Popularity soaring - FPVR| Herald Sun

Dave Purebred is a member of Sydney Drone Racing Club FPVR.org. Photo: Adam Ward

Popularity soaring – FPVR| Herald Sun

John Besley, Northern District Times April 27, 2016 10:51am

Flying around the last bend at 120km/h, you see the finish line rapidly approaching. Suddenly, you start to lose speed and descend. You scramble to regain control after blowing out one of your motors but it’s no good, you’re going to crash.

But there’s no injuries to be concerned about as you simply walk over to the grounded drone and prepare to go back to the drawing board. This is the reality of first-person drone racing, one of the fastest rising sports in the world.

Dave Purebred and Sam Thompson, wearing their racing goggles which allow them to see from the perspective of the drone. Picture: Craig GreenhillIn

FPVR, pilots race drones via a front-mounted camera which connects to a pair of goggles that enable the pilot to control their drone from a first-person perspective. “When I first got into it there weren’t too many manuals or anything but it’s become a lot more accessible for people who want to get involved,” said northern district local Dave Purebred from Sydney racing group FPVR.org.

“We have a lot of people from very diverse backgrounds … we just had a seven year old competing at our last meet who was leading in the finals before he crashed.

“I reckon 99 per cent of people who give it a go really enjoy it.”Some racing drones can be purchased for as little as $100. Racing drones can cost as little as $100, repair and upgrade expenses can climb into the thousands.