Seeking Homeschool Teen Pilots

Tiny Turbines is looking for more teen drone pilots interested in tiny whoop drone racing. We are a part of Hydra FPV. We are currently racing virtually via the VelociDrone FPV Racing Simulator app.

Tiny Turbines gets together online to practice on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays in the evening. As the team size increases, we plan to hold weekly team online practice sessions with smaller groups meeting in between. Aurora Pass (she/her/hers) is our team captain. Séamus Blake (they/them/theirs) is our team’s Informational & Technical Organizer.

Youth Drone Sports Championships hosts weekly virtual races with team races starting on Thursday 2 July 2020. Races start at 7pm with pilot check-in at 6:30pm. Races are scheduled to end at 9pm but have gone as late as 10pm due to technical difficulties.

The races are in real-time. They are livestreamed on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch, and have even been on the regional sports network, Fox Sports North.

Communication is via Discord, for both Tiny Turbines and YDSC.

Tiny Turbines is a secular homeschool group. We are serious about inclusivity and welcome everyone regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability or handicap, neurodiversity, economic status, religion, or homeschooling philosophy or style.

To get started:

Aurora and I are available to walk new pilots through set-up for the apps as the linkages between everything can get confusing. We will also teach them how to fly.

• 1. Ask for an invitation to join the Tiny Turbines Discord server.
  2. Purchase a $45 YDSC race pass for Season 3.
     • Be sure you create an account for the Pilot, not for the pilot’s parent.
  3. Purchase a license for the £16.99 VelociDrone FPV Racing Simulator app with the £4 Micro Class Quads add-on (about $26 for both). This app runs on Mac OSX (10.11 and up) and Windows (7, 8 and 10 (64 bit only))
     • Pilots will also need a controller. A PS-style game controller works well. An Xbox-style controller is usable. You might be able to use a Switch controller. A dedicated drone controller will be the best but is also more expensive ($50 to $300). I started with a PS4 game controller.
  4. Download the free Hydra FPV mobile app (for iOS and Android).
  5. Join the YDSC Discord server. (You must first have a Hydra FPV mobile app account linked to your YDSC race pass, your VelociDrone FPV Racing Simulator account, and your Discord account before you can join the YDSC Discord server.)

Parents are welcome to join the Discord servers to stay in the communication loop.

Additional information

Aurora’s dad, Gabe Pass, is also the mentor for the Southwest High School team (where he is also a teacher).

Last season the races were on Saturdays and we anticipate they will be on Saturdays next season (so kids in school don’t have to stay up late on a weeknight). This is a year-round sport with two seasons each year: the school-year season and the summer season.

YDSC is also offering virtual summer camps and the $45 Level 1 camp includes the race pass for Season 3. These virtual camps are a first-time effort.

YDSC started as real-world racing of tiny whoop drones. A tiny whoop drone has 31mm props with a wheelbase of 65mm (motor-to-motor). They weigh about 20 grams.

When COVID-19 meant the cancellation of the real-world races, it was moved over to VelociDrone virtual racing. The VelociDrone FPV Racing Simulator was already in wide use for drone pilot training.

It’s unclear when YDSC will resume real-world racing, but when it does, pilots will want to purchase their own drones. It is possible but very difficult to share drones and part of the experience is building your own drone. Tiny Turbines is looking at fundraising options to help cover these costs.

Real-World Drone Racing Club Costs

• • • $2400 per 4-person team to start:
      1. $1000 team fee
      2. $1000 minimum gear bundle ($250/bundle x 4 bundles)
         • $250 gear bundle includes FPV goggles, transmitter set, battery charger, and gear case. You may use other equivalent equipment.
      3. $400 minimum pilot fee ($100/pilot x 4 pilots).
         • $100 pilot fee includes a 1-ounce Hydra Build-and-Race “Tiny Whoop” Micro-FPV Drone Kit (required), drone case, unlimited simulator access, and a custom YDSC team jersey