Dubai: A 15-year-old drone pilot brought home $250,000 after winning the inaugural World Drone Prix in Dubai on Saturday.
The teenage champion, Luke Bannister from the United Kingdom, manoeuvred his drone to victory, beating strong contenders from all over the world, including Russia and the Netherlands this weekend.
The young pilot, who went by the racing team Tornado X-Blades Banni-UK, was one of the more than 100 drone enthusiasts of all ages that descended on Sky Dive Dubai this weekend for a two-day racing event.
The first ever World Drone Prix champion: Luke Bannister,” the Dubai Media Office announced on Saturday.
Bannister is the youngest contender who made it to the finals.
“It has been a natural progression for me from flying other remote-controlled objects. I am very excited and thrilled to have made it to this stage,” Bannister had said after making it through the eliminations.
There were about 150 teams participating in the pre-qualifier rounds. The racers competed for two days after which the top 32 were chosen to move to the grand prix.
The event, held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, seeks to promote the advancement of drone sport and drone technology.
The 15-year-old champion at the closing ceremony of Dubai World Drone Prix:
The first ever World Drone Prix Champion: Luke Bannister from UK with Tornado X-Blades Banni UK.
Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) March 12, 2016
Image: @DubaiSC pic.twitter.com/uljQ1l7unA
