2023 Year in Review: FPV Racing, FAI Category F9U

FPV Racing, or First Person View Racing, is a form of racing in which participants fly remote-controlled drones of various sizes equipped with cameras on defined and secured race tracks.

Pilots see the world from the camera’s perspective and navigate the drone using video feeds displayed on a screen or through special FPV goggles. The goal of FPV racing is to be the first to fly through a predetermined course or to navigate around specific obstacles.

Most pilots assemble their drones themselves using various components such as frames, motors, flight controllers, video transmitters (VTX), and LiPo batteries. Each pilot has their own preferences regarding design and manufacturers.

Tuning the drones is a crucial task. The drone’s flight behavior depends on many factors, such as filter and PID settings, which can be adjusted via software in the flight controller. Every pilot has their own individual settings and secret recipes for success.

FPV racing is a fast-paced and exciting sport that is growing in popularity and is practiced worldwide in many countries—in indoor arenas, on sports fields, and as a computer simulation.

A small racing scene took root in Switzerland 10 years ago. It was a pioneering era. At that time, drones were still made of wood, and the technology was still very much in its infancy. However, the sport quickly evolved, and so did the range of technical components available. Over many years, a community of about 30 pilots has developed, competing in various races, both small and large. The Swiss Drone League (SDL), founded very early on by Joris Zahnd, contributed significantly to the development of drone racing in Switzerland.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic dealt a severe blow to the racing community in Switzerland, which practically dissolved. Small regional groups nevertheless continued to pursue their hobby, ensuring that the sport did not fade into complete obscurity.

On the initiative of the SMV, a small group of active pilots, and the Swiss Drone League, an organizing committee launched the return of the racing scene in 2023. Over the course of four races last season, pilots were able to compete against one another and qualify for the final race, which took place in November.

The season kicked off in Bendern at the Liechtenstein Model Aircraft Club. Over 40 pilots from Switzerland, Germany, and France gathered in April for the first race.

For the second event, the action moved from the east to the southernmost part of Switzerland, to Stabio in Ticino. There, the pilots were welcomed by the Gruppo Aeromodellisti del Mendrisiotto, led by Egidio Maglio, under sensational weather conditions.

At the invitation of the Schwyz Model Flying Club to the model sports meet in Seewen, the third race took place on the beautiful Lake Lauerz. This was a great opportunity for the racing community to showcase their sport to a wide audience.

At the end of the season, the pilots were able to compete once again at PureTrack in Courgenay in the Swiss Jura.

Marvin Schapper—who won all four races with ease—finished in first place in the mini-final covering these four races. David Muller took second place, Florian Gluszka third, and Björn Mathis fourth. →

Another highlight of the season was the team’s participation in the World Championships in Namwon, South Korea. The national team, led by team manager Kevin Rychen and consisting of Marvin Schapper (junior), Michael Isler, Yanik Sigwart, and Florian Gluszka (seniors), was unable to perform at its usual level as hoped and had to settle for finishes outside the top ten—with the exception of Marvin Schapper, who ended the World Championships on a positive note with a solid 8th-place finish.

Fortunately, several new pilots joined the ranks in this year of “new beginnings.” Both the organizing committee and the SMV’s Fako drones can look back on the 2023 racing season with satisfaction.

The four races of the season and participation in the World Championship were supported by Rheintec Solutions AG, the SMV, Composites Busch SA, BrUSA HyPower AG, Swaytronic, and HEBU. Thank you very much!

In the four races of the 2023 season, the top 16 pilots qualified for the final, the official Swiss Championship. The event was organized by the Swiss Drone League (SDL) on behalf of the SMV at the large AXA Arena in Winterthur in front of a large crowd. After some very exciting heats on the ingeniously designed course featuring lighting and pyrotechnics, 17-year-old Marvin “Marv_FPV” Schäpper emerged victorious in the final round. This marks his third victory. Second place went to Cyril “Goblin_FPV” Kurmann, and third place to Björn “GodiFPV” Mathis. The spectacular TV recap of the Swiss Championship is available on the SDL’s YouTube channel (video link: ). The professionally produced and hosted live streams are an integral part of the SDL. 220,000 live attendees, 130,000 stream views, and 300,000 TV viewers—since 2018, the SDL has been bringing drone racing to the big stage.

Organizing major events like the Swiss Championship and making them accessible to the general public requires an enormous amount of effort and is only possible with reliable partners and many supporters. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Hörmann, TCS Training & Events, Toshiba TEC, Helvetia Insurance, Integra, and Maxon.

In the future, the Swiss Drone League—following the example of its “Drone Arena” at the Swiss Army’s CONNECTED 23 (which drew 40,000 visitors!)— primarily organize show races and drone events (drone flights for companies and individuals, drone shows, etc.) as part of trade shows and events, and will also launch a new drone networking platform at www.swissdronenetwork.ch, says Joris Zahnd, founder of the SDL.

At least four Swiss FPV Racing events are planned for the upcoming season. Participation is open to anyone who has the necessary technical equipment. Whether you’re a beginner or a more experienced pilot, everyone is welcome at Swiss FPV Racing. Starting next season, the Swiss championship title will be determined based on the annual standings. Similarly, selection for the national team will depend on performance throughout the season. The date and location of the 2024 World Championship have not yet been announced. Switzerland will once again take on the international competition with a well-prepared team.