First Person View (FPV) Drones

FPV stands for First Person View. Unlike a standard drone (like a DJI Mavic) where you look at a screen on your controller, an FPV pilot wears a pair of goggles that stream a live video feed directly from the drone’s camera.

It feels exactly like you are sitting in a tiny cockpit inside the drone.

What are they used for?

Because FPV drones are much faster and more agile than standard drones, they are used for specific activities that require high precision and speed:

Cinematic Filmmaking: You’ve likely seen “impossible” shots in movies or commercials where a camera flies through a moving car window or dives down the side of a skyscraper. FPV drones make these high-speed, dynamic shots possible.

Racing: Drone racing is a professional sport (like the Drone Racing League). Pilots fly through gates and around obstacles at speeds exceeding 100 mph.

Freestyle: This is like “skateboarding in the sky.” Pilots use the environment to perform tricks like flips, rolls, and “power loops” to create creative, stylish videos.

Search & Rescue / Inspection: Because they are small and maneuverable, they can fly into collapsed buildings, narrow caves, or industrial pipes where it is too dangerous for humans or too tight for larger drones.

Military Applications: Modern FPV drones are increasingly used for reconnaissance and as precision-guided “loitering munitions” because they can be flown into specific targets with high accuracy

Key Differences from “Standard” Drones

If you use a standard GPS drone, it is designed to be easy to fly and stay level. FPV drones are the opposite:

Manual Control (Acro Mode): Most FPV drones do not “self-level.” If you tilt the drone forward and let go of the stick, it stays tilted. This is much harder to learn but allows for complete freedom of movement.

Speed & Durability: They are usually built from carbon fiber to survive high-speed crashes and are powered by high-performance LiPo batteries that provide massive bursts of energy.

No “Safety Net”: They usually lack obstacle avoidance sensors. The pilot is 100% responsible for not hitting things.