Drone Racing’s Place in The World Games
This is the second time that drone racing has made an appearance at The World Games and for the FAI it’s an important opportunity to showcase air sports to the outside world. With the next edition of the Games taking place in Chengdu in August 2025, the spotlight on emerging disciplines like drone racing is set to grow even brighter.
"The World Games are the most important competition for non-Olympic sports," says Claus Cordes, President of the German Aero Club (DAeC), who recently shared his views at the FAI General Conference.
"The multi-sport nature of The World Games brings forward opportunities and advantages that no other sports competition can provide."
He points out that The World Games provides a unique platform for athletes, who find themselves competing on an international stage alongside athletes from many different sports to audiences that may never have encountered air sports before.
Opening Ceremony of The World Games 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA - credit: IWGA
"The opening and closing ceremonies are of extraordinary dimensions for our athletes, in Birmingham they were in front of 30,000 spectators and it left lasting impressions on those taking part."
Markus Haggeney, Secretary General of the FAI agrees and says The World Games is also a way to introduce air sports to a younger demographic. "Drone sports allow us to attract young, urban people. Pilots can move up to high-level sports requiring significant skills, both physically and mentally. All these are embedded into a very substantial IT environment. And many pilots active in other air sports started as an aeromodeller, so it’s likely that drone racing will have a similar impact," he adds.
Max Bishop, a former Secretary General of the FAI and former Senior Vice President of the International World Games Association (IWGA), says the accessibility of drone racing is key. “Its appeal to the younger generation is attractive from the point of view of the IWGA. With air sports as a whole, there's always been the problem of the expense – they can be quite pricey. It also involves an element of construction as well, because almost all these drone pilots construct their own machines.”
Haggeney adds that The World Games are not only important for drone racing but for other air sports. Some have previously featured within The World Games and there are plans to encourage skydiving’s return for the 2029 edition of the Games in Karlsruhe, Germany. "Skydiving is part of the backbone of air sports activities within The World Games," he says. "Technology evolves and we hope to showcase electric powered drop-planes in 2029 - some technical development is already up and running for some time. Other air sports could be proposed for inclusion in future editions of the Games."
The World Games drone racing event, which begins 13 August 2025, will be broadcast globally to audiences that number in the millions as well as across social media.
"Top performances at top events always rubs off on the general public," adds Cordes. "Followers of other sports can be presented with images of FAI sports and may be more likely to investigate. The improved visibility provides an opportunity to gain more members."
And getting more people into air sports – for the FAI, that can only be a good thing.
Credit top picture: Kaisa culture & sport group
