15 year old pilot wins Dubai's World Drone Prix

Date

3/13/2016 8:34:01 PM

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

A team led by a 15-year-old pilot from England took first Saturday in the World Drone Prix a new contest hoping to take flight both in this Mideast country fascinated by the technology and with sports fans worldwide.

Luke Bannister of Somerset led Tornado X-Blades Banni UK to win a $250000 purse part of $1 million in prizes handed out in the inaugural edition of this race as a Cabinet-level minister announced the start of the World Future Sports Games in December 2017.

Those contests next year will include robotic swimming running wrestling and car racing as well as drone flying as this city of futuristic skylines yearns to be ahead of the curve.

HH Sheikh Mansoor bin Maktoum with Omar AlOlama awarding Banni UK the first prize for the World Drone Prix. pic.twitter.com/GK4Bk24Nfm

- World Drone Prix (worlddroneprix) March 12 2016 At the World Drone Prix four pilots at a time sat in racing-style seats their eyes covered by goggles allowing them to watch a feed from a camera on their drone. The drones raced on a course behind them zipping along a white track that occasionally reached up to pinch at the speeding aircraft for 12 laps with the skyscrapers of the Dubai Marina behind them.

The pilots wore the white racing jumpsuits familiar to Formula One but racers have to worry about what's above and below them as they fly their drones said Zachry Thayer a 25-year-old pilot for Team Big Whoop of Fort Collins Colorado. But the onboard camera puts a racer into the action like nothing else he said.

"That's what's making it explode" Thayer said. "Anybody can go out and all of a sudden they're Superman."

The crafts flown more resembled Erector Set creations with one team using a cheap disposable lighter to solder a wire. The races themselves looked at home in the science-fiction film "Tron" - glowing fluorescent lights guiding the way around the 591-meter (650-yard) track.

This is super cool! Enjoying the World Drone GP!! #WDP16 #WorldDronePrix pic.twitter.com/TjL7r64U5p

- Toufic Abou Nader (Toufic_13) March 12 2016 Racers had to take at least one pit stop in the race with crews leaning down to change out batteries. Pilots also had to decide whether to take short cuts sometimes seeing their drones crash into the ground or into each other to the shouts of spectators.

On Saturday night at the World Drone Prix the novelty of the competition seemed to hold the audience's attention as the drones buzzed around the track. After winning Nigel Tomlinson of Manchester United Kingdom said the 43 team members of Luke's team would share the prize money.

Luke himself also seemed happy rocking back and forth on his heels atop the winner's podium.

"The lights were awesome" he shyly said afterward as his team cheered.

Team party!

Posted by World Drone Prix on Saturday 12 March 2016

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