Is drone racing a real sport? And how do you get from your first training to the national team?
Takeaway
A real sport, and the road to the national team starts at your first training.
Free to use in your own trainings. Just tell people where you got it.
HOBIZONE.ORG
07 · Drones as sport · fig. 1
More than racing
Five ways to compete with a drone.
Racing
Through the gates, faster than everyone else. Outside with 5″, inside with whoops.
Freestyle
Tricks, flow and style, like BMX or skateboarding, in the air.
Drone soccer
A team game in a cage. Fly the ball drone through the goal.
Combat
Drone against drone. Endurance, tactics and nerves.
Sim racing
On a simulator, from your room. The FAI runs an e-drone World Cup.
Free to use in your own trainings. Just tell people where you got it.
HOBIZONE.ORG
HOBIzone · our drones
Our three drones
At HOBIzone we fly three kinds of drone. Whenever a guide says “our drones”, it means these.
B200
drone soccer
Where
indoors, in the soccer cage
Size
20 cm ball cage
Weight
up to 175 g
Cooking
toaster: holds its height
You see it
line of sight
Rules
technically a toy · bigger ones: A1
65 mm whoop
indoor racing
Where
indoors, on the race track
Size
65 mm, ducted props
Weight
about 25 g
Cooking
frying pan
You see it
FPV + a spotter
Rules
A1, even in goggles · camera → register
5″ racer
outdoor racing
Where
outside, on the race track
Size
5″ props
Weight
about 500 g, home-built
Cooking
frying pan
You see it
FPV + a spotter
Rules
A3: home-built, far from people
Free to use in your own trainings. Just tell people where you got it.
HOBIZONE.ORG
07 · Drones as sport · fig. 2
Two we do every week
Separate training groups, but the same idea: sim, fly, train.
heat of four
Racing
1
Heats of four pilots, two minutes each.
2
Qualifying: your best three laps in a row count.
3
The fastest go on to the finals.
4
A race day lasts from morning till evening.
the cage · a goal ring at each end
Drone soccer
1
Five players plus two substitutes per team.
2
Three sets of three minutes.
3
Only the striker can score.
4
Defenders block: it’s a contact sport.
Free to use in your own trainings. Just tell people where you got it.
HOBIZONE.ORG
Safety · who is the pilot
Under 16? The coach is the pilot
You have to be 16 to take the A1/A3 test. Younger pilots fly bigger drones only under the direct supervision of a pilot who has it.
coach
16+
A1 / A3
At the club
Outdoor training and official races happen in a designated area, under a coach’s supervision. The coach is the responsible pilot.
Why
Under 16 you can’t get certified yet. Only toys and home-built drones under 250 g have no age limit. Anything bigger needs a certified pilot in charge.
On your own
No certificate? Don’t fly alone. Take a licensed adult with you. They are the responsible pilot. Flying FPV? You still need a spotter.
Free to use in your own trainings. Just tell people where you got it.
HOBIZONE.ORG
07 · Drones as sport · fig. 3
More than thumbs
It looks like you’re just standing there moving your thumbs. You’re not.
Reactions
Decisions in split seconds, at high speed.
Your body
Calm hands while your heart races. Posture and a strong core keep you steady.
Race day
Stand for hours, walk the track, carry gear, set up gates.
Nerves
Pressure, crashes and losing. You learn to keep going.
Mechanic
Broken between heats? You fix it yourself.
National team pilots train two to three hours a day: flying, fitness and mental preparation.
Free to use in your own trainings. Just tell people where you got it.
HOBIZONE.ORG
07 · Drones as sport · fig. 4
Why sport?
We don’t teach kids drones. We give them a chance to learn to love technology.
Because you want to
You get better mainly because you want to. Nobody has to push you.
Skills for life
Building, fixing, staying calm under pressure. They lead to engineering, IT, film.
Body and mind
Not just tech: reactions, focus, nerves, posture.
Never alone in the pits
Alone at the start, but you train, share parts and learn together.
Joy, side by side
Not work, not military. Looking up and forward, next to each other.
Time and pressure
Two minutes, four pilots, one chance. You learn to deliver.
Free to use in your own trainings. Just tell people where you got it.
HOBIZONE.ORG
07 · Drones as sport · fig. 5
What racing teaches you
If you can race, you can do anything: handle chaos, decide in seconds, keep your head.
