Social Distance FPV

Ordinarily one of San Francisco's busiest districts, the city's Chinatown neighborhood was seemingly devoid of people during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Spring of 2020.  With tourism more or less shut down and the city's residents under a community quarantine, first person view (FPV) pilot InspireFPV was able to get out with his racing quad and film the eerie scene you'll see in this excellent video.  The largest ethnic Chinese neighborhood in the Western Hemisphere, Chinatown lies just west of the Financial District.   

AirVuz contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot Kenny Dorion created this spectacular cinematic FPV video of the French Alps town of Annecy at a virtual standstill during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.  With its outdoor spaces virtually empty of people, the video brings a unique perspective to the largest city in the Haute-Savoie Department.  Once called the Pearl of the French Alps, Annecy is located at the northern tip of its namesake lake, about 35 km (around 22 mi.) south of Geneva.

FPV pilot kupaaa_fpv was fighting the coronavirus in his own way, with the help of his drone and some crafty editing. While living in China, he was certainly attuned to the fear people had of the 2020 pandemic, and he also was aware that this same fear could be mitigated a bit with a little lighthearted humor.  Watch as he flies his quadcopter in a fighter pilot-esque way to shoot down and conquer the virus, alongside some appropriate tunes.  We happily put him in the mix of our FPV Pilots to Watch List in March 2020.

AirVuz contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot NonexistentJay took to the skies above nearly-empty central Philadelphia as the state of Pensylvania was under quarantine during the Dovid-19 pandemic in the Spring of 2020.  The result is this epic and unique aerial perspective of the City of Brotherly Love.  It's all here: City Hall and the William Penn Statue, the Comcast Towers, the Eakins Oval.  At the;:15 mark, he even flies through (not under, through) a bridge on the Schuylkill River.

First person view (FPV) pilot Angelo Re brings us this unique aerial tour of his home city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  The video was shot while the city was virtually deserted during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Spring of 2020.  This enabled him to safely garner some unique views of the Steel City's iconic riverfront downtown.  Check out some of Pittsburgh's most well-known sights by FPV, including the Fort Pitt Bridge, Fifth Avenue Place, the Renaissance Hotel, the H. J. Heinz Company complex, and more.  

Check out this fantastic first person view (FPV) mini-tour of Los Angeles, California while the USA's second-largest city was deadly-quiet during the Spring, 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, compliments of contributor and FPV pilot steven.mov.  The first stop is the famous pier in Malibu, followed by the "Muscle Beach" section of Venice.  Following a stop along the (dry) Los Angeles River bed, you'll head to downtown LA for some epic skyscraper diving around the Wells Fargo Center on Bunker Hill.  This made the FPV Pilots to Watch list in May, 2020.

As America essentially shut down for business during the Covid-19 epidemic in the Spring of 2020, the downtown areas of even its largest cities came to resemble virtual ghost towns.  Against this backdrop, first person view (FPV) pilots were able to fly over spots that would normally be difficult to access, all the while maintaining proper social distancing.  Case in point is this FPV video by betodiaz, who was able to FPV one of the tallest skyscrapers in Houston, Texas: the 56 story Bank of America Center.  

With the streets of Boston, Massachusetts nearly empty in early April, 2020 due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, first person view (FPV) pilot troncat_fpv used the occasion to create this rather haunting but fascinating video from America's oldest city.  Filming in the Back Bay area around Copley Square, he used his racing quad to dive some of the city's most prominent skyscrapers, including the John Hancock Tower; at 240 meters (790 ft.) it's the tallest building in the New England region as of 2020.

One of the very few silver linings of the Spring, 2020 Covid-19 pandemic was the opportunity granted to first person view (FPV) pilots to capture scenes of places which ordinarily would be impossible to fly over.  Case in point is this fantastic FPV piece from top AirVuz contributor zippomaker.  He was able to use an FPV racing quad to film one of the most iconic sights of Europe: the Roman Colosseum.  One of the great landmarks of the Antiquity, the great open-air stadium was built in the first century AD and could hold up to 80k spectactors.   

The near-shutdown of New York City during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Spring of 2020 gave first person view (FPV) pilots a chance to fly over parts of the city which are normally too crowded, all the while practicing good social distancing.  Case in point is this amazing "quarantine" reel by top contributor rememorales.  Using a racing quad, he was able to capture some stunningly cinematic FPV footage of the city during this strange time. The video features some epic skyscraper dives as well as other shots from around the desolate-looking city.

Being under community quarantine during the Covid-19 pandemic, first person view (FPV) pilots came up with some very creative ways to amuse themselves (and their video viewers) while still practicing excellent social distancing.  Witness this crazy piece from AirVuz contributor craig_dt.  As best we can tell from watching his video, he used an FPV racing quad to deliver some "emergency" supplies to a friend in need.  It's really worth a watch, especially if you didn't think a mini-quad could carry a liquor bottle! 

Top AirVuz contributor zippomaker has done a great job of bridging the gap between the worlds of "traditional" drone aerial videography and cinematic first person view (FPV) flight.  In this outstanding piece, which earned him a spot on the AirVuz FPV Pilots to Watch list in June of 2020, he takes us on an FPV ride through a public square in Spain.  The video was captured as part of his work on a documentary about the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated social distancing measures which gripped Spain and much of the world in 2020.   

