What is fpv racing?

What is FPV racing?

Well, simply put, it’s a new exciting new sport that has been growing by leaps and bounds over the last few years and shows no signs of slowing down. Imagine yourself in the pilots seat while sending your aircraft hurtling through obstacles and other aircraft all from the safety and comfort of a chair on the sidelines. These tiny aircraft called quadcopters, multirotors, FPV racers, or more commonly known as drones, race against each other and perform death-defying stunts giving their operators and observers the rides of their lives and the opportunity to experience flying where others can only dream of it.
Here are some basics to understand what’s happening. There are a couple of components to make all this happen. First, you need the quadcopter, or drone. Next, you need the pilot with the FPV gear and preferably a spotter or someone that can watch in a visual line of sight or LOS.  The quad has some specialized equipment on board that sends signals back to a set of goggles that the pilot wears that allows him or her to view the flight from the perspective of a pilot. This is called “First Person View” or “FPV”.
Pilot 

This diagram shows the pilot side of the equation.

1. Pilot
2. Spotter (someone watching where the quad ends up if there is a crash and to be sure that the pilot stay on course in a race)
3. FPV goggles. (Allows the pilot to see from the pilots perspective on the quad) Sometimes this also includes something called a base-station which is a remote receiver for the FPV signal that is plugged into the goggles or monitor. Many of the goggles have the receiver built in, but it’s a question of personal preference and performance needed.
   
4. Radio Control (RC) transmitter.  This sends the pilots commands to the quad.

FPV Quad Copter (Drone)

Next up would be the components of the quad itself.

1. FPV Camera. This is the pilots perspective. The image from this camera is how the pilots fly. Though these cameras are mostly 640×460 in resolution, they provide enough of the image to enjoy the flight and race with low latency (time it takes for signal to transfer). There is an HD option as well though it does cost more. Note: There are NO “zoom” qualities or photo quality images that come from these cameras. These racers are NOT “spy drones”.
2. Video Transmitter (VTX). The FPV camera is plugged into this component and converts the image into a signal that gets delivered through the next component.
3. The FPV Antenna sends the signal back to the receiver of the base-station or goggles of the pilot.
4. The RC receiver receives the signals of the RC Transmitter of the pilot and then sends the commands to the next stage.
5. RC Receiver antenna
6. Flight Controller (FC). This is where the RC Receiver sends the pilots commands. The Flight Controller will send the commands out to the rest of the quad to perform the commands. It also has the ability to help with stability for those who want it, though most FPV Racers fly in “ACRO” mode which has no stabilization other than just to make sure the quad can stay airborne without shaking.
7. Electronic Speed Control (ESC). The commands from the FC are delivered to the ESC and the ESC tells the motors how fast to speed up or slow down. The ESC’s have a number of options which includes a version that has 4 ESC’s built into 1 (shown in the image above) or to have them individually mounted and have the power from the battery delivered through something called a Power Distribution Board (PDB).
   
8. Motor. There are many to choose from and depending on the quad would be brushed or (more common) brushless.
9. Propeller. Again, much to be said about this topic but simply this is needed to get the quad in the air.
10. Frame. There are hundreds of different designs to choose from and there are advantages and disadvantages to all of them. Do you research and figure out which is best for you!
11. Not shown: Battery. The heart of the quad. There are many types, but typically you’ll find 4S (4 cell) batteries being flown on these quads with a variety of combinations of capacity and power delivery options.
12. Not shown: charger. You have to charge the batteries somehow, and though many pilots bring many batteries to the field, there are many more who choose to charge at the field with even larger capacity batteries which deliver the ability to fly longer at the field without having to find a place to charge batteries.

The Arena

Typically FPV Racing is located at some place where there is enough room to set up flags and gates to create an obstacle course.  Just like car racing, the quads will zip around these obstacles and maneuver to gain that first place position. The competition is fierce and can certainly bring a lot of excitement to the pilots and observers alike! Being set up at local parks is a common practice but it’s always best to check into city ordnance and see what’s legal or not. When watching these races, it’s best to never enter the flight path until the race is completed and all pilots have finished flying. Usually there is a short break between heats and pilots recover their race craft and prepare for their next run.

1. Pilot staging and flying area. Typically a safe distance from the track itself to reduce the possibility of impact or injury from a quad crashing (Rare, but it happens)
2. Starting point. Usually defined by a mat or stands, pilots put their quads here at the start of the course and then they fly onto the course
3. Gates and obstacles
4. Flags and turn indicators

The arenas vary in design according to the material available and the size of the location. There are some more permanent locations that have started to pop up here and there, but it is very much in its infancy at this stage. Many clubs are approaching city officials and working with existing RC flying clubs to help incorporate this next generation of RC Pilots entering the hobby. It’s to everyone’s interest to work together and follow safety rules and regulations set by the AMA and other governing bodies like Multi-GP and IDRA.
CommunityThe far majority of this hobby includes very relaxed, fun-loving, competitive individuals who love this hobby and are eager to see it grow.  There are thousands of websites and tons of information available for those who would like to get involved in this great hobby. Be sure to talk to your local groups or start one! Your local hobby store can help you get your first quad and start flying. Other articles listed on this site can help you get started as well! Starting out!
If you want an idea of what FPV looks like, here’s a couple of videos of line of site and FPV