APRIL RC CLUB FLYERS
PILOT SPEAK By Ray Ihlenburg
R/C Flyers
By Ray Ihlenburg
Radio Control unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs are turning up in so many places from our flying field to the battle field. They were recently used to document a different kind of battle against the timing clock of the winter sporting events.
The Winter Olympics added a new R/C twist in Milan, Italy. It was difficult to see but occasionally, the sound was a dead giveaway.
R/C Drones were on most courses to put the TV viewer in the bobsled, on a luge or skeleton sled, and in most skiing events. This was possible due to First Person View or FPV technology that puts the pilot ‘on’ the drone to follow and match the competitor’s speed.
Drones have been used during previous Olympics but not to the level as in 2026. This year, over a dozen special FPV drones revolutionized TV broadcasting by capturing high-speed and up-close pictures at amazing resolution.
The drones weighed under a pound and are extremely maneuverable and capable of 70 mph or more. The pilots are professionals who started flying drones as a hobby! But this is serious business.
The pilots practice for weeks on the course they will be flying with and with out athletes. Sometimes they fly up to 60 runs to learn the course whereas the competitor may get one practice or inspection run. This has to be nerve wracking because the drones are flown completely manually without any collision safe guards. The pilots learn their limits and fly below them as they must follow behind the competitor and not disrupt the competition.
The cameras are incredibly small and light weight while at the same time providing broadcast quality pictures. Each drone actually has two cameras; the broadcast camera that the broadcast director manages and the FPV camera that the pilot uses to navigate the course. There were also drones that were used for the cinematic views of the mountains and villages. This gave the viewer a wonderful sense of the surroundings and venues.
Each flight takes about 5 minutes with maybe 2 minutes at high speed. The temperature and power draw impact the batteries considerably. For this reason, the batteries are stored in heated containers until time to fly and there are dedicated team members that are responsible for the battery conditions and maintenance. Surely don’t want a dead drone on a bobsled run.
The pilot also has a spotter present and there are spotters along all course just incase a drone goes down. Safety is paramount.
Closer to home, our next event is scheduled for Saturday, April 18 from 9 am until 1 am. Lunch will be available with plenty of free parking available. Bring a lawn chairs and spend an hour or two watching all types of airplanes. The lunch time demonstration has been a hit at previous events. This time we will be flying combat so there really may be a different sort of HIT may be in the cards. See you there.
“Fly Good, and Land Better”