1
Individual, but a team
At the start you’re alone. Getting there takes mentors, teammates and friends.
“To win as a team, you must be willing to lose as an individual.”
Ayrton Senna
2
You don’t control the result
Rivals, track and wind change. You control how you show up and prepare.
“You can’t control the competition, only your preparation and your attitude.”
Michael Schumacher
3
Know your machine
A pilot is a mechanic too. Build it, tune it, fix it.
“To finish first, first you must finish.”
Rick Mears
4
Flow
Hand and eye, speed and lines, until it all moves on its own.
“Practise until you can’t get it wrong.”
Matt Hall
5
Habits beat goals
Every training starts with one small goal. Habits get you there.
“You fall to the level of your habits.”
James Clear
6
Effort = progress
No shortcuts. Every flight is a lesson. We all started from zero.
“The more I practise, the luckier I get.”
Gary Player
Free to use in your own trainings. Just tell people where you got it.
HOBIZONE.ORG
07 · Drones as sport · fig. 6
Who runs it: the world
FAI: World Air Sports Federation
Recognised by the International Olympic Committee. Gliding, skydiving, ballooning … and drones.
F9U
Drone racing
World Cup every year. World Championships since 2018. Next: Guangzhou, December 2026.
F9A
Drone soccer
First World Championships: Shanghai 2025, 18 countries.
E-drone
Sim racing
The FAI E-Drone Racing World Cup, on simulators.
The World Games
Drone racing was on the programme in Birmingham 2022 and Chengdu 2025.
Big leagues outside the FAI
MultiGP, the biggest racing league. The Drone Champions League (DCL), the pro team league.
Free to use in your own trainings. Just tell people where you got it.
HOBIZONE.ORG
07 · Drones as sport · fig. 7
Who runs it: Estonia
Your club
HOBIzone
ELF
Estonian air sports federation
FAI
EOK · Team Estonia
Four leagues
EDRL
FPV racing · PRO and Rahvaliiga
EWRL
Whoop racing, indoors
ESRL
Simulator racing
EDJL
Droonijalka
2026 in numbers
62 EDRL pilots from 5 countries 33 whoop racers ~400 kids in weekly drone soccer 111 HOBIzone members
International races at home
Arctic Madness, Rakvere, 16 Jan 2027 (FAI World Cup). A second FAI World Cup in Tallinn. MultiGP Global Qualifiers.
DRTE
Drone Racing Team Estonia. The national team, part of Team Estonia.
Racing at the 2026 World Championships in China.
Goal: medals at the big title competitions by 2029.
Free to use in your own trainings. Just tell people where you got it.
HOBIZONE.ORG
07 · Drones as sport · fig. 8
From first training to DRTE
1
First training
Simulator and a whoop.
2
Club training
Racing or drone soccer: sim, fly, train.
3
Club races
Club races and games.
4
National leagues
EDRL, EWRL, ESRL or EDJL.
5
International
FAI World Cup and MultiGP races.
6
DRTE
The national team. World Cups and World Championships.
A clear path, and everyone moves at their own pace. Racing and soccer train in separate groups; the idea is the same: sim, fly, train.
Free to use in your own trainings. Just tell people where you got it.
HOBIZONE.ORG
07 · Drones as sport · fig. 9
Your season
Your first racing season
Step by step, following the weather.
October
Simulator
November
Whoop: fly, fix, race
December
Build your 5″
Snow melts
Fly the 5″ outside
May – September
EDRL and Rahvaliiga
From your second season
Just two halves.
Winter
Simulator and whoops, indoors.
Summer
5″ outside, and the simulator.
Drone soccer trains as its own group, indoors all year. Same idea: sim, fly, train.
Free to use in your own trainings. Just tell people where you got it.
HOBIZONE.ORG
Remember
A real sport, and the road to the national team starts at your first training.
1
More than racing: freestyle, drone soccer, combat, sim racing.
2
More than thumbs: reactions, body, nerves, and you’re the mechanic.
3
Organised: club → ELF → EOK and FAI. DRTE is in Team Estonia.
4
A clear path: sim, fly, train → club races → leagues → international → DRTE.
5
Your own pace. Everyone moves at their own speed.
Free to use in your own trainings. Just tell people where you got it.