The nation’s 'first' indoor FPV racing event & drone agility circuit

The UK Drone Show is the first consumer event of its kind in the UK dedicated to the UAV industry and now it will feature another exclusive first with its drone racing zone. In addition to professional and amateur races, the interactive circuit will also feature manufacturer demonstrations and product launches of the very latest cutting-edge drone technology coming to market.

As a fresh and exciting racing concept, FPV drone racing is appealing not only to UAV pilots and enthusiasts, but also to racing sports fans. FPV racing is one of the fastest growing sports on the planet.

Oliver O’Brien, Project Manager and founder, UK Drone Show, said: “The FPV drone racing scene is absolutely huge, this is just the start for us, we have major plans for 2016 and have already secured some high profile venues to continue our indoor FPV drone racing concept 'DroneGP LIVE'. FPV racing is very much the fun side of drones, so it’s a great introduction into the industry for those who aren’t already knowledgeable about the sport. We’re currently signing up the top FPV pilots in the country, such as the drone agility wizard James Bowles (aka Jab1a) and the amazingly talented youngster Luke Bannister (BanniUK). One thing’s for sure, FPV racing fans won’t want to miss it. We’ll be live streaming the DroneGP so fans all over the world can tune in to this exclusive event!”

In addition to some of the most well-known pilots taking part in the drone racing zone, some of the exhibitors at the event will also be showing off their flying skills. A battle of the exhibitors is currently being organised, with James Harvey from air traffic control service NATS already agreeing to take part in the Drone Agility Challenge.

The circuit itself will be challenging for any pilot, with various obstacles to overcome such as different sized hoops to fly the drone through, posts to dodge and a time limit to complete by.

"Think of show jumping or Crufts, the drone agility challenge circuit will be a similar sort of set up but rather than controlling an animal pilots will be flying UAVs. Competitions are a great way for people to get involved in exhibitions and it’s also a fantastic opportunity to see some of the nation’s most impressive drones in action,” added O’Brien.

The UK Drone Show is the largest consumer drone event to ever take place in the UK and is a highly anticipated date on the calendar for those within the industry. Featuring a range of exhibitors including drone manufacturers, aerial photographers, UAV services and software suppliers, demonstrations of the latest tech, expert speakers providing industry insights and now it is home to the FPV DroneGP Open Championships.

Panasonic has just been confirmed as the main sponsor for the show and will take the drone racing zone to the next level. The company will provide extra large screens for the event, which will allow spectators to watch the FPV racing as if they were wearing the FPV goggles.