AV News: Drone Worlds Preview and Aloha Cup Recap

The final qualifier for the 2016 World Drone Racing Championships has just wrapped up on the island of Oahu with championship races starting first thing Thursday morning. We’ve got a recap of the Aloha Cup and a preview of what’s coming in the days ahead. Surrounded by scenics only one of the most beautiful islands in the world can provide, Drone Worlds 2016 has taken over Kualoa Ranch, home of blockbuster movies like Godzilla and Jurassic Park. Only this time, no monsters or dinosaurs, just the top FPV wizards in the world. Pilots from over 30 countries are here competing for $100,000 in prize money and the chance to call themselves World Champions. Bapu Madhu, who came in on top at the Aloha Cup, said he came here without a spot at World’s. "The strategy was just to stay consistent throughout the event, and that's what I've been doing. I had no clue. I was just goin to stick to my game, I was not going to push it beyond my limits. So, it worked out!" He was just hoping what he brought to the table would be enough to qualify. "We got into this hobby just for the fun of seeing things from up above and there is no grander backdrop that I've been to than this place here." The top 10 pilots in Individual Quad, Fixed Wing, and Freestyle at the Aloha Cup qualified for Worlds. Several AirVūz pilots qualified, including Zoe Stumbaugh who came in 3rd place in Freestyle and Shaun Taylor who came in 2nd for Individual Quad Racing. The three days of racing will be broadcast live on Periscope and Facebook Live, with a one hour package airing on ESPN later this year.