The Sixth Rostec International Drone and Unmanned Technology Festival was held at Moscow’s VDNKh Park on August 26-27.
Footage shot on Saturday shows first-person-view (FPV) drones flying around an obstacle course on a specially designed racing track, with the contestants using virtual reality headsets and controllers.
The Trudovye Rezervy All-Russian Physical Culture and Sports Society press office reported that ’50 of the best Russian and foreign contestants’ selected from the winners of the Russian Drone Sports League 2023 season were competing in the individual races.
The society added that the event also included team races, a format invented in Russia which was ‘popular with pilots all over the world’.
In addition, festival organisers also promised master classes from ‘the best drone pilots in the world’, a drone racing simulator as well an opportunity to pilot a quadrocopter.
« We have both men and women participating in the sport. The youngest pilot we have today is nine years old, a boy from Belgorod. The oldest [participant] is probably about 48-50 years old. We also had the Women’s Cup today, the girls performed well, » said Vice-President of the Russian Drone Racing Federation Vadim Dzema.
Race participant and member of the Drone Racing Division team Alexander Kholkin praised the competitors and organisers for the great event.
« The level of the competition is off the scale. This is the biggest and coolest drone racing competition in Russia, one could even say in the world, » he said.
Last year, 150 professional pilots from Russia, Turkey and Bulgaria took part in the Rostec International Drone and Unmanned Technology Festival.
The festival was organised by Trudovye Rezervy All-Russian Physical Culture and Sports Society and sponsored by the Russian Rostec State Corporation. It has taken place annually since 2018.
