=== Let's Drone Out — Episode 481 === Title: LDO 481 - BIRD 2025 Recorded: 2024-11-14 Hosts: Andrew "Frank" Hyams, Jack "Brightontillifly" Nash Guest(s): Cerberus "Cerb" Velvet, Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins, Matt "minirollsrule" Snell Total audience: 804 Platforms: YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxrxDNq-5vQ); SoundCloud (http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/1960355667-letsdroneout-ldo-481-bird-2025.mp3) ===================================== Follow BIRD / Matt Snell / Cerberus online: https://www.btwclub.co.uk/bird https://www.youtube.com/@FPVRacingSolutions https://www.facebook.com/groups/birminghamtinywhoopers/ https://www.ifpv.co.uk/events/334 https://www.instagram.com/btw__whoop/ [0.0] Jack: Hello, and you're listening to Let's Drone Out, a special thank you to our lovely patrons [6.28] Jack: that help donate so that we can pay the editor to remove the swear words and silly things [11.36] Jack: we say. [13.0] Jack: Massive thank you to… [14.48] Jack: Carlos Campos! [16.68] Jack: Art Faulkner. [18.0] Jack: Sam Dahmer. [19.68] Frank: On with the show. [20.68] Cerb: Hello, I'm a TV cover. [21.68] Cerb: Let's Drone Out now. [52.48] Frank: Good evening and welcome to Let's Drone Out. [56.24] Frank: Tonight, we are joined by a friend of the show, Cerberus. [64.36] Frank: Good evening, sir. [65.68] Frank: Good evening, all. [67.68] Frank: We are joined once again by Matt from the Birmingham Tiny Whoopers. [72.88] Frank: Hey, guys. [74.84] Frank: And we are joined by Tiny Whoops, the biggest name, Jesse Perkins. [79.32] Frank: Good evening, Jesse. [81.08] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Good evening. [82.08] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Thanks so much for having me. [83.08] Frank: Thank you for coming on. [85.48] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: My pleasure. [86.48] Frank: And the reason we have these big, famous faces on our screens today is to talk about BERS [94.92] Frank: 25, Birmingham International Race Day 2025. [98.76] Frank: Now, this is happening in some month's time, in February of 2025, and we're already talking [108.12] Frank: about it, and it's already sold out for races. [111.76] Frank: But the fact that we've still got these big faces on our screens, talking about it is [116.64] Frank: because there's so much else going to be happening at this event that everyone needs to know [121.84] Frank: about. [122.84] Frank: Yeah, that's right. [123.84] Matt: There's so much going on this year, it's going to be mad. [127.76] Matt: And the organisation still should have started earlier, realistically. [134.6] Matt: It's already been really busy. [138.96] Matt: But like I said, race tickets are already sold out. [142.4] Matt: We got spectators, can come for free. [145.36] Matt: We've got challenger tickets for people that want to get involved. [149.4] Matt: So there's a whole load of things to kind of dive into. [152.36] Frank: So biggest questions out front, when is it and where is it going to happen? [159.2] Matt: When is it? [160.2] Matt: It's 1st and 2nd of February. [162.96] Matt: It's in Birmingham, Birmingham Tiny Whoops. [165.84] Matt: It is at Lissos High School Sports Centre on the kind of southwest side of Birmingham. [174.52] Matt: They've been like super supportive, and they've got a massive sports centre set up. [179.68] Matt: And luckily for us, they've actually already got netting to divide the whole thing in two. [183.6] Matt: So half of my actual practical setup is already done, which is great. [188.12] Frank: Good times, good times. [189.44] Frank: So we've mentioned already the tickets are sold out to the races, but who have they been [195.28] Frank: sold to? [196.28] Frank: Because I've heard there's some big names there. [199.36] Matt: Yeah, we've got like, this was set up as an international race. [203.32] Matt: So it has always been about bringing the community together from across the seas, because the [208.96] Matt: UK has lots of like those cheap flights in and out and around Europe. [212.56] Matt: So for the last few years, we've had like international pilots from Europe come. [216.56] Matt: This is the first time we're having, well, Jesse was here in 2023 as the first Cross [221.8] Matt: the Pond pilot. [223.68] Matt: Well, he's bringing some friends with him this time. [225.64] Matt: So we've got Daylight, Nightwing, Skittles, Custom, and I feel like I'm missing one, AC [234.04] Matt: Unit, Arlen? [235.04] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Yes, AC Unit's coming, Arlen. [238.36] Matt: So some big names from across the pond, but of course, we've still got European big names [243.2] Matt: as well. [244.2] Matt: So our very own Dan Carpy, we've got up and coming minus one who got quite named for himself [251.72] Matt: in Race Gal recently, Lightsail was obviously very quick from the UK side of things. [257.0] Matt: We've got Re FPV, who had an incredible showing