Dutch drone pilot Ralph Hogenbirk holds an FPV (first-person view) drone, used for capturing action in the sliding centre, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The biggest risk for the drone pilots ‌is that the footage is filmed live, meaning there’s no room for mistakes. Ahead of the Olympics, FPV drone pilots trained for weeks alongside the athletes, running the courses up to 60 times a day to avoid being intrusive or disturbing them while they race. Just moving forward and staying focused,” said Ralph Hogenbirk, the 35-year-old FPV pilot for luge, skeleton and bobsleigh in Cortina. Buzzing a distractionWhile the drone pilots have won praise for their skill in controlling the tiny, flying cameras at such speeds, some spectators and viewers have said the noise is distracting.

Source: Bangkok Post February 17, 2026 14:40 UTC