100 days to go until the first FAI World Drone Racing Championships
There are just 100 days to go until the most exciting event on the international drone-racing calendar – the first ever FAI World Drone Racing Championships – kicks off in Shenzhen, China.
Being held at the Shenzhen Universiade Center Stadium from November 1 to 4, 2018, the four-day event will bring together top-flight drone racers from all over the world.
Competition is fierce among drone racers fighting it out to be picked for the event, at which only pilots selected by their country or by FAI can take part.
From South Korea to Spain, everyone who’s anyone in drone racing is keen to have the chance to be named FAI Drone Racing World Champion!
About the FAI World Drone Racing Championships
The 1st FAI World Drone Racing Championships will include classifications for both female and junior pilots, in addition to the general individual and national team classifications.
Competitors must successfully pass through qualification and elimination rounds to reach the final, where they will battle it out to be crowned an FAI Drone Racing World Champion.
The FAI, World Air Sports Federation, is already working hard with local organisers the Aero Sports Federation of China (ASFC) and Kaisa Group to ensure the event is a huge success.
Preparations undertaken so far include the running of the 2018 China Drone Racing Open in May at the same venue as a test event for the Championships.
About FAI drone racing
*In FAI drone racing, several (up to six) radio controlled multi-rotor model aircraft fight it out to be the fastest around a closed circuit.
*The drones used are multi-rotor craft that weigh no more than 1kg and are equipped with on-board video cameras that transmit real-time video images to the googles worn by the pilots, allowing him to control the tiny aircraft around the circuit.
*The circuit include gates and other obstacles around which pilots must navigate to reach the finish line in the fastest time.
*The events can take place inside or outside.
*Each race generally takes about three minutes.
*The winners of each race go on to face one another in successive races culminating in a final round that determines the overall champion.
FAI World Drone Racing Championships rules
*The FAI World Drone Racing Championships 2018 will involve three stages:
- Qualification: to define the placing for the first round of the elimination stage.
- Elimination: involving successive rounds up to semi-finals.
- Final: to determine the Individual World Champion and Vice-Champion.
*National teams must consist of:
- A team manager.
- Between three and five competitors, with teams of five including at least one junior (age limit 18 years in the year 2018) and at least one female.
- Helpers (one permitted for each competitor).
*Individual competitors may be also invited to participate by FAI. Aero Sports Federation of China (ASFC) got also three wild-cards for extra individual competitors from China.
* Each competitor and team manager of any national team must possess a valid FAI Sporting Licence.
*The event will be run by:
- A contest director and a FAI contest director assistant.
- A starter and two assistants.
- A FAI Jury of three persons from different countries.
- Drone racing judges for the races (one for each pilot flying in the race) from different countries.
- Other local officials.