at the recent Polish event, he did spectacularly [264.12] Matt: like it was incredible. [265.12] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Third place from Latvia. [266.52] Matt: Yeah, man, like, it was just awesome watching him fly. [270.68] Matt: And we've got JM, who went recently to the World Championships for Latvia. [277.6] Matt: We've got Cordastrophe coming back from Germany, he can third in 2023, I believe, when you [283.88] Matt: were there, Jesse. [284.88] UNKNOWN: All right. [285.88] Matt: And yeah, some other Germans, the Italian guys are coming over, they're currently running [291.84] Matt: their Italian Whoop League, they'll have six pilots coming there, they're actually using [298.0] Matt: the International Birmingham International as their sort of prize for their national [304.44] Matt: series, their National Whoop League, which is awesome. [307.0] Matt: So they will have six pilots coming along. [309.64] Cerb: That still freaks me out. [310.64] Cerb: That feels so weird. [311.64] Cerb: It's awesome. [312.64] Cerb: The prize. [313.64] Matt: Yeah. [314.64] Matt: Oh, God. [315.64] Matt: So yeah, it's an incredible line up of like international pilots, just from all over. [323.16] Matt: I think we've got six different countries coming, and Devon, like Cornwall and Devon, [329.16] Matt: they're basically France. [330.16] Matt: So that happens as well. [331.16] Frank: They have their own flag, right? [334.16] Frank: Yeah. [335.16] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: I mean, I can say as a pilot coming again from the United States, you know, I've always [343.56] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: dreamed of an international Tiny Whoop event. [346.52] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And when you live on this side of the ocean, it's just harder to get a whole bunch of countries [352.96] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: together because we don't have a lot of countries around here. [355.16] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: We have Canada to the north, Mexico to the south. [358.28] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And so that's why Bird is sort of becoming this incredibly international Tiny Whoop event [364.44] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: because there's just crews of pilots that come from countries scattered across Europe. [369.56] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And now it's getting more and more popular for the talent in the United States that wants [374.52] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: the international exposure and the international competition. [377.72] Frank: Yeah. [378.72] Frank: Because you've just come back, right, from visiting another European event. [384.96] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Yeah. [385.96] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Just got back two days ago from PTW-6, which is another really cool international Tiny [391.52] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Whoop race. [393.52] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Several Americans traveled with me or not with me, but Pat crossed the ocean and met [398.72] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: me there. [399.72] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And it was a really fun time. [401.56] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And, you know, those guys, the multirotors crew in Poland is a really special group of [405.76] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: guys and really proud to know them and work with them. [409.76] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: But yeah, I mean, now that I'm back, it's like all eyes on Birmingham International [414.12] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Race Day. [415.12] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: We actually have Whooptopia before then. [417.88] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And all I can think about is Bird, even though Whooptopia is the biggest race in the United [422.88] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: States, 80 pilots currently on their seventh year. [426.2] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And this year will be more talented at that event than ever before. [430.16] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: But me and all the guys are just so excited for Birmingham. [433.52] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: You know, there's so much, you know, the Tiny Whoop culture that I met when I went there [440.04] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: in 2023 was just so special to me. [443.2] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And I kind of realized that there's a massive Tiny Whoop culture here in the United States. [448.4] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: But none of those pilots are aware of the