Since February 2002, drones have been in use by the U.S. government to spy on enemies and target criminals. By 2013, Amazon developed “Amazon Prime Air”- which enabled drones to deliver small packages 30 pounds or below- in under an hour. Now, drones are being used for recreational racing by both amateurs and professionals.

28-year-old, Jonathan Banton, is one of the few skilled, underground drone racers in the U.S; he races drones for a hobby along with four others. Through an interview with Arstechnica, Banton mentioned [that] there was more to racing than controlling small devices through a remote control. When racing drones, competitors wear goggles that give reflect through the drone’s camera- so the individual may have the perspective of a drone while racing.

Those who decide to drone race invest a great amount of time and finances into this hobby. Roughly five hundred dollars is needed to enter these competitions: four hundred covers the cost to purchase a drone, while the rest pays for interior and exterior alterations to improve the drone’s ability to race. According to the Drone Racing League, many have participated in these events for a chance to be crowned the World Champion as the best FPV pilot.