Interested in getting involved with tiny whoop drone sports in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area? Here is the essential information.
1. The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST)
- Pilots need to have passed the TRUST test in order to legally fly a drone for recreational reasons outside. (Different licensing is needed to fly outside for commercial and other non-recreational reasons including sharing your videos online (whether for profit or not.)
- You are required to have your TRUST certificate with you whenever you are flying a drone of any size outside. Keep it with your transmitter (because you need to have that to fly as well).
Pilot Institute offers a free impossible-to-fail test for TRUST certification. If you get a question wrong, the test explains the answer to you and then you get to try answering the question correctly again right away. And if you still get it wrong, then you try again … and again. It also includes readings before each section that tell you the answers to the questions in that section. The test should take 30 minutes or less to complete.
TRUST = The Recreational UAS Safety Test
UAS = Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Heads up! Make sure you both print and save a digital copy of your completion certificate at the end of the test. Pilot Institute cannot re-issue your completion certificate and the FAA cannot re-issue your completion certificate. If you lose your completion certificate, you will need to re-take TRUST using a new account on a new device and browser to obtain a new certificate. Your account will be deleted as soon as your certificate is issued. You must download and print your certificate immediately upon finishing.
(Many other organizations (such as the Academy of Model Aeronautics) also offer the free TRUST test.)
Flying Inside
You do not need a TRUST certificate to fly inside an enclosed structure.
2. FAA B4UFly App
Before flying a drone outside (including in your own backyard) you must (1) determine if you are in controlled or uncontrolled airspace (uncontrolled does not mean unregulated), (2) check for any permanent or temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) in your area, and (3) determine if you have permission from the landowner(s) (whether its private or public property) to take off and land (including crashing).
The FAA B4UFLY app provides information about controlled airspace, special use airspace, critical infrastructure, airports, national parks, military training routes and TFRs and a clear status indicator that lets you know where you can safely fly.
Airspace Authorization
If you will be flying in controlled airspace, you must get an FAA airspace authorization which alerts FAA Air Traffic Control (ATC) that there are drones in the area. Fortunately, FAA UAS Service Suppliers of LAANC (Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability) provides a near real-time automated application and approval process for airspace authorizations for most controlled airspace at or below 400ft. If you need to request an airspace authorization in an area not serviced by LAANC, you can use the FAA’s DroneZone, which can take up to 2 months.
3. Know Federal and State Laws
Keep abreast of the information for recreational drone operators from the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Community-Based Organizations (CBO)
Officially, drone pilots must follow the safety guidelines of a community-based organization, but the FAA hasn’t yet begun officially recognizing CBOs for unmanned aircraft systems. In the meantime, recreational flyers should follow the safety guidelines of existing aeromodelling organizations (such as the Academy of Model Aeronautics) or use the FAA-provided safety guidelines per Advisory Circular 91-57B.
DRONE Registration
A tiny whoop drone should weigh less than 35 grams including its battery. If you are flying a drone that weighs more than 250 grams (0.55 pounds), it must be registered with the FAA and your FAA registration number is must be easily visible on the outside of the drone. Drones larger than 3 inches with prop guards are likely nearing this weight category. If your drone does not have prop guards, you will most likely approach this weight category if your drone is 4 inches or larger.
4. Start in a Simulator
Learn how to control a drone in a simulator before you try to fly one in real life. This is to both protect your equipment and to keep people, pets, wildlife, and random objects safe.
VelociDrone FPV Racing Simulation
The VelociDrone app with the Micro Class Quads add-on costs about $30. The Micro Class Quads add-on will let you fly a simulated version of many commercially available tiny whoop drones.
This is the app currently used by YDSC for almost all of their sim series, including both races and classes.
LiftOff Microdrones on Steam
Currently in beta, Liftoff is about $15 and its physics is quite promising. YDSC plans to transition its sim series to LiftOff when it’s ready.
5. Youth Drone Sports Championships (YDSC)
Join the YDSC Discord Server
The YDSC Discord Server is a good place to make connections with other youth pilots and adult mentors. You’ll get advice on starting a drone racing club, learning to fly, choosing a drone, and troubleshooting.
Join YDSC
YDSC offers both drone classes and drone racing series. A $50 (200 Tokens) YDSC membership is sufficient for either the MTS or sim series while $100 (500 Tokens) will allow pilots to participate in both real life and virtual classes and races.
You don’t need a TRUST certificate to participate in YDSC as all events are indoors (or in the simulator) but it’s still a good idea to have one.
Micro Track Smash 2022 (MTS)
MTS is an IRL* competition for teams of 2 to 4 pilots. Questions about MTS are best asked in the YDSC Discord Server #general channel.
* IRL stands for “in real life” (as compared to sim which is short for “in a simulator”)
In brief, MTS teams use ~$75 worth of PVC pipe and connectors to build small (10′ x 20′) reconfigurable tracks and a timing gate. New track configurations are released throughout the seasons. Times are recorded using the Youth Drone Sports mobile app running on an iOS device and participants also record their flights on their FPV googles and upload that DVR for verification. These are to used rank pilots and teams and to qualify for State Championships and Nationals. More details are on the YDSC website.
