Drone combat and racing entertainment complex to open in San Francisco

Drone Sports World is going to become the next big thing.

Drone racing is already pretty sweet, having garnered media attention in the wake of the inaugural World Drone Prix in Dubai earlier this year, when  15-year-old winner Luke Bannister walked away with a $250,000 prize, and later when ESPN announced drone racing would air.

But drone combat is on my mind recently. It’s fast-paced and high-action. It draws cheers and groans from the crowd.

And it’s going to become the next date night adventure for residents and tourists in San Francisco.

I got the scoop from Aerial Sports League’s Marque Cornblatt, who let me in on a little secret. The Aerial Sports League is opening up to the public with an entertainment complex where people can learn how to build, race and combat with drones inside the Palace of Fine Arts — located just a couple miles from Drone Girl HQ. It’s both racing and combat — and family fun.

The space will cater to experienced drone racers who can practice on a full-sized track, while newbies might want to stop in for a few hours to try out drone racing for the first time.

“We see this as the first in a series of franchise opportunities that we’re looking at opening around the country,” Cornblatt said.

The facility will include a drone racetrack and a cage for aerial combat, where players use their drone to knock their opponents out of the air. There will also be a shop, where fans can buy their own racing drone.

Check out the preview of the facility, which I wrote about for MarketWach in a piece called “Your next date night could be a drone night.”

By the way, any San Franciscans can attend the preview party tonight, or the Family BBQ on Sunday. See you tonight for some happy flying!