives community standards for their groups to design their courses for safety and they generate individual pilot challenges through their Universal Trial Track program. This ranks pilots worldwide on standard measured courses. Here is an example of an outdoor drone racing course:

You can find more information regarding drone racing tracks at MultiGP and AerialGP

Who are the top Drone racing pilots right now?

There are many leagues that have a list of great drone pilots. For example, Aerial GP has several drone racing pilots on their website. Here is a list of them:

Michan Kim from Korea

DorSmilovitz from Isreal

Metalldanny from Netherlands

Daniel Mashraki from Isreal

Luke Bannister fron the United Kingdom

These are just a few of the drone racing pilots that have did well and in some cases, worldwide. They continue to win prizes and compete in drone races to win money and trophies. There are so many individuals that are involved in these drone races that it is hard to keep up with its growth.

Here is a partial list of MultiGP Top Drone Racing Pilots:

Full Pilot Rankings

1. MAD AIR Madere, Cain

2. FALCONX Carlson, Zach

3. GARZ Garza, Chris

4. BAPUFPV Bapu, Bapu FPV

5. NUBZ Rosado, Anthony

6. NUBB Sams, Blake

7. HUMBOLDT710 Traweek, Shane

8. ENVYASTRO Rodriguez, Ivan

9. DROBOT RACER Gamble, Ashton

10. KODY Knudtson, Kody

You can find out more about their pilots at www.multiGP.com

Why is drone racing becoming so popular?

There is a wonderful experience that comes from flying drone races.

Then when those that put the FPV goggles on and experience the 3D look of what the drone looks like in flight, they need to keep experiencing the thrill.

Drone racing not only gives you the opportunity to experience the thrill of an air race, without the danger, it gives you the feeling of winning once you have mastered the art of piloting a drone at high speed.

The adrenaline rush that comes from flying a drone while wearing FPV goggles gives you an enriching experience that those who have a need for speed want to be a part of this community.

Some of us, as boys, played with remote control cars. It is thrilling to see this vehicle move in the direction that you control it. The same feeling comes when you are controlling a racing drone and get the feeling that you are flying but you never left the ground.

There are some that like the thrill of engaging in competitive race fights. This is where the racing drones can crash into one another and damage each other. Once these challenges are over, a winner emerges (or a damaged drone) and there is usually going to be a need to repair your damaged drone.

There are so many dynamics in the world of racing drones that you can choose which one that you enjoy and get started. This trend of racing drones is growing so rapidly, it has become worldwide.

There is a view that you experience when you are moving at high speeds navigating these drones. Talking to someone that has been involved in the races can inspire them to want to get in the game and experience what it would be like once they put the FPV googles on and fly. All of this while never physically leaving the ground.

FPV drone racing community and media companies like ESPN and Skysports having been pushing this sport forward.

Drone Racing Leagues (DRL) has people like Matt Bellamy, the lead singer of the Muse, investing in it. This dynamic is showing that drone racing is not for kids anymore. Recent history has shown that over 60 events have been organized worldwide. Almost half of these events take place in the US. Some of the race tracks are carefully designed so that it becomes a visual light show, creating an entertaining experience also for spectators. These events have a futuristic look that is amazing and people love to watch these Drone Races. There have been pilots that were as young as 15 years old that have won races and took home $250 home. For a child that age, this would be a good start to something that could last a lifetime.

If you are looking for more information an interesting resource you can use can be found here https://thedroneracingleague.com/videogame/get-started/

If you are looking to get involved in FPV drone racing, there may be a league that is close to where you live. It is a growing industry that people of all ages want to get involved because it appears to be so much fun and competitive.

There is so much that you can learn from being a part of the FPV drone racing industry. There are also chances to win money if you join leagues that allows you to attend events. So, there are so many benefits that can come from participating in FPV drone races. The drones range in prices that include $200 and as high as $500. The FPV googles can cost between $50 to $500 and will cost more for additional features.There are so many different types of drones and FPV devices that are sold online.

If you are serious about getting in the game of FPV drone racing, start small to get used to navigating the drone. Take your drone to the park in an open area and discover the moves that the drove is capable of. Once you have gained the comfort of how to operate your drone, test your skills in small competition with your friends or locate a competition that would allow you to join. There are some that can be could be found on the internet. Maybe you will be the next FPV drone racing leader. We all have something that we are good at or dreams that we want to see come to past. I am not saying that racing drones is a dream that you have but it looks like it can be fun. Why not take a chance and see what it is you can do in the drone race? It would be an experience that you would never forget.