family on the other side of the ocean. [453.08] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And I feel so lucky to make all those friends there. [456.68] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And I'm on a mission to expose Tiny Whoop culture on the other side of the planet to, [462.64] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: you know, the entire United States family and vice versa, for that matter. [467.48] Cerb: Anyway, we're doing what the Beatles struggle to do. [471.32] Matt: We're breaking America. [478.52] Matt: This event has grown beyond sort of anything it sort of sort of set out to be because back [485.16] Matt: in 2020, January 2020, 2020, just before COVID was the first one, and it was bit tongue in [493.08] Matt: cheek. [494.08] Matt: It's like, you know, Birmingham International. [495.08] Matt: Yeah, we've got some guys coming over from Germany, this is gonna be a laugh, like we'll [497.92] Matt: call it this and be a bit kind of, you know, jokey about it. [501.24] Matt: It went really well. [502.24] Matt: The next year went well. [503.24] Matt: The year after that was like, double the size again, and again, and now we're on the fifth [507.76] Matt: year. [508.76] Matt: So it's just exploded, which is incredibly humbling as well, that people would come to [513.8] Matt: something that we're putting on from our like organizing, sitting at our desks, just tapping [517.48] Matt: away trying to get people to do stuff and find venues and things and putting together, [522.24] Matt: you know, OBS scenes and all the technical bits that go into it, like you're sitting [526.08] Matt: here working away for ages before and then suddenly the event day comes. [529.44] Matt: And it's incredible to see all these people travel so far for something that you've put [534.4] Matt: together. [535.4] Matt: It's incredibly, like, say humbling and special for us as well as the organizers why we do [540.32] Matt: it. [541.32] Frank: So the fact that you've put it on for so many years, and it just keeps growing and sells [547.76] Frank: out so many months in advance, it speaks volumes to what your events are like. [555.96] Frank: I'm hoping that, you know, you continue this for quite a few years yet to come. [561.56] Matt: Well, that kind of neatly brings us on to something that we we agreed this year, which [566.84] Matt: was a sort of formalization of partnership between myself and Birmingham Tiny Whoopers, [573.0] Matt: Serb, who I've been working with for a number of years now at Killer Quads, but specifically [578.04] Matt: FPV Racing Solutions on the race directing and live streaming side. [582.36] Matt: And then Jesse P., who saw we did a few years ago and has been in touch with us over these [586.48] Matt: like last couple of years as it's grown and has come on board to be this kind of three [591.0] Matt: way partnership bringing together this international community for this race on this side of the [596.44] Matt: pond. [597.44] Matt: So I'm really excited to sort of share that with everybody and announce it to the world [602.68] Matt: and formalize this sort of amalgamation of like strong people in the industry. [607.88] Matt: These two strong people in the industry, I'm just going to pass away on his computer [612.64] Matt: organizing stuff. [614.36] Cerb: We spent so long working on, you know, we work on our own brands and our own our own [618.68] Cerb: things and we all we have our specialties and we have stuff that we also we do everything at [623.84] Cerb: once. And it's like, well, hold on, why don't why don't we all just like get together and [628.0] Cerb: form a partnership properly and, you know, help each other out and push things forward? [633.72] Cerb: Because that's all we ever do, right, is push things forward. [637.28] Cerb: So joining forces just made sense. [640.28] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Yeah, I feel the exact same way. [641.56] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: I could be more excited about it. [642.92] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: I do a lot of, you know, this year I added two events here in the United States and my [649.36] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: goal, like I say, I'm growing my YouTube channel at the same time, which is sort of [655.36] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: re re launched lately pretty much after a long dormant period. [660.76] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And I'm using that as a sort of excuse to become as involved as I can in international [668.24] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: races. And like I said a minute ago, I have this goal to expose these very different and [673.88] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: very special tiny communities to each other. [677.24] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: So because of all my experience at all these different races, I've