Interview with Drone Racer Ricky - Multi-GP, Maker Faire, Henry Ford

I met Ricky at the Multi-GP drone competition outside the museum during Maker Faire - Henry Ford - Aug 31st, 2016.

Me: Ricky, I've had my goggles on, tuned in to your frequency, you fly very well. This is kind of a sidebar,  but I noticed your name at the bottom of the video feed, how do you do that?


Ricky: Thanks, it is really easy (the name thing), the cameras have what is called and OSD control.  You plug in to the white connector (he points to it) here and it is actually the camera that has the options to create the text.


Me: How did you get started in drone racing? I spent some time with radio control cars, is that something you did before this?


Ricky: I did do RC Cars, when I was like 16, went to college and got bored with the cars. I saw some people doing planes and helis and got involved in that. Lately it has been drones.


Me: What was your first drone, did you buy or build?

Ricky: I bought a Blade MQX, by Horizon Hobby. A real cheapie. Harry, the organizer of this event, let me fly my first drone and I went and bought one.


Me: Did you ever purchase or fly any of the camera drones?


Ricky: I have had Phantoms before...... 

Me: Once you fly these racing drones do you find yourself using the camera drone much and is it still interesting to fly?

Ricky: The camera platforms are just that, I don't find them as interesting.  With these racing drones, there is no stabilization, you just Yank It, Bank It and Throttle. (We both laugh). When you pick up one of these you are free,  but with the camera drones you are really not flying them.

Me: So you recommend a Do It Yourself (DIY), to me it seems like a daunting task to just start building one....he interrupts...


Ricky:  You want to be able to rebuild and keep going, that is what you want (you won't know how to repair your RTF should something go wrong)...
There are kits you can buy, but I wouldn't recommend an RTF. They are total crap! When the RTFs start winning races, then they will get some respect.


Me: How are the race classes determined, does it depend on certain components in your drone?

Ricky: Yes, they are grouped by prop size and motor output. These are 4 to 5 inch props, with 2600 KV motors. Thirdly would be the battery, 4 cell vs. 3.


Me: Are you doing anything that you want to keep secret from the other flyers? (like he would tell me if he was).


Ricky: Oh no, nothing secret. I learned everything online anyways.


Me: So nothing special in your build, you just have Ninja Skills in your flying.....haha.


Joe: He leaned in and said "Ricky is actually Canadian Champion, beginner class."


Me: So you are kind of a celebrity I guess (laughter). What is next on your racing schedule?


Ricky and Joe:(they mentioned lots of races coming up, click on the following links): 

MultiGP-Regional-Series - August 13-14, various US locations
Fatshark Frenzy - August 19-21, Kimberly, ON, CAN
F3 Expo - November 4-6, Perry, GA, USA

Author's Notes: I enjoyed talking with Ricky, he is intense when it comes to racing, but a really nice guy. There is a sense of community amongst these racers, and it is obvious they are having fun!

Interview with Drone Racer DaJuan "Magic" Simpson - Maker Faire - Henry Ford

Enter drone racer DaJuan Simpson, aka "Magic". I met him at the drone competition outside the museum during Maker Faire - Henry Ford - 2016. 

Me: How did you get started flying?

DaJuan: Started flying "Helis", then saw some Multirotor videos on YouTube and have been into it ever since.


Me: I know these drones at the competition are all custom built for racing. What was your first drone....a $100 drone or what?


DaJuan: My first drone was a $50 drone from 7-11, bought it on Black Friday. I met some people from this flying group at a local hobby shop, and the rest is history.


Me: You started building your own drones?


DaJuan: Yep. I wanted to get the experience of building it myself. You have to know how to build when you are racing drones. When you are out in the field, you may have crashes or other issues, so it helps to know your drone inside and out.


Me: Is there a Ready To Fly drone that you can buy that can compete with these custom built drones? Have you ever flown something comparable out of the box?


DaJuan: Yes, I owned an Arris X-Speed. They are ready to go, just need your goggles, extra batteries and a radio. You can also buy a quad that comes with a radio, they are cheaper in quality, but it would be another place you could start.  

Me: Did you ever fly the "camera drones", that carry a GoPro or a DJI type drone?

DaJuan: It all depends on what you want to do, I am a photographer, so yes I do enjoy flying the camera drones. Having the drone up so high and looking over the city is nice. But when you get into actual racing, you are flying 40 mph, 5  to 10 feet off the ground, it's an adrenaline rush you know. 

Me: How fast can these racing drones go?

DaJuan: 70 mph easily.

Me: Can you fly this course without FPV goggles, just by line of sight?

DaJuan: No way. Not at these speeds.

Me: What is your next event you will be attending?

DaJuan: Not sure about when the next official race is, but we practice at the Light Guard Armory, at 8 mile and Mound every Saturday. Come on out and check us out!

Author's Note: I really enjoyed speaking with Magic, he was so into it, I think he could talk forever about drone racing. Thanks DaJuan!

Drone Competition - Maker Faire - Henry Ford - 2016

As I drove down to my first Maker Faire in Dearborn, Mi at the Henry Ford/Greenfield Village, I wondered how many people even know about it, and does anyone care? As I approached the Museum, there were police directing traffic, and I proceeded to drive a mile past the entrance of the Faire to find parking. The competition was set up out front of the museum, a small tight course, good for viewing by the public.

 Sponsoring the event was Detroit Multirotor, with Harry Arnold on hand to manage the event.

The flying was almost non-stop, the crowd was into it, especially when someone crashed. Pilot Chris Stolp introduced some of the young onlookers to the world of FPV as he passed around several sets of googles to view the action. 

For current standings and upcoming events, click on the link below to the Detroit Drone User Group.