Drone racing has been a popular pastime for many years now, and it’s only growing in popularity. In fact, it is estimated that drone racing will become an Olympic sport by 2030.
If you want to get into the hobby but aren’t sure where to start, this article is for you. Here are 9 steps on how to get into drone racing:
How to Get Into drone Racing:
Staring drone racing is not hard as you think. Although is something that needs a lot of commitment and hard work to improve, if you follow these steps and start practising for a while you will notice the results in no time.
1. Find a drone to buy and learn how to fly it
There are a lot of options to choose from, but you need to start with something that is easy to fly and tinker with.
We have a couple buying that will help find your best drones, some of them are as follows:
Best Fpv Drones
Best racing Drones
Once you get the basics down then you can try out flying other drones made specifically for racing.
Some good starter drones include DJI Spark, Holy Stone HS700 FPV Drone RC Drone or Eachine E010 Mini UFO Quadcopter.
These mini-drones have a couple of unique flight modes including 360° eversion so they are suitable even if this is your first time piloting an aircraft.
They also come packed in boxes with everything included such as a transmitter, battery, charger etc., which means no additional purchases are required when starting out drone racing.
You will also need to learn on how How to fly a drone. this is a very important step and takes the longest time when compared to the process of finding and buying a drone.
2. Understand the basics of drone racing
There are a couple of terms that you need to understand if you want to get into the drone racing scene.
These include:
FPV – stands for “First Person View” and is jargon for an immersive type of flying where the pilot feels he/she is inside the aircraft as opposed to looking at it from outside like in line-of-sight flying. Refer to our guide on What is an Fpv drone
FPV Racing – a type of drone racing where the pilot uses the Best Fpv goggles to experience an immersive point-of-view as if they were sitting inside the cockpit and flying like with a real aeroplane.
Racing Drones (or “FPV drones”) are designed specifically for this purpose, which means that you cannot fly them like a traditional drone.
Racing drones are typically smaller and lighter than typical consumer quadcopters, and they usually require some expertise to fly properly due to their powerful motors and fast speeds compared to the average unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
They also come with four rotors instead of two or three that is found in most drones.
Racing drones can come in different sizes and styles, but most of them are classified as either 250 or 280 because those numbers represent the size of their propellers (the larger ones tend to be faster)
They also vary greatly on price depending on if you go for a basic model such as the Quadcopter Hubsan X4 H502S or something more advanced like the Drone X pro
FPV racing is not easy but it provides an unparalleled type of flying experience that no other kind of drone can match.
It also gets you addicted to the hobby because every time you try a new track and get used to its obstacles, your race times will improve.
In addition, you will never get bored of it because the courses are always changing and there is no machine that can do all tricks out-of-the-box.
For this reason, more expensive drone racing kits provide both basic models to learn with but also higher-end ones for pros who want to train themselves in flying at high speeds and performing cool stunts.
3. Learn about safety and protocol for operating drones
Drone safety is a topic that needs to be covered early on if you want to get into drone racing.
There are many different types of drones, but they all have one thing in common: the rotors can cause damage when objects come too close – this includes people or other vehicles especially considering they move at high speeds compared with regular consumer drones.
This is why you need to ensure that other people and cars are at a safe distance when flying your drone – otherwise, it will be ruined in just one collision (which also means the pilot’s life might be at risk).
To prevent this from happening, make sure to stick to sanctioned areas such as events or dedicated flying fields.
The exact rules will vary depending on the country but in most cases, it is best to be behind an extended line of sight where you can spot your drone at all times or fly with someone else who has eyes on the aircraft during flight (visual observer)
This is because racing drones are small and they move very fast – most pilots will not be able to see them if they fly too far away.
4. Practice flying with an instructor at a field or remote location
Practice is essential when it comes to drone racing, especially if you want to get good at it.
These drones are faster than regular consumer models and they do not fly like a toy (ranging from different light-weight materials for the frame to high-end electronics that allow them to perform flips)
This is why most pilots recommend learning how to operate one under the supervision of an experienced pilot who knows what he/she is doing
In addition, these people will be able to provide guidance on which type of model suits your needs best depending on experience level or budget.
There are many pro races out there where beginners can contact pro teams and instructors so they can offer their services for free just so you can try before buying anything. This includes both events and individual sessions.
