DRONE PILOTS GATHER FOR FPV CHALLENGE
Cebu Drone Racing Club organizes tournament for drone pilots all over the country for the Cebu leg of the 2017 Gemfan FVP Challenge
Some of the country's top drone pilots gathered in Cebu for the battle of aerial speed in the 2017 Gemfan FPV Challenge Leg 3 at the Denvelt Flying Field 3 in La- hug, Cebu City yesterday.
The two-day competition spearheaded by the Cebu Drone Racing Club (CDRC) attracted drone enthusiasts from Manila, Iloilo and Davao. The local pilots were also part of the four-team fray.
Cebu has had drone competitions before, but it was the first time that a national competition was held here with the entry of the 2017 Gemfan FPV Challenge, which had successful first and second legs in Manila and Davao.
“The drone racing started four years ago in Australia, and the Philippines adopted it about two years ago. We have sent pilots to Hawaii last year, competing against 40 different countries,” said Manny Manuel, one of the directors of FPV Racing Philippines.
Growing
Manuel has brought drone racing to Cebu and created the CDRC, who now has 15 pilots.
“It's ( drone racing) really growing in the country. We have about 3,000 pilots from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,” said Manuel, who's also the consultant of CDRC.
Ace Reston, the president of CDRC, said that the club is very active in participating in different competitions and has joined recent races in Batangas, Iloilo and Davao.
The race had two divisions— the A Main for the seasoned pilots and the B Main for the beginners and average class. Every pilot maneuvered 10 heats, with the fastest three heats tallied for the average time. The pilot with the fastest time wins.
The third leg offered a total of P75,000 worth of cash and prizes to the Top 6 in every division. The results of the race were not yet released as of press time.