Drone racing is on its way to becoming the rising sport of the future

The event, organized under the roof of the Ministry of Youth and Sports at the Maltepe Hasan Polat Stadium, hosted a total of 32 athletes from many cities and nearly 12 drone clubs. In the championship where athletes compete fiercely, the drones that can complete the course full of difficult obstacles in the fastest time advance to the next round, while a great challenge awaits the last group pilots who advance to the final. Turkish Air Sports Federation Technical Board Member Can Tayfun stated that the sport of racing with unmanned aerial vehicles has been on the rise rapidly in recent years, and that drone racing will be a sport that will make its name known more in the near future and will be frequently preferred by the young generation. Emphasizing that drone piloting is not just a hobby but a profession of the future, Tayfun drew attention to the fact that the unmanned aerial vehicle sector is also on the rise.

"Despite being new, it is the fastest growing sport in the world"

Providing information about the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (FPV Drone) 2025 Türkiye Championship, Turkish Air Sports Federation Technical Board Member Can Tayfun emphasized that the preparation process for the races requires great effort and disciplined work. Tayfun said, "We held the final race here, before that we had two elimination races in Ankara and Istanbul. 142 pilots registered for the qualifying races there, 85 pilots who passed the technical controls participated in the race. The best 32 of them are currently in the final race here. Our sport is a very enjoyable sport. Although it is new, it is the fastest developing and also the fastest sport in the world. In this sense, Turkey is in the top 7-8 in the world rankings. In addition, we send our pilots abroad, we send our national teams. Our goal is this, of course this is a sport, but before that it is a profession. Drone is the profession of the future, today and even yesterday. Because 70 of the 150 pilots in our team are currently working in the drone sector, they are doing very respectable and good work. Our goal is to explain and tell children, young people and families about this sport and to provide them with a profession together with this sport."

"An athlete prepares for a 40-second drone race for 1 year"

At this point, Can Tayfun stated that there are more than 500 drone users (FPV) from Türkiye, and conveyed that this branch is growing and developing every day, and made the following statements: "While nearly 200 of the more than 500 athletes have received licenses, more than 100 are competing. This year, we will also have newly opened drone football and drone simulator races. Today, this is also a competition where the national team is selected, so the stress is at its highest. Because those selected here will represent us abroad. Our races last 35-40 seconds anyway. In other words, an athlete sits down and prepares for that 40-second drone race for 1 year. If he is successful in those 40 seconds, he can advance to the next round. It is a sport that requires incredible perseverance."

Finally, Can Tayfun, who said that they will participate in the "World Games" competitions this year with the support of the International Air Sports Federation, said, "For the first time, one of our athletes was invited to the World Games, which is organized by the Olympic Committee and includes the sports that have not yet participated in the Olympics or will participate in the Olympics, in the drone sports category. More than 40 athletes will go to the World Games from Türkiye and we will be represented nationally in drones. We have entered the 18 countries, it is a very important thing for us."

UAV

Reporter: News Center