I made my first drone with tutorials and asking questions on Telegram

South Korea will host the World Drone Racing Championship from October 6 to 9, with a prize fund of 100,000 euros. The competition has not been held since 2019 due to restrictions related to the pandemic, and on that occasion it was held in China.

The 29-year-old from Durango and a turner by trade will be one of four drivers from across the state to qualify for the championship after winning the Galicia National Open and finishing second in the Santiago GP World Cup. His name is Fabio Raris and he is still shocked by sharing races with some of the idols, like the Korean Minchan Kim (Mckfpv), whom he has been following for some time on social media and other platforms. “He’s out of the series. In the United States, he won everything.”

His love for this sport began after they bought him a toy drone for Christmas “five or six years ago”. “I started watching videos on YouTube, reading tutorials and asking questions on forums and Telegram groups. People help you a lot, so I ended up building my first drone with my own hands.”

Adrenaline grew more and more to the point that sometimes the partner was sorry for giving him that gift. The daily life of a drone pilot is not easy for various reasons. The first is because, since it is a non-professional sport, they have to cover all expenses, including travel to the championship. “There are brands that give us some discounts on pieces, but a little more.”

The equipment and materials are not cheap either, “and I provide the labor.” A package with glasses and a transmitter with the associated battery and charger can cost you around 1,000 euros. To that price should be added the cost of drones that can crash or get stuck at any moment. “I will take six to Korea, so the budget is not small.”

exhibitions

Another difficulty they face is finding outdoor spaces where they can train. “We would like to be able to come to an agreement with the City Council so that we can fly without problems. It takes a lot of time between assembling and disassembling the circuit, and if we add to that the empty batteries because there are usually no sockets…”

Pilot Durango, for its part, would be willing to offer exhibitions with its colleagues at festivals in the area. “It would be a way for us to become more famous and, at the same time, entertain people with something different.”

While the championship is around the corner, Raris dreams that some institution or sponsor will help him finance “at least part of the trip” to South Korea. His intention is to enjoy the experience of competing with the best drivers in the world and “try to do the best possible”. So be it.