Freestyle Aerobatics

A New Twist On Fpv Competition.

- John Reid

One of the newest events coming out of FPV racing is the informal aerobatic competition known as “freestyle.” This event usually follows the FPV racing contest and is performed on the same racecourse, with the option of using the gates and flags as part of the pilot’s routine. Right now, freestyle is very informal and optional, but interest in this offshoot of racing is gathering momentum and it might well become its own segment of FPV racing. Freestyle recently got international attention at the Dubai World Drone Prix, where prizes were awarded in freestyle aerobatics. We got a chance to sit down with XHover’s Daniel Sandoval (right), an avid competitor in freestyle competition, to talk about this new type of FPV event.

FPV Racer: Tell us a little about how freestyle competition works. What do you guys do there, and how is it organized?

Daniel Sandoval: They usually have the FPV racecourse set up, and you are allowed to use the gates or flags as part of your routine. Most of the time, you have three minutes to perform your routine, but most guys don’t use all that time. Pilots try to get really crazy and perform maneuvers that others won’t be able to fly. Most the time, this also leads to them crashing out and not using all of the time that is available for the flight. Some events allow music to enhance your performance.

FPVR: How do the judges grade your performance?