Poland hosts first international FPV payload drone racing tournament

The real test for drone racing now is whether FPV payload events can be standardized into a repeatable international circuit, with clear rules for weight, balance and scoring. In Rzeszow, Poland, AIR BRIDGE: UA × PL gave the format its clearest proof point yet, as 32 pilots from Ukraine and Poland raced drones carrying payloads on a purpose-built course that turned the contest from a pure speed run into something closer to technical motorsport.

Held inside the sports hall at Rzeszow University of Technology, the April 26 event was billed as the first international tournament in FPV Payload Drone Racing. The added weight changed everything. Pilots had to keep speed without losing stability, thread turns with precision and manage control under pressure, a combination that made every run about far more than raw throttle. The elimination format raised the stakes further, forcing competitors to survive round after round on handling as much as lap time.

The podium was led by StDuck, with Otamanchikk in second and NazarTheFirst in third, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Youth and Sports. A separate local report identified the bronze medalist as 13-year-old Nazar Tokar from Uzhhorod, underscoring how young the talent pool in Ukrainian FPV racing has already become. For a format still looking for its identity, that mix of age, skill and international competition was one of the day’s most striking features.

The event was tied directly to the Road to URC Security and Defence Dimension side event ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk, giving the race a business and policy backdrop unusual even by drone-racing standards. Local coverage said the broader April 26-27 pre-conference in Rzeszow featured an EXPO zone, business networking and more than 120 exhibitors, with over a thousand planned participants from government, diplomacy and defense-related industries. Polish official notices also said Prime Minister Donald Tusk was scheduled to open the conference and meet Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko on April 27.

That setting is part of why AIR BRIDGE matters beyond the podium. The Ukrainian Federation of Technological Sport organized the tournament with support from the Ukrainian Ministry of Youth and Sports, and local reporting named the Ukraine Above All Foundation and UA HUB in Poland as partners. Deputy minister Vitalii Lavrov framed it as an important first step toward the international development of technological sport as an initiative born in Ukraine. If payload racing keeps this momentum, the next headline will not just be about a winner. It will be about whether the sport can lock in rules, define payload standards and build a cross-border calendar that lasts.