The Thrill of the Skies

FPV racing is a sport where participants control drones equipped with cameras while wearing head-mounted displays showing the live stream camera feed from the drones. In other words, it's a high-speed race where pilots steer from the drone's perspective, offering an immersive and exhilarating experience.

As the renowned FPV pilot, Carlos Puertolas (better known as Charpu), once said: "FPV is like playing a video game, it's fast and immersive, but the difference is this isn't a game. It's real. You get real adrenaline."

FPV Drones

FPV drones, or quadcopters, are the vehicles that make this sport possible. They are typically smaller than your average hobby drone, optimized for speed, maneuverability, and durability. The FPV camera feed provides pilots with a live video directly from the drone's perspective, enabling them to navigate through complex environments at high speeds.

The Essentials of FPV Racing

At the heart of FPV racing are several key elements:

FPV Drone: This is the drone that the pilot flies. It's equipped with a camera for the first-person view.

Remote Controller: This is how the pilot controls the drone. It sends commands to the drone, telling it to ascend, descend, rotate, move forward, etc.

FPV Goggles: These are worn by the pilot. They display what the drone's camera is capturing in real-time.

A race corse: These are typically marked out using flags or gates. Pilots have to navigate their drones through these courses as quickly as possible.

How to Get Started?

Entering the world of FPV racing might seem intimidating, but fear not, there's an easy and safe way to get started: using a simulator. Simulators offer a highly realistic experience, mimicking the real-world physics of drone flight, which allows you to practice and perfect your piloting skills without the risk of damaging a real drone.

All you need to begin your journey with a simulator is a decently powered computer and a compatible controller. The controllers are the same ones you'd use to fly a real drone, and they connect to your computer, typically via USB. Even moderately-spec'd laptops can handle some of these simulators, making it an accessible way to get a feel for the controls and the FPV perspective.

One of the top simulators currently on the market is Velocidrone, celebrated for its accuracy, variety, and user-friendly interface. It provides a range of environments and drone models to practice with, allowing you to prepare for a multitude of real-world flying situations.

Embracing simulators as a beginner can save you significant amounts of time and money. As the professional racing pilot, Thomas Bitmatta (aka BMS Thomas) remarks: "Simulators allow us to crash a thousand times from the comfort of our home. It's the ultimate practice tool, without the real-world repair bill!

Once you've built up your confidence and skills in a simulator, transitioning to real-world flights becomes a much smoother process. Start with some basic equipment – a drone, a controller similar to the one you've practiced with in Velocidrone, and FPV goggles – and you'll be taking to the skies before you know it. With persistence and practice, you'll soon be zipping through racecourses with the best of them.

You are not alone!

Learning how to build and maintain your drone is part of the FPV racing journey, and thankfully, there are abundant resources to guide you. Notably, Joshua Bardwell, often referred to as the 'FPV Know-It-All,' offers a wealth of knowledge through his YouTube channel. His detailed guides on building, troubleshooting, and improving racing drones are invaluable to both newcomers and seasoned pilots. Similarly, many others, like Rotor Riot, Evan Turner, Bacon Ninja share their insights, tutorials, inspiration and reviews to help the FPV community thrive.

Beyond online resources, don't overlook the value of your local RC clubs. These organisations bring together hobbyists and experts who share your passion and can offer hands-on advice. A great example is the HOBIzone club in Saue, known for its welcoming community and expertise in the hobby. Engaging with these resources and communities can expedite your journey into the thrilling world of FPV drone racing.

More than Just a Hobby!

FPV racing is not just a sport but also a hobby that can bring many benefits to people of all ages. A study published in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions (Király et al., 2019) points out that moderate use of digital technology, including drone racing, can improve visuospatial skills and reaction times.

Additionally, an article in Gerontechnology (Fernández-Álvarez et al., 2018) suggests that FPV drone piloting can have significant cognitive benefits for seniors, including improved spatial orientation, focus, and memory retention.

FPV racing fosters a community spirit, bridging age gaps and creating a platform for people from diverse backgrounds to connect and collaborate. It's a hobby that sparks creativity, encourages learning, and promotes a healthy competitive spirit.

One of the best FPV racers in the world, MinChan Kim, once observed: "In FPV, age and background don't matter. All that counts is the joy of flight, the thrill of the race."

How young is too young and 
how old is too old?

Drone racing is a hobby that can be enjoyed by individuals across a wide age range, but there are some considerations to take into account at both ends of the spectrum.

Younger Enthusiasts: The minimum age for drone racing largely depends on a child's ability to understand and follow safety rules, their hand-eye coordination, and their ability to responsibly handle the equipment. Many kids start flying toy drones around the age of 8 to 10, and with adult supervision and guidance, can graduate to racing drones as they grow older. Some racing leagues, like EDRL and others, have junior categories for pilots as young as 12 or even younger.

Older Enthusiasts: There's no upper age limit for drone racing. As long as an individual is in good health and comfortable with the technology, they can enjoy the sport. Hand-eye coordination and reflexes do play a significant role in competitive racing, so the level of competition an older adult might participate in could vary. However, many older adults find great joy in flying drones recreationally, even if they don't compete in high-speed races.