A Geelong drone racer and Fourth Combat Service Support Battalion driver has scored fourth place during the Drone Racing Nationals.
Private Hamish Glover competed against drone racers from the Army, Air Force and Australian Army Cadet Drone Racing teams in Townsville, Queensland, from August 24 to 27.
Private Glover said it was “absolutely incredible” to get fourth place in the competition and represent the Army at a national event.
“You have to keep yourself cool and calm in finals while also keeping it together in racing,” he said.
“Your qualifying place is determined by your best two laps on the track, so that’s a time trial, and that’s over the first few days of the event, then the last day you get into the elimination.
“You have to then be the first one to complete the three laps to get first place and that’s how you get points.”
Private Glover said he enjoyed the close racing part of the competition, where he was “battling it out” against a rival and the community the sport created.
“Doesn’t matter what position you’re in, all of us want a fair competition,” he said.
“If I was to beat my rival because he ran out of gear or he couldn’t fix something and there’s some way that I could have helped with that, that wouldn’t be fair, and most of us wouldn’t want that.”
During the competition, participants control drones equipped with cameras and race them around a track, with speeds reaching close to 200km/h.
“It’s an extremely agile sport and you’re able to turn around like nothing. It just takes so much practise and, where I’m at now, I have more space to progress,” Private Glover said.
