At the Brothers Grimm brewery Tuesday night, the low babble was surpassed by the high-pitched whirr of tiny engines while drones small enough to fit in the palm of your hand whizzed about the room. Piloted by pilots seated in the room wearing goggles showing the flight from a first-person perspective, the drones shot across the room, a blurry LED light sweeping under tables, around barrels and banners hanging from the ceiling .
The event was hosted by FoCo FPV, a drone racing club in the area that regularly hosts indoor and outdoor drone races. It also served as the first race in the club’s Street League-style racing series, which newer Racing League members will be working with into Spring 2023.
Mike Kingdom, an administrator for the group, said the drone racing chapter has operated out of northern Colorado for several years. While the group can race with larger drones outdoors in the summer, it’s time for indoor races with small Tiny Whoop drones in the cold winter months.
“Many of us have been doing this for a long time,” he said before the races started on Tuesday.
Aaron Hearton, co-owner of Grimm, said he invited the group to hold races at the brewhouse this year and offer the Bier Hall as a racetrack for pilots.
“It’s cool to see the different things (setup) to challenge the racers,” he said.
All night, the pilots tested their skills in an obstacle course that ran the length of the beer hall: each drone flew through square hoops, tiny whoop cube gates, and even up and around a Christmas tree at the back of the hall.
Racers on each lap sat around the room, clearly concentrating on their posture and gripping their flight controls, although their eyes were obscured by the goggles that showed them the view of the drone.
While a TV on one wall showed upcoming heats and who would be taking part, a monitor in the center of the room showed each racer’s perspectives, often showing only a blurry view of the beer hall as the drone shot across the room.
But for everyone involved in Tuesday’s race – from group admins to local enthusiastic pilots – drone racing is a competition and experience that is simply second to none.
“It’s a (transporting) experience,” said Steven Knabe, Administrator and Engineer at Street League. “You’re not sitting on the couch anymore, you’re in the drone.”
Tim Ichiyasu, a former Drone Racing League racer and Street League co-founder, said FPV drone racing is a hybrid of virtual reality and traditional sports that operate in a sort of “mixed reality.”
He said smaller racing chapters and events like FoCo FPV’s are where newer sports like drone racing can expand and refine. He said drone racing is far more accessible as a sport than more traditional sports like football or soccer.
Bumper Lykins said he has been flying with FoCo FPV and another chapter in the Longmont area for many years. As a former BMX and auto racer, he said that FPV racing is different but brings the same adrenaline rush of high-speed movement; he even said he used to be so passionate about racing that he forgot he was standing and almost fell.
“It really feels like you’re flying,” Lykins said, later adding, “I put the glasses on five years ago and haven’t taken them off (since).”
Michael Chen, an administrator at both FoCo FPV and Street League, said he loves to challenge himself and continually improve at racing, adding, “You never hit the ceiling.”
But aside from the challenge, Chen described drone racing as a truly unique and incredible experience.
“I think it’s the best thing that helps us get wings and be able to fly,” he said.
For more information on FoCo FPV, visit focofpv.com or his Facebook group. For Street League information, visit streetleague.io.
FoCo FPV races are held every fourth Tuesday at Grimm Brothers, 623 N. Denver Ave., now through April.
