Alaska Drone Racing League takes flight

The Alaska Drone Racing League is slowly taking off in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley. Those racing in the league say it's like Star Wars pod racing.

Sunday the league met at the Northway Mall racing quad drones on a homemade race track. Organizers say it’s a smaller set-up until the group finds a place to race with the proper airspace.

“It’s like being in a video game, with a lot of these mini quads we have first person video,” said Brett Myers.

Pilots are able to get a bird’s eye through a headset displaying the drone’s camera.

“This whole drone racing phenomenon is global,” said AKDRL director Steve Colligan. “Our mission is to let people know about how to fly safe, what the air space is, who they should call, and what they should do.”

The group is part of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, a nonprofit, and along with being a competitive league AKDRL focuses on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

“Every place is a park, and we are making sure everyone knows what the rules are and our safe,” said Colligan.

The league says it is looking for sponsors to help build raceways and gather more equipment. To contact the AKDRL you can email info@akdrl.org