got a little bit of an [682.6] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: understanding of all of the roles that are necessary. [685.4] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: You know, I've been a part of tiny or of Wuptopia for six years now and I've learned a [691.32] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: lot from the way they run their races, mostly things I want to do and a few things that I [696.36] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: like to do slightly different, but not no disrespect, obviously. [700.6] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And, yeah, I think I think it's a really awesome team and our focus as a team is to just [707.6] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: create an unbelievable event for the pilots, for the spectators, pleasing the sponsors and [713.28] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: all these goals come together really nicely for Birmingham International Race Day. [717.64] Frank: Excellent. I mean, you've you've had some very picturesque tracks in previous years with [723.68] Frank: some of the venues you've had. [725.12] Frank: How are you going to build up the spectacle of your track? [731.52] Matt: So that's the the that's one of the things that we're taking a little easier this year. [737.6] Matt: So it's not going to be so architecturally spectacular than the actual venue, shall we [741.76] Matt: say. It is a sports hall out of school, but they've been like super supportive in giving [748.4] Matt: us this incredible open blank canvas to do basically whatever we want in this whole hall. [755.32] Matt: So we've got incredibly high ceilings. [757.76] Matt: We've got things we can hang off the wall. [759.28] Matt: We've got a huge open wide space. [761.4] Matt: So the track is going to be really interesting. [764.12] Matt: Like it's going to be it's going to tend it because we've got a big blank [771.76] Matt: flat space. [773.0] Matt: We can put whatever we like there. [774.32] Matt: So we've got inflatables. [776.04] Matt: We're going to have lights everywhere. [777.64] Matt: There's going to be like music. [778.96] Matt: You've got the live stream, obviously commentary. [781.24] Matt: There's so many things going on in this space, but that's just one side of the net. [786.88] Matt: Oh, yeah. And Martian as well. [790.4] Cerb: Is that what you're selling your old gates? [794.4] Matt: I don't know if you've been seeing on Facebook. [796.2] Matt: He's been making your killer quads conduit gates. [801.08] Matt: And he's also made a infinity tunnel that kind of slots into them as well. [806.8] Matt: So he's got several stages of infinity tunnel with the conduit gate project, which is awesome. [813.0] Matt: And he's very kindly agreed to bring that to bird as well. [817.04] Matt: So we're going to have a great infinity tunnel by Martian, which is awesome. [820.36] Matt: Thank you for reminding me, Martian, available available on Thingiverse. [824.08] Cerb: Just go and search for the killer quads conduit woop gate project. [827.84] Cerb: It's the cheapest way to make great woop gates in the UK. [831.88] Cerb: That's awesome. [832.84] Matt: Yeah, it's really good little resource there because you literally download them, [836.52] Matt: print them off on your friend's printer, because everyone's got a friend, at least. [840.16] Matt: Just got a printer somewhere. [841.84] Matt: And yeah, yes, infinity, infinity tunnels. [847.28] Frank: That's what we see in the chat saying we love infinity tunnels. [852.48] Frank: Have you got any other? [853.24] Frank: I mean, what? Sorry, go ahead. [855.48] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: I was just going to say, when it comes to course design at these big events, the the [859.92] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: main prerequisite is exactly what we have tons of airspace. [864.72] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And we've all been to big events like I think last year, at least two of the four [872.0] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: major tiny woop events in the United States had very limited airspace and still made it [876.76] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: work like built unbelievable, unforgettable courses, the kind of courses that you start [881.92] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: to miss when you realize you're coming up on your last battery on it. [885.4] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: But what Matt has established with the school area is a massive airspace and tons of room [891.48] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: for pilots and to not be lacking on that is is such a key prerequisite for the course [896.88] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: design. So I'm really happy with the way that's worked out. [901.0] Matt: And that's and that's all just one side of the