YOUNG ATHLETES LOOKING TO JOIN A TEAM

FPV drone racing has been practiced in Switzerland for about 11 years. The abbreviation FPV stands for First Person View, which means “from a direct perspective.” This direct view from the drone’s perspective is achieved by pilots wearing video goggles while flying, through which they receive images from the drone’s camera. Drone races, in which physical gates are flown through, have been held since 2018. The “Swiss Drone League” racing series made an appearance at the St. Gallen Auto Show, among other events. “That’s where my son got hooked,” notes Tom Schäpper. He doesn’t fly himself. Through his involvement, the Liechtenstein native—who works as a freelance sustainability communications specialist—supports his son and the drone scene in general. Kevin Rychen, 35, from the canton of Baselland, has been competing in races himself since 2019. The two share the presidency of F9U Drones—FPV Racing and FPV Freestyle. However, Fako F9 exclusively offers drone races that are scored in junior and adult categories. “While there is a freestyle community, there are no competitions—at least not in Switzerland. Freestylers tend to take a more laid-back approach to their sport, enjoying exploring old buildings or ruins during their flights,” explains Kevin Rychen.

In the early days, drone races were organized exclusively by an external private organization that also supported the SMV. However, this was not an official sports commission. Yet drone racing is recognized as an air sport by the International Air Sports Federation (FAI) and is classified as F9. ““One of the reasons we wanted to join the SMV is that the national team wasn’t being managed the way it should be,” explains Rychen. Schäpper adds: “We wanted to provide a solid framework for drone sports, revitalize the scene, and take active steps—including reaching out to young people.”” Eventually, the two were invited by the SMV to the General Assembly. Since no one else was willing to take on the role, they volunteered. “Once we were there, we jumped right in,” says Rychen with a laugh. That was in 2022. Drone races take place throughout Switzerland. “Last year, we held races in Ticino, Buchs (SG), Pratteln, and Sitterdorf. The year before that, we had a race in the Jura, but unfortunately that venue is no longer available to us,” says Rychen. Finding venues is difficult for various reasons. Renting indoor venues costs a lot of money. “We’re talking about several thousand francs here,” says Tom Schäpper. The other reason they prefer to hold the races outdoors is technical in nature. Radio and video transmission isn’t equally good in every indoor venue. It’s often difficult to ensure a fair race because a large number of pilots still fly using analog technology. In this context, “analog” refers to how the video goggles receive images. Safety and insurance considerations also come into play. “Our 5-inch drones fly through the course at 170 km/h. If they crash into something, it causes damage,” says Schäpper.

This is how large the venues for drone races should be. “Bigger is always better,” says Schäpper. Almost every town has soccer fields, but they’re usually occupied. Rychen can train at the local swimming pool during the off-season. During the summer months, he has to use fields instead. That’s always worked out well so far, he says. Schäpper’s son can train on one of the eight soccer fields in Buchs, SG, when no one else is training or playing there. For safety reasons, the adjacent field must also always be clear. “The idea behind joining the SMV was that we could use the model airfields as training grounds. But we’re sensing a certain amount of resistance. There are model aircraft clubs that, as a matter of principle, don’t want drones on their fields,” says Schäpper. Both would like a place they can call home for their community and where they can store their equipment. Rychen hopes for some flexibility, because: “Ultimately, we all share the same passion. It doesn’t matter whether we fly drones, helicopters, or fixed-wing aircraft. Shouldn’t that bring us together?” The two Fako presidents are aware that drones have a negative image. “It’s the drones we fly that are killing people in Ukraine. That hasn’t helped our sport,” says Schöpfer. Rychen agrees and adds: “Drones are used for surveillance and spying. That, too, is a recurring issue. Of course, drone pilots whose drones appear in front of apartment windows and over balconies don’t help the image either. Schöpfer also sees this as the difference between racing and freestyle. “We racers operate in a cordoned-off area and fly at an altitude that complies with the rules.”

Drone racing isn’t cheap. In addition to the drones themselves, which cost around 600 francs, the equipment includes a remote control, VR goggles, batteries—and spare parts. Experience shows that drones do break. Spare parts and repairs can get expensive. To participate in competitions, it’s a good idea to have spare drones and spare parts on hand. “Most pilots own 3 to 4 drones, plus spare parts for the drones and enough batteries to keep flying if something breaks,” says Rychen. As a result, the financial cost quickly adds up to several thousand francs. Tom Schöpfer, who made this hobby possible for his son, laughs. “I try not to think about it.”

One might assume that this sport has no trouble attracting young talent. “But it’s an issue for us, too,” says Tom Schöpfer. Drone racing requires agility and extremely quick reflexes. As a result, older pilots are leaving the sport. “At a certain age, biology sets limits, if I may put it that way.” Every year, two to three young pilots join the sport after hearing about it or seeing it in a video. For Kevin Rychen, who works as a systems specialist in Basel, it was a YouTube video that fascinated him and a colleague so much that they wanted to give it a try. “At first, we ordered the cheapest one from China; later, we bought one in Switzerland, had fewer problems, but still a lot of things broke. We got to know other people in the scene, benefited from their expertise, and were able to make improvements.” He and his colleague were in their twenties at the time. “The barriers to entry aren’t exactly low. A 14- or 15-year-old is confronted with many things they’ve never heard of before. The drones have to be soldered and assembled by hand. If you don’t have a parent by your side who has the know-how and knack for it, it’s very difficult,” he says. “Once they’re with us, it works out just fine,” Schöpfer interjects. By “us,” he means Swiss FPV Racing. “That’s our club; there are also smaller groups that have formed among colleagues, but those are mostly freestylers,” explains Rychen. “Yes, we’re happy to help,” he says. “But we can’t take on the role of parents. We help with the tinkering and offer tips and tricks to make sure it works. But if something happens during a race, our resources are limited.”

Both praise the community and its willingness to help. “My son was warmly welcomed when he was 11. I’m a technician by trade, but I’d never assembled a drone before then. He was able to do all of that with the help of the community,” says Schöpfer. Marvin is now training to become an electronics technician.

*The interview was conducted by Andrea Bolliger*