Drone races are one of the most exhilarating parts of the hobby. Pilots go head-to-head racing for trophies, prizes, and, most importantly, bragging rights. Events are held across the globe by local MultiGP chapters and international racing leagues like the Drone Racing League (DRL), Drone Champions League (DCL), and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). The three-letter leagues often have the most elite drone racers competing, but do not let that intimidate you – many have open tryouts that give anyone the ability to make a roster spot. Getting to the point where you try out may take a little while, especially if you are just getting started drone racing. Here is how I prepare for a drone race and what you can expect at a drone race.
The game before the game – Practice, practice, practice
Nobody who is anybody ever started as a professional on day one. The road to the podium starts at your workbench and simulator. Take your time building your racing drones; the goal is to make them reliable BEFORE you make them go fast. There is no point in having a fast drone that works perfectly once. If you plan to fly outdoors, consider conformal coating the flight stack or using a stack saver to prevent debris from causing electrical issues. GetFPV offers solutions like “Worry Free FPV Coating.” Alternatively, you can purchase MG Chemicals Silicone Conformal Coating. If you want the stand so you don’t spill a new bottle all over the place, it is available on Thingiverse here.
Take time to get familiar with your aircraft too. Once you find a setup that works for you, make your other drones as identical as you can. Consistency is important, especially if one drone breaks – the replacement will perform the exact same way. Charge some batteries, and go out and fly. Learn the limits of your ability and SLOWLY try and improve your skill. Do not be afraid to crash, either! The saying goes, “If you ain’t crashin’, you ain’t improving!” Get used to making field repairs, too, when at a drone race, you will not have your fancy workbench there with you.
Another training method I use is a flight simulator. There is a great write-up on The Role of Simulators in FPV Training on our website. Personally, I recommend Velocidrone, but there are other amazing simulators, like The DRL Sim or DCL, that you can use. There are weekly online racing leagues that host events almost every day of the week. I have included links to the events’ Discord servers. Keep an eye out for special multi-week events that will be announced throughout the year and are posted to the different servers. Currently, the weekly schedule looks like this:
Tuesday
- Twig League (Velocidrone) – 00:30 UK | 19:30 EST
- Taco Tuesday (DRL Simulator) – 06:30 UK | 13:30 EST and 01:00 UK | 20:00 EST
Wednesday
- Redding (Velocidrone) – 01:00 UK | 20:00 EST
- SGDC Average Jane/Joe (Velocidrone) – 20:30 UK | 15:30 EST
Thursday
- TBS EU Spec Race (Velocidrone) – 19:30 UK | 14:30 EST
- FMV Average Jane/Joe (Velocidrone) – 01:00 UK | 20:00 EST
- Thursday Throwdown (DRL Simulator) – 06:30 UK | 13:30 EST
One is none, and two is one, which is why you need at least four!
You may have heard the saying before, and it is absolutely applicable to drone races. Make sure you have at least some spare parts for all of your drones – especially consumable parts like propellers and spare arms. I like to have my props in gallon-sized ziplock bags to organize clockwise and counterclockwise props. GetFPV stocks the “Ethix Prop Organizer Bag” which is a more robust propeller organization system.
I also bring spare motors, an assortment of hardware, and extra electronics. Everything has a place in my spare parts bag, so it can easily be located if (when) needed. All of the spare ESCs, flight controllers, receivers, and HDZero video transmitters are pre-configured with my settings so I can quickly replace broken parts. I bring a laptop so I can make configuration changes in Betaflight if needed. I also bring a set of SD cards with different versions of HDZero firmware just in case something needs to be reflashed with factory defaults (bugs happen!).
My wife and I use a fleet of identical drones that we have optimized for quick repairs using MR30 connectors on the motors and JST connectors where we can. We both practice assembling and disassembling our drones, so we are familiar with making quick repairs in the field.
I like to use the FPVFC checklists available here: https://fpvfc.org/checklists to help make sure that I do not forget anything important. In addition to that list, I try to bring some light snacks and a cooler of water. Even though drone races do not involve a ton of physical movement, it can get really hot at the venue! Hydration helps keep you sharp and focused on doing your best.
Drone Race Day: It’s go time!
So you have practiced to the best of your ability, you have everything packed for the drone race, let’s go to the field to get started! Try to arrive as close to the official start time as you can. I try to unload my trunk and mark a space for myself by placing equipment on a table before I start helping. This way, I can visually confirm all my stuff is present.
You will most likely not be able to show up and start flying because the track is not set up yet. The race director or chapter organizers will have a heap of supplies needed to build a track. Offer to help hammer in rebar, assemble or carry gates into the track, lay cones, run wire, set up the pit area, or whatever else is needed. If you have questions or are unsure what you can do to help, ask the race director or other pilots who have already arrived.
Once everything is set up, the race director will start pilot check-in. This usually includes collecting the race fee, channel assignment, reviewing safety instructions, and a course walk. The course walk is where the order in which gates are supposed to be completed is reviewed. At this point, you can finish setting up your pit area and get your drones on the right video channel.
Be sure not to plug in your drone without confirming that other pilots are okay with you doing so! The moment you plug in, your drone will start transmitting video. In the best case this may make it difficult for other pilots to set their channel, in the worst case it can cause a crash that results in another pilot losing their drone, or even the race!
Be attentive when you are up to fly, and be ready when it is your turn. Drone races can go on for hours if people are slow to get up to the flight line. If you crash, it is not the end of the world; crashing is just the less fun part of racing. Mind your manners, and try not to distract pilots who are racing. Although you may want to scream in excitement when you win, wait until everyone has landed to celebrate respectfully. *Some leagues will disqualify you if you celebrate too enthusiastically!
Finally, when the day is over, help break down the track. Just like setup, the more people are helping, the quicker the process goes. Take care of your trash, and if needed, ask where to dispose of damaged LiPo Batteries safely. If there is a place to leave them in the field, I recommend doing so because a catastrophic battery failure in your car is not good!
Good luck, have fun, and best of luck at your drone race! I hope to see you on the podium wherever you race. Photo courtesy of MultiGP – 2023 Pro Class Podium