Is Drone Racing The Sport Of The Future?

Drones are not only useful for a number of obvious reasons, but they are also extremely cool tech toys that can be put to their best use as part of cinematic apps and when used in other fields. Drone models that feature top stabilization features and impressive video quality allow us to enjoy some mesmerizing imaging experiences. However, in recent years, drone racing has started to catch the eye and win over the hearts of many sports aficionados looking for a new kick.

Drone racing is considered by many to be the sport of the future and the fast speed at which it has taken over other sports comes to support this belief. A drone pilot is basically busy steering a powerful, lightweight drone, while cleverly avoiding all the popping obstacles in the air, including flags and gates. More often than not, drones that are part of special drone races reach mind-blowing speeds of 100 miles per hour and they compete against other drones, in an attempt to prove their supremacy.

If you are interested in learning more about drone racing as a sport, read on.

How Do Drone Races Work?

Drone pilots interested in enrolling in a drone race need to use special Virtual Reality gear as well as cameras tied to their drones to allow spectators to witness their races up in the sky. The races can be projected on big screens using expert headgear and they can occur in several different locations:

• in the great outdoors, inside a large stadium

• on a sports arena where fans would normally watch their favorite teams play and place online sports bets

• inside abandoned warehouses that are no longer in use

Drone competitions are not particularly lengthy, since they ultimately depend on the size of the batteries fuelling the drones. The battery life of racing drones is quite restrictive, making these races fast and spectacular to watch. This is probably one of the main reasons why lots of people consider the sport as a cool alternative to some more time-consuming sports that are not viable in the fast-paced world we live in.

Drone Racing Competitions Are Held Worldwide

In recent years, drone races have gained more popularity, and they have been given the status of officially recognized sports competitions that are now part of a series of international events organized across the planet. Professional drone racing leagues are attractive for competitors since they can bring them rewarding prizes worth thousands of dollars. One excellent example here is that of a very talented 16-yo teenager from the UK who has won a whopping $250,000 during the World Drone Prix held in Dubai.

The races follow strict regulations issues by FPV organizations that specialize in races in order to make sure all pilots are given equal chances to win.

Lots of media and television stations have expressed their interest in broadcasting these races, with ESPN ready to broadcast drone racing events held in different countries. You can also watch or re-watch older race recordings that have been uploaded to YouTube and a series of other similar streaming platforms.

These are a few of the most popular drone races you could either watch or be a part of in the upcoming months:

The International MultiGP Events

The MultiGP is unique in the sense that it is the only organization that features chapters all across the planet while governing and sanctioning these global events.

First Person View Racing

Aussies and people from New Zealand have always had a burning passion for sports competitions and the FPVR is their main grassroots league that embraces drone races. With periodical meetings, a cool leaderboard, and detailed assessments of their seasonal progress, the FPVR allows anyone interested to join the team and represent it during upcoming events.

The Australian FPV Racing Association Inc. is also the country's association specializing in drone races. Its main role is to promote and continuously develop this sport in the land Down Under.

The IUDRO

This is the first league revolving around drone races that has won its international recognition and which handles the regulating and organizing of drone racing events where worldwide universities will compete against one another. We can mention the University of Cambridge here and its specially tailored drones that have been manufactured from scratch in order to comply with the exact requirements of the organization.

Finally, the Drone Racing League and the Airspeeder are other captivating manned electric flying car and drone racing events. The DRL airs 60-minute races on sports stations like SKY Sports or ESPN, reaching more than 75 countries worldwide.