Basiswissen: FPV Racing

In FPV racing, pilots fly races with small self-built drones against other pilots. A predetermined parkour is flown and, as in most competitions, the fastest pilot wins. Obstacles such as gates, tunnels, flags or towers have to be flown over.

Before you get started, however, you should definitely practice in the simulator, because getting started is material-intensive. In a simulator, you can experience what it feels like to fly a drone race without investing too much.

After the simulator, there is the first racing set-up. This is the equipment you need:

The drone: racing drones are small quadcopters that can reach speeds of up to 170 km/h (not to be confused with camera drones). Entry-level quadcopters cost around EUR 200, professional models cost over EUR 500. There are "Ready To Fly" drones (RTFs) and "Almost Ready To Fly" drones (ATFs). You can find out more in our blog post. Of course, you can also build your own drone. Advantage: you get to grips with the technology directly and can more or less repair it yourself in an "emergency".
Remote control: entry-level remote controls are available from as little as 50 EUR.
FPV video goggles: (also known as goggles) inexpensive entry-level video goggles are available from as little as €50 to €10.
Batteries and charger: A usable racing battery lasts for around two minutes and costs between €15 and €50.
There are also "small parts" such as antennas, video transmitters & receivers and, depending on the model, propellers, motors, etc.

The bottom line is that you can get your first low-budget drone setup for around 300 to 400€. If you want to go straight for something more high-end and racing-ready, you should budget between €1,000 and €1,500. In any case, it is also important that you make sure that all the parts fit together.

And then it's all about PRACTICE - PRACTICE - PRACTICE

Another important point to mention is the community. You've probably noticed that there aren't many people around you who enjoy this hobby. That's why it's important to network and help each other.