The cost for Spring 2022 is 100 tokens per pilot (which translates to either $20 or $25) and includes all MTS tracks and participation in the State Championships and Nationals:
YDSC Soaring Spring ‘22 Minnesota State Championships
Saturday 23 April 2022, 9 AM–2 PM *
Academy of Holy Angels, 6600 Nicollet Ave S, Richfield, MN 55423
* Pilots check in at 9 AM sharp.
Early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable.
A walkthrough of the course will be given at 9 AM sharp with practice rounds starting immediately afterward. Each pilot will be allowed 2 batteries for practice rounds. Qualifying rounds start immediately after the practice rounds, with each pilot allowed 1 battery. (Your MTS times qualify you to be at the event. Qualifying rounds on race day determine seeding for the day.)
Spectators are welcome starting at 11 AM and admission is free! Individual races (in sets of 4 pilots per race) begin at 11 AM followed by team races (in sets of 2 teams consisting of 2 pilots each).
All pilots should plan to stay until the end of the event when there will be a recognition of the winners and group photos.
YDSC Nationals
Sunday 1 May 2022, 12 PM–6 PM
Truly On Deck @ Target Field, 1 Twins Way, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Located on the Club Level in right field. Park on Level 3 of Ramp A (101 N 9th St, Minneapolis, MN 55403) for easy Skyway access.
* Pilots check in at 12 PM sharp.
Early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable.
Spectators are welcome starting at 2 PM and admission is free!
Race Day Etiquette
- Pay attention! Be aware of race activities even when you’re not racing so that you hear your name and channel assignment called and can be on deck and ready to fly.
- Do your part to keep the event on schedule. Be on deck if you’re racing next: lined up behind the currently racing pilots with all your gear (drone, transmitter, goggles, batteries).
- When you finish your race, stay seated until all other racers have completed the course as well.
- Don’t plug in your drone (to either batteries or USB) during a race (unless you are the one racing).
- Listen to the instructions! Pilots may be asked to either fly their drones back to themselves when they finish the race or to land by the timing gate and then walk out to retrieve their drones after all racers have finished.
- If you have a NewBeeDrone BeeBrain V3, be sure your power is set to 50 and not 5 or 120. Otherwise, ensure it’s set to 25.
- Finish your current lap after the qualifying timer sounds.
- Be ready to help out your fellow pilots (from your own team or any other team), if needed, including with repairs, channel switching, and understanding what is happening.
- Before race day: Practice channel switching so that you can do this quickly and efficiently on race day.
- Not etiquette but a good practice: Doublecheck the security of your battery connections before placing your drone on the starting line!
Other drone Racing organizations
- CDSC (Collegiate Drone Sports Championships)
- Hydra FPV
- IGOW (International Game of Whoop)
- DRL (Drone Racing League)
- MultiGP
6. Equipment
A Tiny Whoop Drone
You’ll want a 1S 65mm ducted micro quad drone tuned for angle mode.
NewBeeDrone AcroBee65 BLV3 BNF
- ~$140
Recommended by YDSC. This sturdy drone bashes really well and comes out of the box ready to bind, so it’s a good choice for new pilots.
Batteries
At least ten 1S LiPo batteries.
Battery charger
You’ll use this to discharge any unused batteries as well.
An FPV headset
DVR-capable headset or an external device for recording FPV video from flights.
FatShark Scout with MicroSD card
- ~$230
Recommended by YDSC.
A Transmitter
Also called a controller. Keep your TRUST certificate with your transmitter and store your transmitter in its case when not in use because if it lands on its gimbals, it’s done.
Get a comfortable neck strap for your transmitter as well so that your hands can be free to manage your drone and batteries.
RadioMaster T8 Lite V2 Multi-Protocol D8 2.4GHz RC Transmitter
- ~$40
Highly affordable, relatively sturdy, and very reliable.
RadioMaster Zorro Radio Controller – CC2500
- ~$100
Recommended by the YDSC.
Your Race Day Kit
- Your 1S 65mm ducted micro quad drone
- Your FPV goggles
- Your transmitter (controller)
- a neck strap for your transmitter (so that your hands can be free to manage your drone and batteries)
- all of your batteries, charged (if appropriate — some batteries should not be pre-charged)
- your battery charger
- a battery pack
- optionally, a power strip (possibly with an extension cord) (I prefer to rely on a battery pack)
- any and all cables that you need to run your equipment
- prop remover
- magnetic screwdriver
- needlenose pliers
- spare parts: bring everything you have including frames, props, and screws
- wear your team’s jersey (if your team has them)
- wear your team’s pilot badge (if your team has them)
- a water bottle
Other Useful Things
- a pronounceable family-friendly pilot name (without any special characters). This will be used as both your Discord nickname on the YDSC Discord Server and your VelociDrone user name. It is also how you will be referred to during races.
- a Discord account (pilots younger than 13 should use their parents’ Discord account)
- a YDSC account
Part 107 Commercial Drone License
This license allows you to fly for many (but not all) non-recreational purposes.
If you are 16 years old or older and are interested in a Part 107 license, I recommend Pilot Institute’s Part 107 Commercial Drone License Course (currently $149).