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!
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