Congratulations to French pilot Swan Versmissen (top picture) on winning the 2023 FAI E-Drone Racing Cup! The first race of its kind welcomed participants from all backgrounds, with no entry fee required.

From September 1st to September 24th, the qualification period allowed each pilot up to twelve attempts to achieve their fastest three consecutive lap times. Pilots had the freedom to choose when they attempted their laps within this specified timeframe.

Yesterday marked the start of the Qualification rounds for the 2023 FAI World Drone Racing Championship. All participants had the opportunity to showcase their skills in three rounds. Each round consisted of three laps around the track, totaling nine laps in total. The ranking for each competitor was determined by calculating the average time of their best three laps.

Report from Antonis Papadopoulos, FAI Aeromodelling Commission (CIAM) President and Jury Member

The 2023 FAI World Drone Racing Championships have officially commenced with a spectacular light show involving 600 drones at the stadium of the Namwon Sports Town complex, Jeollabuk-do​​​​​, Korea on 6 October. 

Report from Antonis Papadopoulos, FAI Aeromodelling Commission (CIAM) President and Jury Member

The 2023 FAI World Drone Racing Championship officially began today with the Opening Ceremony during the afternoon of October 6th, in Namwon, Korea. 

All the teams registered for this event arrived yesterday or during the previous days and have had the opportunity to visit the area where the event will take place.

In the fast-paced FAI Control Line Combat category, the two agile pilots inside a circular boundary weave around one another to keep their aircraft aloft and score points against their opponent. Quick-witted attack and defence tactics are deployed as the planes twist and turn in the sky. The pilots wear helmets for protection and the audience watches in safety from behind a high barrier. 

The two Gallet brothers from France each became champion in their category at the recent 2023 FAI F5J World Championships for Electric Powered Thermal Duration Gliders in Bulgaria: Adrien, aged 20, in the seniors, and his 12 year old brother Romain in the juniors.

The 2023 World Championships for Model Helicopters were awarded on 9th August after a much-anticipated contest held in the major model flying site of the Academy of Model Aeronautics in Muncie, Indiana, USA with the support of the International Radio Controlled Helicopter Association (IRCHA).