#MultiGP2016Recap – Year in Review
NATIONAL: MultiGP Drone Racing saw unprecedented growth in 2016. The largest drone racing league in the world grew from 4,600 to over 13,000 registered pilots, and the total number of chapters doubled from January to December. “MultiGP is proud of our programming which is designed to unite the drone racing community with events that generate competition and lasting friendships,” says Michael Gianoutsos, Chief Marketing Officer of MultiGP. With close to 400 chapters nationwide, and 900 chapters worldwide, MultiGP is not only the largest drone racing group, but one of the largest grassroots racing organizations in the world. “It is very exciting to help grow a new sport”, said Chris Thomas (@Multi_GP), President and CEO of MultiGP. “Now our next milestone will be 4000 drone races.”
MultiGP was also part of major international drone racing news in 2016 as well. During an event in South Korea in November MultiGP’s founder, Chris Thomas, was present for a summit with over 2 dozen other international drone racing leagues. During this meeting these league organizers signed a Memorandum Of Understanding agreeing to form a unified rule-set for drone racing worldwide. This agreement, also agreed to by the FAI, further legitimizes drone racing as an official aerial sport, like skydiving or pylon racing. South Korea even mentioned the possibility of drone racing as a demonstration sport in the 2018 Winter Olympics (being held in South Korea).
2016 also saw MultiGP have a very successful race season, with an exciting lead up to the National Championship. On any given weekend, drone pilots from every state in the nation assembled to challenge each other to see who is the fastest pilot around. Points were tallied and tabulated throughout the year, letting pilots know where they stand in the ranks, leading up to the National Championships. The 2016 MultiGP Drone Racing National Championship was held in Muncie, In., at the AMA (Academy of Model Aeronautics) national headquarters. Over 140 pilots turned out making it the largest First Person View (FPV) drone race of the year. Shaun “NYTFURY” Taylor was crowned the 2016 MultiGP Drone Racing Nation Champion, with Jordan “JET” Temkin coming in 2nd place, and Siddha “SIDFPV” Killaru in 3rd place.
- Over 5,000 pilots nationwide; over 13,000 pilots worldwide
- MultiGP race chapters are divided into 6 Regions, with 15 Regional Divisions
- Almost 400 Multi GP race chapters nationwide, 900 chapters worldwide
- Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) membership required to compete
- Standardized Universal Time Trial (UTT) tracks allows pilots to compete against other pilots from around the world
- MultiGP constantly welcomes the general public to visit a race, and join a local chapter
About MultiGP:
MultiGP is the premier drone racing league which hosts frequent competitive gatherings and casual events within its network of over 900 MultiGP Chapters and 13,000 pilots world-wide. MultiGP nurtures its Chapters by providing tools, guidance and community to make drone racing fun, organized and rewarding for pilots, Chapter Organizers and spectators. Programming such as the Championship, Regional Series, Universal Time Trial Tracks and Chapter Tiers are designed to allow the drone racing community to compete in an easily accessible yet structured format with the goal of progressing the sport. MultiGP is the Academy of Model Aeronautics Special Interest Group for First Person View (FPV) Racing. For more information, go to www.MultiGP.com
To learn more about MultiGP drone racing, and how you can get involved, join us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/groups/MultiGPCommunity/ and on Twitter – @Multi_GP
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