The Fat Shark FPV drone kit could be the key to bringing drone racing to the masses

Drone racing has an adoption problem. It looks glamorous on ESPN, but for an average person who is inspired by a drone race they just saw, the barrier to entry is often to hard.

It’s difficult to find a drone racing kit that is easy to set up and fly.

But the same company arguably responsible for even making drone racing a thing to begin with could soon be credited with bringing drone racing to the masses.

Shenzhen-based Fat Shark is known for making FPV (first-person view) headsets for drone racing, and its headsets are widely regarded as the gold standard when it comes to drone racing pros.

The Fat Shark 101 Training system

Fat Shark’s latest product isn’t going to be the fanciest piece of drone racing gear you could ever buy, in fact it’s quite the opposite.

The company recently released the Fat Shark 101 Training system, which is a radio, goggles and tiny quadcopter all in one kit.

The kit sells for $249 and includes everything you need to get started, including the drone, controller, FPV goggles and even some hoops to practice flying through.

Fat Shark isn’t the first company to create a drone racing introductory kit, but it may be the best. I absolutely love the Aerix Indoor racing drone kit as well.

Fat Shark is known for its high-quality drone racing goggles. These are the ones you’ll get in Fat Shark’s new FPV drone racing kit.

But Fat Shark is unparalleled in its quality, and its strong brand name in the drone racing community could translate well to mainstream audiences as well.

The FPV goggles have a clear feed with no lag. Of course, my favorite part is that the drone itself is designed to look like a shark.

My favorite thing about this is the cute shark-shaped drone!

It can be easy to fly — the RC transmitter has two modes for beginners and more advanced pilots. A switch on the RC transmitter can also be flipped to instantly shut off the motors — useful during your inevitable crashes.

The drone is light and durable, with propeller guards on all sides. It’s not something you would likely literally race with, but it’s a gateway.

Another perk of the new Fat Shark kit is that, while all the pieces are ready to fly on their own, a racer who wants to upgrade can customize and swap out individual pieces (just the goggles, or just the drone) and incorporate them into the kit.

With Fat Shark registration, each kit also comes with free access to the Drone Racing League simulator (a $20 value) and three months of free Academy of Model Aeronautics membership and insurance.

The Fat Shark 101 Drone Training System is now available for preorder.