However, if you plan on getting a drone for yourself to practice with, make sure it has a camera attached as FPV flying is what most pilots do in this sport.
This way, you can get the feeling of being behind the controls from whatever perspective your quadcopter provides – whether that be a first-person view or a bird’s eye perspective.
5. Take the FAA knowledge test to get your pilot’s license
Before you can fly a drone as a hobbyist, there are some requirements that need to be met.
In the US, these fall under Part 107 of federal aviation law which requires all pilots who own drones over 0.55 pounds (or 250 grams) and less than 55 pounds (or 25 kilograms).
This also clarified and explained well by jrupprechtlaw
This means that most racing drones will qualify for it – but check with your local authorities first just in case because they might have different rules based on weight or if FPV flying is allowed at all.
However, there is also another option available: getting an official drone license from the FAA like any other type of aircraft such as planes or helicopters would require before taking off.
6. Join the club and take part in their events
Taking part in events and races is practically a requirement if you want to get better at drone racing.
In addition, these are the best places for beginners as they will meet other pilots and learn from them what works and what does not.
This includes tips on how to improve their skills or which parts of the course need tweaking so that it becomes easier to fly through faster.
These events can be small-scale but some clubs have already taken part in high-level international races such as Drone Worlds Championship.
They might also offer beginner sessions just like academies do where instructors teach newbies about drone safety rules, regulations, requirements before being able to participate in an event.
These types of meetings usually take place once per month with most groups requiring registration beforehand because spots tend to get filled up quickly.
Also, some clubs might require their members to be part of a team or pay membership fees before joining an event so that they can get more exposure and attract sponsors for future races.
7. Build up hours of experience by flying as much as possible
Building up experience in drone racing is one of the most important things you can do to get better at it.
There are several ways for this but practising on your own quadcopter is probably the best way to go about doing that because there will be no limitations or rules other than what you have set for yourself before taking off.
However, there are other ways to gather hours of experience as well.
One way is by attending events and races because these usually offer beginner sessions where pilots can learn the ropes before competing with more experienced ones.
This includes basic courses on how to navigate through an obstacle course or which tricks work best for flying fast without crashing too much – both skills that will help them become better at this sport.
There are also online tutorials available but most people recommend getting some flight time under your belt first just so you get a feel for it before moving on to something more advanced like virtual reality racing games.
Also, try joining clubs in order to gain access to drone race tracks across the country instead of having to go out looking for one yourself otherwise.
As a novice, it might be quite hard to find one close by but there are also virtual tracks available online which can serve as excellent training tools.
8. Practice, practice, practice!
Most experts agree that the number one tip of all time for beginners is to keep practising. Actually, it is a crucial step on how to get into drone racing.
There is no shortcut or quick way around this if you want to learn how to fly fast and not crash too often – which is absolutely essential in order to become good at drone racing.
Another thing about practising as much as possible: it can be done virtually anywhere, anytime – even inside your own house.
You might think this would make flying more difficult but actually, quite the opposite because there are also virtual reality games available online where players compete with each other by using VR headsets.
Also, these types of games simulate real-life races so they serve as excellent training tools for anyone looking forward to taking part in it.
9. Join Drone Racing Leagues
For most people, flying is just a hobby which they enjoy doing on the weekends. However, some decide to take it more seriously and compete with other pilots in order to win races or become part of big national teams that are sponsored by companies so that they can travel across the country for events.
Drones Leagues that may be helpful:
Thedroneracingleague
Multigp
fpvuk
This is why joining drone racing leagues will help you learn how to fly better as well as meet others like yourself who share this passion – including experienced racers who might be able to provide valuable tips about improving your skills behind the remote control if given half a chance.
Most groups hold regular meetings where members can attend them without paying any fees but there are also organised sessions held once per month out at race tracks around the country.
Our Conclusion on how to get into drone racing
For those who are interested in getting involved with drone racing, there are various ways to get started.
You can join a local club or organization that hosts races on a regular basis. There is also the option of attending an event where you may be able to meet some other enthusiasts and learn more about how they got into this exciting hobby.
Regardless of which route you take, it’s important to remember that safety should always come first when operating drones.
That means understanding the rules for air space restrictions as well as what kind of equipment will work best so your flights don’t end up disastrously crashing down onto someone else’s property!
Feel free to leave any questions below and don’t forget to share this guide.