Pilots participate in several races as part of the DRL's global racing circuit. Some of their races are in real life with real drones, while others are virtual in the DRL Sim. All pilots race identical, proprietary drones designed and built by the DRL called the Racer 4.

First Person View (FPV) drone racing is a competition where pilots control drones equipped with cameras while wearing goggles that stream the live video feed from the drones so they feel like they're flying from inside the drone.

Drones used in racing events are designed and built by DRL, which builds models for every race. The drones are worth roughly $2,000 and can travel up to 90 mph.

What is the Drone Racing League (DRL)? The Drone Racing league (DRL) is a professional drone racing league that operates internationally. DRL pilots race with identical, custom-built FPV racing drones exceeding speeds of 80 mph. Pilots race through the most insane courses across virtual and physical competitions.

Pilots race through technical, 3-dimensional tracks, going through gates, tunnels and weaving around flags. Outdoor racing drones can go as fast as 100mph on the open straights of a track.

Last November, Lademann, a professional witness and a small group of other enthusiasts gathered in Scottsdale, Arizona as the XLR V3 set a new Guinness world quadcopter speed record, at 224 mph (360.503 km/h). On an earlier flight, he recorded an instantaneous max speed of 257.25 mph (414 km/h).

The best FPV racing drones in 2021

Beginner toy drones range from $30 to $90, while entry-level camera drones range from $299 to $499. Mid-level consumer drones are expected to range between $600 and $1,000. High-end professional drones are priced at $3,000 and above.

4 to 10 minutes How long can an FPV drone fly? A typical FPV racing drone can typically last 4 to 10 minutes in the air.

How long can an FPV drone fly? A typical FPV racing drone can typically last 4 to 10 minutes in the air.

The average flight time of toy drones is about 10 minutes. The average flight time for mid-level drones is about 22 minutes. The average flight time of high-end consumer drones is about 28 minutes. The exceptions to this are some high-end drones and fixed-wing aircraft, which can even fly for several hours.

Smaller, consumer drones typically have a range of up to 2 miles, while larger, more advanced drones can have ranges of up to 10 miles or more. The power source of the drone will also affect its range. Battery-powered drones typically have a much shorter range than those that are powered by gasoline.