Moving Out Of The Cage And Onto The Pylon Course

ANN April 1 Special Edition (Parody)

With drone racing all the rage, organizers of the Reno Air Races say they are planning to expand the category to include large, military-style drones.

Mike Crowell, president and CEO of the Reno Air Racing Association, said adding large drones to the mix will appeal to more traditional air race fans and drone racers alike. “Rather than being in a cage with those tiny drones racing through a course and watching on closed-circuit TV, the large scale races will let spectators actually see the aircraft competing on the regular race course. It has all the excitement of an unlimited category race, but appeals to the video gamers and drone sector as well. It’s a win-win-win,” Crowell said.

The large-scale drone races will be separated into stock and unlimited categories. There will also be “one-design” races much like the Red Bull series, in which all of the aircraft will be of an identical design. “That way, we know who the top pilots are,” Crowell said.

As with the micro-drone races, video feeds from the aircraft will be transmitted to large screens both in the stands and in various hospitality areas. The feeds will give a “pilots’-eye-view” of the race and the UAVs go around the course.

Clay Lacy said that he plans to enter a full-sized RC DC6 aircraft in the competition. “This will be the culmination of years of dreaming,” Lacy said. “I can’t wait to see the heads snap around as this beauty taxis onto the ramp.”

FMI: http://airrace.org