In the Spring of 2020, with most of Europe under quarantine to fight the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, city centers that would normally be bursting with traffic and people became deathly quiet.  Here is one of these scenes, captured via a first person view (FPV) racing quad by top contributor and pilot Dronujemy.  He filmed the old city of Poznań, Poland with his racing drone, creating a (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime perspective of the fifth-largest Polish city and the cultural capital of western Poland.  

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the USA's casino towns were amongst the hardest-hit as social distancing measures caused their main businesses to shut down.  This gave rise to the phenomenon of temporary ghost towns.  While not actually "bandos", first person view (FPV) mini-drone pilots were able to capture eerie scenes of these empty towns that appear like movie sets.  A great example is this piece by AirVuz contributor and FPV pilot Beards_Eye_Vue, who filmed the town of Black Hawk, Colorado shortly before it re-opened for business.  

Experts say exposure to nature boosts our happiness and benefits both our physical and mental health (especially in a time of quarantine), but who could have hoped for a dose like this?  Watch this incredible long range flight over Mallorca, courtesy of pilot ParasiteFPV. This cinematic edit is full of power loops and smooth runs along the rocky coastline and lush forest of Spain's largest of the Balearic Islands.  GoPro + Reel Steady + Parasite FPV = FPV Pilot to Watch on AirVuz in March 2020.

While many of us have seen the City of Love, few have seen it from above, and like this.  Thankfully, drone pilot Loud FPV practiced some creative social distancing and showed us that even the rooftops are beautiful in Paris! He climbed onto his roof to fly his quadcopter (from the *top* of a chimney, no less) giving us quick tour of the neighborhood. Even the title of the accompanying audio translates to Song from the Tallest Tower, and it's all so charming we had to add Loud FPV to our FPV Pilots to Watch list in April 2020. Bravo!

With most of Europe under community quarantine during the Covid-19 pandemic, first person view (FPV) flight was one way to have fun and protect oneself and the community by practicing good social distancing.  This could take the form of flying cinewhoops at home or heading out for some solo flight around empty towns.  Witness this fantastic piece by German FPV pilot props-wear.de, who was able to make the most of the quarantine in Germany with some very cinematic FPV flight.

AirVuz contributor and FPV pilot TRONCAT_fpv used an FPV mini-drone to film the empty streets of Boston, Massachusetts during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Spring of 2020.  At this time, when the New England city became the second-leading novel coronavirus "hot spot" after New York, it took on the appearance of a ghost town.  The video follows a skateboarder rolling through the desolate-looking city during one of its darkest times.  For his efforts, our content creator earned himself a spot on the FPV Pilots to Watch list in July of 2020.

Team AirVuz pilot Tomz made the wise decision to channel his pent up energy and make a cruise around the brilliantly blue waters off of Greece.  While a quarantine may keep the humans at home, or at the very least - politely socially distant - it certainly doesn't mean FPV drones like those of Tomz can't be in the air.  This pilot consistently cranks out incredible freestyle flights, and you just have to check out his AirVuz profile to see why this pilot also consistently makes it onto our FPV Pilots to Watch list.

AirVuz contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot PilotInCommand FPV took to the nearly-empty streets of St. Louis, Missouri during the Covid-19 pandemic to "dive in" to this elegant Midwestern City.  Incorporating some great "set-up"shots showing the areas being flown, he was able to put his racing quad through the paces of loops, building dives, and other FPV maneuvers, none of which would typically be possible given the typically high levels of people and traffic in the central city.  

Top AirVuz contributor and pilot rememorales brings us this fantastic first person view (FPV) tour of Los Angeles, California as the city began to emerge from its Covid-19 quarantine in the Spring of 2020.  The video opens with a shot along one of LA's Pacific Ocean beaches, before heading for the canyons of downtown LA.  Here you'll be treated to some epic shots of the Art Deco classic Los Angeles Central Public Library, some skyscraper dives, and shots along the still nearly-empty streets of the USA's second-largest city.

With many colleges and universities closed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, enterprising first-person view (FPV) pilots have been drawn to filming these sites, which in normal times are difficult to access.  Case in point is this piece by top AirVuz contributor and FPV pilot nikofilmz.  He used his mini-drone to film the nearly-deserted University of Colorado campus in Boulder.  Check out the unique perspective he's able to create this beautiful campus, which earned him a spot on the FPV Pilots to Watch list in August, 2020.

In the Spring of 2020, with many cities under extreme social distancing measures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, first person view (FPV) pilots were able to capture eerie scenes of seemingly empty neighborhoods that would ordinarily be packed with people.  An example is the Japantown neighborhood of San Francisco, California.  Its outdoor spaces were almost completely devoid of people when top AirVuz contributor InspireFPV created this amazing and highly cinematic FPV view of one of the world's largest Japanese enclaves.  

As the Covid-19 pandemic raged through the world in 2020, ordinarily crowded places were closed for months at a time.  This presented an opportunity for skilled first person view (FPV) drone pilots to fly over and film landmarks which would ordinarily be off-limits to drones.  Case and point is this excellent piece by AirVuz contributor and FPV pilot osama_fpv.  He used his FPV mini-quad to film a mosque in Muscat, capital of the Middle Eastern nation of Oman.  His video was picked for a spot on the FPV Pilots to Watch list in July, 2020.