We were all promised drones would be delivering your delicious Uber Eats by now. Hurry up, Elon! Until then, drones have taken over the sports world! And this weekend, the Drone Racing League is holding its World Championship, right here in Miami! Wait, do you think we can drone ourselves there on Saturday?
Drones aren’t just for light shows.
They’re also for racing at 90 miles an hour!
Ashley: “You have six drones piloted by six DRL pilots at the same time, and they’re all whipping around a course at top speeds.”
… at Miami 3-0-FLY, the Drone Racing League’s world championship, this Saturday at LoanDepot Park.
Ashley: “Some pilots are good at long straights; others are good at the really technical element, so it’s really fun. They’re all flying the same drone, so it’s about pilot skill.”
… where 12 competitors aren’t just expecting crashes — they embrace them!
Ashley: “They shatter. Like, we make the shells so that they create this really epic crash footage, so that’s the whole point. It’s really fun to watch.”
Don’t worry.
Ashley: “Anyone who comes to watch our races is always behind safety netting.”
This is an all-senses event, around a spectacular aerial course.
Ashley: “You can see the pilots as they’re flying.”
Ashley: “The sound of drones flying at speed is really loud, and if you’re sitting close enough to the net, you’re going to feel the wind of them.”
Just smell and taste a hot dog at the concession stand.
Alex: “Are they strong enough to deliver someone’s lunch to the other side of the stadium?”
Ashley: “Yes. They are.”
Alex: “They are?!”
Ashley: “This can definitely lift a lunch.”
But Ashley says Gen Z is wired for the new sport.
Ashley: “We are quick. We do multiple heaps. They take about 60 seconds.”
Each drone flashes over a thousand LED lights, which could really bring you back to your club space days.
Good thing pilots can focus with these headsets.
Alex: “I love the look of them, they’re so cool.”
Ashley: “They look futuristic.”
… Which are not just stylish.
Ashley: “There’s an FPV, first person view, camera that is behind this shield in the drone. That’s what you’re seeing.”
Alex: “Oh, my God.”
That’s exactly why Ashley took precautions…
Alex: “They’re only letting me fly in this sad little cage.”
When handing me a controller…
Mike: “It’s easy. You’ll be all right.”
Alex: “OK … Take control in an instant, because I have almost no confidence in myself.”
Alex: “But I just go… [Drone freaks out] Ah!”
Alex: “Two… Uno… Dale! [Drone flies and crashes] … yeah!”
Tickets are $25 per person, or $80 for a family 4-pack.
Ashley: “It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. You’re just immersed in this other world as soon as you get on site.”
Alex: “It feels like the future.”
Ashley: “It is the future.”
Alex: “Oh. Haha, mic drop!”
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