For the first years of drone racing, most pilots would assemble their own quadcopters essentially from scratch, picking up various components from local hobbyist and electronics stores. This required a great deal of technical know-how, and a ton of practice, just to get the drone off of the ground. However, companies such as Team Blacksheep and ImmersionRC began releasing FPV models (http://www.amazon.com/ImmersionRC–Vortex–Race–Quad–350mW/dp/B00W8LPJ96/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1452211379&sr=1–1&keywords=immersionrc+vortex&linkCode=sl1&tag=isfpvdronerev–20&linkId=43b0f6324c4ce1de76c6f6f14b787709” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.amazon.com/ImmersionRC–Vortex–Race–Quad–350mW/dp/B00W8LPJ96/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=electronics&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1452211379&amp;sr=1–1&amp;keywords=immersionrc+vortex&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=isfpvdronerev–20&amp;linkId=43b0f6324c4ce1de76c6f6f14b787709” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.amazon.com/ImmersionRC–Vortex–Race–Quad–350mW/dp/B00W8LPJ96/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1452211379&sr=1–1&keywords=immersionrc+vortex&linkCode=sl1&tag=isfpvdronerev–20&linkId=43b0f6324c4ce1de76c6f6f14b787709” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.amazon.com/ImmersionRC–Vortex–Race–Quad–350mW/dp/B00W8LPJ96/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=electronics&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1452211379&amp;sr=1–1&amp;keywords=immersionrc+vortex&amp;linkCode=sl1&amp;tag=isfpvdronerev–20&amp;linkId=43b0f6324c4ce1de76c6f6f14b787709“>ImmersionRC Vortex) that were ready-to-fly, or RTF, right out of the box and consumer interest exploded. The hobby was no longer confined to those willing to spend hours on end soldering together bits and pieces, but could now be explored by anyone with a few hundred dollars. Over time, prices have decreased and quality has increased to the point where today a high-performance racing drone can be bought for under $400. From humble, unknown beginnings only several years ago, the drone industry has become one of the fastest growing in the world, with nearly one million units sold in 2015 alone in the US.

“The sport gained notoriety when Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross pitched in $1 million to the Drone Racing League”

The future of drone racing in particular looks especially bright. Sponsors have been racing to fund start-up leagues in order to stake a claim in this growing field, with some of the biggest names in sports getting involved. The sport gained notoriety when Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross pitched in $1 million to the Drone Racing League, now one of the largest competitive associations for drone racing in the world, after its founding that very same year. The League has planned six major events across the United States for 2016, with CEO Nick Horbacwezski stating his desire to move the sport away from a handful of tech hobbyists and towards a more general demographic of both participants and spectators, as well as professional pilots. Dozens of similar leagues have been established across the world, a testament to the sky-high trajectory of the growing sport.