How to Get Started in Drone Racing

Drone racing is a sport that attracts people of all backgrounds and skill levels. The sport requires a high level of concentration, critical thinking, and problem-solving in real time, while pushing an autonomous system to its limits. It also demands a high degree of physical fitness and endurance. And although the drones themselves are small, they can travel at speeds of eighty miles per hour.

To win a race, pilots must complete a course—typically a loop-the-loop around a stadium and up through a series of gates—in the shortest possible time. The first pilot to successfully complete three full laps wins the race and earns a spot in the world championship event of that season.

The Drone Racing League (DRL) is a professional drone racing league that operates globally. It makes all the drones used in its competitions, and the pilots use specialized FPV goggles to fly them, giving them the illusion of flying inside the drone itself.

Unlike the consumer drones that can be flown with an app, racers’ drones have no autopilot functions, so they must manually control each function in order to fly correctly. Pilots maneuver the drones with thick controllers containing two small joysticks: the left stick controls throttle and yaw, while the right controls pitch and roll. Adjusting these variables is akin to controlling a helicopter.

A good drone racer can fly a course with the slightest of movements, a feat that translates to less damage to their drone and a faster finish. But the sport has a steep learning curve, and it can be difficult for even top drone pilots to improve their skills.

For aspiring drone racers, the best way to get started is by attending a DRL event. The league hosts races worldwide, and the DRL Sim—a virtual-reality drone racing simulator—allows players to compete against the pros in a similar setting.

When you enter a DRL arena, you’ll find drones of all shapes and sizes parked on dozens of tables. The most common drones are LED-bedazzled, black carbon-plastic bricks with four rotors that jut out of the corners. The drones are tethered to a computer, which runs a sophisticated algorithm that calculates the drone’s position and velocity 400 times every second.

DRL has partnered with Draganfly, a drone solutions developer, to run the DRL Labs innovation hub at the venues where its races are held. The hub aims to research new drone autonomy and advanced sensing, AI solutions, and health monitoring. For example, pilots will be monitored during the races for physiological responses to high-speed racing and the potential risk of injury.

After a week of practice, the pilots compete in several head-to-head races against Swift. The first pilot to successfully complete three full, consecutive laps—passing each gate in the correct sequence on each lap—wins the race. But as the competitors fumble with their tethered drones, one or more will tumble into gates, walls, and floors. Crashing is a normal part of the competition, and DRL has a team of staff to replace or repair damaged drones before the next heat starts.