Drone racing takes off after new course opens in Christchurch red zone

The drone of small unmanned aircraft speeding through Christchurch's red zone at up to 160km/h has become a familiar sound since a purpose-built racecourse opened.

The course has been created by Red Zone Drone Racing Inc on Crown-owned land in Burwood that it leases from Land Information New Zealand.

The drone racing track is one of more than 2800 transitional land uses that LINZ has facilitated in the former red zone since 2016.

The operators steer their custom-built racing drones through a series of gates and poles on the course, with the help of data fed from a small camera on the drone to their goggles.

“They’re pretty quick – they have a top speed of 160km/h when going in a straight line and you’re still pushing 100km/h around corners," said club president Nathan van Slooten.

"Crashes are a part of it. If you’re not crashing, you’re not pushing yourself hard enough.

"Of course, you’re not intending to crash but you’re always pushing to go faster and faster.

"It’s a good thing that most of us build our own because that makes it easier to sort them out," Van Slooten said.

The club members meet regularly at the site to practice and every few months an event is held to encourage more people to try it out.

Last year, the club became the first in New Zealand to trial night racing, where LED lights were attached to the gates allowing the drones to fly after dark.

This Saturday, February 6, the club will hold a beginners open day to give newcomers to drone racing an opportunity to watch the action and have a go on a drone simulator.

The open day, at 5 Rebecca Ave, next to Donnell Sports Park, will start at 10am. Club members will be there to help and answer questions.

"The track is ideal for having a go at getting drones through gates – and we’ll give you tips on how to get faster and be more precise," Van Slooten said.