FAI Announces Digital Drone Race World Cup for 2024

The International Aeronautical Federation announced a new type of drone race, this time using the EreaDrone flight simulator to offer the E-Drone Racing World Cup 2024.

The E-Drone Racing World Cup is aimed at providing a more cost-effective, affordable, and accessible event than previous drone races, allowing competitors to join in on the competition from the comfort of their own couch. That's perhaps the most intriguing addition to the new series, which will end up with a 4 to 5-event based run. The race will be open to anyone with a stable internet connection, a Windows computer, an EreaDrone license, and a game controller. Using their equipment, competitors can register for the World Cup, pay for an EreaDrone entry fee up to 5 euros per race, then fly the course to establish their best time.

Competitors will fly on their own digital track, new and unseen until the practice sessions are opened, before moving on to further qualifiers. Once the qualification stages winnow out the slower ones among the pilots, the preliminary rounds will run with 8 pilots per race. The best 4 of those will go on to the next round, until only 32 remain to go through the finals. Finals will see 4 pilots per race, with the 32 competitors moving on through 16 races in all until the very best remains. Awards will include the title of 2024 e-Drone Racing World Cup champion for number one, as well as CIAM medals and diplomas for the three finishers that follow. Further prizes may appear down the road, but have not been announced at this time - once additional sponsors or funding sources arise, that will likely change.

FMI: www.fai.org