Launching the very first FAI e-Drone Racing World Cup!

Discover the thrill of the 2024 FAI E-Drone Racing World Cup, a virtual showdown where global competitors race through digital tracks. Join the race remotely, vie for the world cup, and the chance to win CIAM medals and diplomas. Dive into the full announcement now!

- Published the April 24, 2024 6:26 PM, last update the September 24, 2024 1:52 PM

FAI 2018 World Drone Racing Championship track in EreaDrone

Unleash your drone racing skills and join the new esports challenge against other pilots from around the world, without having to leave your favorite gaming chair. The first ever FAI E-Drone Racing World Cup in partnership with EreaDrone is here!

The FAI is delighted to announce that 2024 will further develop this fast and accessible sport with a new 2024 FAI e-Drone Racing World Cup based on a series of 4 or 5 events, each with a different circuit.

Our simulator allows us to create a circuit around obstacles in amazing different environments, from mountains to cities, harbours to castles, etc. The track may be a closed circuit with several laps to be completed, or alternatively a track to be flown one time only. The total distance to complete during a race will be around 2-3km. The fastest pilots will be able to complete the race in just 60-90 seconds: quick reactions are everything in this exciting e-sport.

Pilots will need to rely on smart moves and fast thinking to stay ahead and rise in the rankings from qualification stage through to the finals.

Stadium environment

THE CHALLENGE IS ON: COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS

Just as real-life drone pilots compete on a track at top speeds, so E-Drone pilots can now do the same, online at home, or from anywhere in the world. Competitors need minimal equipment to compete and the racing takes place remotely, meaning that it is easily accessible to anyone with a stable internet connection and a computer meeting the requirements you find below.

Requirements are: 

  • A game controller (e.g. Xbox), or radio transmitter which may be identified as a controller by Windows (FrSky, RadioMaster, Taranis, BetaFPV, etc.)
  • A Windows computer with a video monitor and an internet connection.
  • An EreaDrone license

See the specifications of our simulator (EreaDrone)

Racing in the Meadow environment

ABOUT THE WORLD CUP

The website of FAI 

  • Registration for the first 2024 FAI e-Drone Racing World Cup event will open on 18 May 2024.
  • Competitors must register in advance for each event, via our site on the tournaments page.
  • Practice flight sessions will be planned before each event to familiarise the pilots with the circuit.
  • A qualification stage will be organised to select the pilots for the competition. Flights for that stage will be asynchronous, i.e. pilots fly alone on the circuit. Each pilot will have a maximum number of attempts, with the fastest time recorded for the qualification stage ranking.
  • The first part of the competition will be run with 8 pilots per race, with the 4 best placed in each race qualifying for the next round, and the other pilots being eliminated.
  • The 32 pilots qualified after the competition's first part go through to the second (and final) part of the competition. This will be run with 4 pilots per race, and will include 1/8th finals, quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals (16 races in total). The 2 best-placed pilots will be qualified for the next round up to the final race, with the other pilots being eliminated.
  • The final of the competition will be livestreamed on the FAI YouTube channel with an English language commentator.
  • For each event, points will be allocated to the participants depending on their ranking in the competition. The total World Cup score of the competitors will be the sum of their best three event results (numbers of points).
    The best placed in the World Cup ranking will be awarded the title of 2024 e-Drone Racing World Cup champion, and CIAM (FAI Aeromodelling International Commission) medals and diplomas will be awarded to the three best placed. Other prizes may also be awarded as available.

DID YOU KNOW?

2023 saw the first ever FAI E-Drone Racing competition take place, with the final part run in Namwon City, Republic of Korea as part of the FAI World Drone Racing Championships. French pilot Swan Versmissen took the champion title in a hard-fought contest against pilots who had qualified for the final race.

2024 FAI World Drone Racing Championship's track in EreaDrone

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