LAUSANNE, Switzerland — As the world governing body for all air sports recognised by the International Olympic Committee, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) is responsible for world drone sports.
As part of its work in this area, FAI has established a Working Group on matters related to drones, comprised of members of the FAI Executive Board and the executive of the Aeromodelling Commission, as well as senior FAI officials.
The Working Group will deal with sporting and regulatory aspects of drones, ensuring rigorous rules development for drone sports, based on the FAI Sporting Code on FPV Racing, officials said.
This will include the rules for the first FAI World Championships to be held in 2017, and possibly regional championships.
The group will connect drone racing event organizers around the world with FAI, grow the number of events on all levels and organize recognition in the FAI World Cup.
The Working Group will also assist national FAI member organizations and national aeromodelling and drone organizations in advising regulatory authorities on drone activities by collecting, assessing and disseminating relevant information, based on the FAI Common Strategy for Drones.
Another initiative for the group is a planned FAI International Drone Conference and Expo, which will feature FPV Racing, as well as panel discussions about sports development, regulatory and safety aspects, and the practical uses of drones in areas such as maintenance, agriculture, and aerial filming, where the pilots often get their start in aeromodelling.