TOP SPEED AT THE MONT DES ARTS – KUNSTBERG IN BRUSSELS


THE DRONE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RETURNS TO BRUSSELS SEPTEMBER 21-22 NIGHT RACES ONLY. ACCESS IS FREE FOR THE PUBLIC.

The Albertina Garden, Sabel Square and Königsplatz – they all surround the Mont des Arts in Belgium’s capital Brussels. From the 21th to 22nd of September 2018, you can look forward to a special night spectacle for the second time: The Drone Champions League (DCL) will come to the city for an exciting and extraordinary race in the air.

The DCL is the world’s first live high-speed racing series for drones.  With eight international teams, the world’s best 32 drone pilots compete against each other and try to steer their self-built drones through an exciting course as quickly as possible. After DCL races have taken place on the Champs-Élysées in Paris in front of over 180,000 people or on the Great Wall of China in Beijing in the past, the historic Mont des Arts – Kunstberg in Brussels will serve as the race backdrop. “We are very pleased to bring DCL to Brussels for the second time. After 2017, the capital of Belgium will once again be the center of spectacular night races in which the drivers of the eight international teams will compete at top speeds” says Herbert Weirather, founder of DCL. Spectators can look forward to two exciting days and on 21-22 of September, they can also try out drones themselves and get tips from experts.

Brussels marks DCL’s fourth venue for the 2018 season, starting at the Olympic Park in Munich (23/24 June), followed by further races in Madrid (4/5 July) and on the Great Wall of China (9/10 August), before the 2018 season champion is crowned in Raperswil-Jona, Switzerland (11/13 October). All DCL races are broadcasted live on television online and in 100 countries worldwide. Visit DCLaero.com.

Race Schedule on September 21-22

Qualification from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Races: From 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM

ABOUT THE DRONE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

The feeling of freedom, the unique view of the world from above and the adrenaline rushing through your body as you take off: Herbert “Herb” Weirather’s (30) greatest passion is flying. In addition to sports aircraft, he loves drones in particular: “Drones are not only inexpensive, they are also relatively easy to handle. When you use them with a camera and FPV goggles, it almost feels like you’re flying through the air.” While many people understand drones as pure leisure, for some, they develop into a real sport. In 2016, Weirather launched the Drone Champions League (DCL) to further establish drone racing worldwide. The DCL is the world’s first live high-speed race series for drones. In international teams, the best drone pilots compete against each other and try to steer their self-built drones through an exciting course in various races as quickly as possible.

A Spectating Effect: The Drone Champions League features exciting live events in unusual locations such as the Great Wall of China. Races of the Drone Champions League have so far taken place in Germany, France, Belgium, Romania, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and most recently in Spain and China. “We don’t want to hold our races in sterile warehouses, but rather create an experience that neither the pilots nor the spectators will forget,” says Herb.

It is a great experience for people of all ages to watch drones overcome a wide variety of obstacles and reach top form. To further increase the excitement, during the races, the DCL relies on live commentators that make the events in the air even more tangible for the spectators.

Live Streams. Fans can follow the races not only live on location but also via streams on the Internet or live broadcasts on international TV channels (in Germany on Sport1) in over 100 countries. All in all, each race attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators on a wide variety of channels. “Many people around the world enjoy DCL because we combine the latest technologies such as drones, virtual reality and eSports with the millennia-old tradition of racing. We, therefore, believe that eSports like drone races are the sport of the future and that in 20 years at the latest they will be just as established as Formula 1 today”.

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