net. [903.4] Matt: That's the drone side of the net. [904.8] Matt: The whole other half of the sports hall has got stuff going on in it as well. [908.44] Matt: So part of the community as it's grown has always been to include new people. [914.08] Matt: So whenever somebody turns up to a tiny woop meet anywhere across the world, I imagine it's [918.64] Matt: the same. It's the same culture. [920.8] Matt: You want to get people behind the goggles on the sticks, getting them to have a go with [924.4] Matt: something. And that's what the other half of the sports will be. [928.44] Matt: It will be a collection of different individuals putting on their own thing and trades to [937.36] Matt: showcase all the different things about FPV. [940.0] Matt: So we've got skill supply who work with local schools doing like drone coding, for [945.04] Matt: example, they're going to have a stand there so you can fly a drone and code it and land [950.56] Matt: on a color and then do something based on that color and go somewhere else. [954.36] Matt: There's going to be line of sight drones you can get your hands on and actually fly [957.72] Matt: something when you're at a drone event. [959.92] Matt: There's going to be FPV goggles so you can do a ride along with Nightwing who's just [965.32] Matt: going to thrash the place, you know, like it's going to be incredible. [969.2] Matt: We've got a whole load of different things where you can give it a go. [973.0] Matt: So there's this is the part of the experience where I want to grow it into a full kind of [981.16] Matt: weekend festival. So the pilots get to have a great flight. [984.44] Matt: They have a great race. [985.36] Matt: We have a great live stream, lots of video. [988.0] Matt: And then anybody that comes along and watches these incredible international pilots can [991.92] Matt: say, holy hell, this is awesome. [993.92] Matt: I want to do that. And they can do it right there. [998.48] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: That's really that's really special to me. [1001.28] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: I'm passionate about teaching people to fly and giving them exposure at a big event with [1006.2] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: all of these opportunities to actually play with the technology that we we're all competing [1011.6] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: on is awesome outreach. [1014.12] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And I said before that every little pocket of Tiny Whoop, every little club around the [1019.6] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: world has a few really special people behind it with big ideas. [1023.36] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: This is an awesome example of that to build a sit, build this place where people can people [1030.88] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: that are just here to see racing if they haven't tried it can try it and understand that it's [1035.88] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: something they can do. [1037.12] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And I have no doubt that there will be people joining the FBV family thanks to these sort of [1042.16] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: extracurricular like very unordinary extracurricular events that are happening at Bird [1048.52] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: 2025. And I hope that it's something that can start to spread to other events as well. [1054.56] Frank: Absolutely. And last year or last event, rather, you had the drone soccer as well. [1061.04] Frank: Is that coming back? [1061.96] Matt: Yeah, yes, drone soccer have agreed that they're very keen to come along, which is great. [1068.12] Matt: They started up a year or so ago and they have been growing. [1072.24] Matt: They've got a several universities, I believe, on board with drone soccer teams. [1078.72] Matt: And they brought their drone soccer pitch, a big inflatable sort of net cage with their [1084.16] Matt: hoops at each end. [1085.48] Matt: And I don't know, for people that are listening, drone soccer is like it's five a side [1091.56] Matt: football, but with a drone in a cage and you fly it line of sight and just bash the hell out of [1097.2] Matt: each other to try and score your goal with your with your drone through a hoop at the other end. [1101.84] Matt: I'm sure there's some more like technical rules than that, but it's like techno quidditch [1108.8] Matt: football. It's incredible. [1110.88] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Yeah, I think quidditch, you know, around here, soccer means what you guys call football. [1115.0] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: But I've always said it's not quite soccer. Quidditch is much more of an appropriate word. [1119.8] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: I think there's like some legal issue with calling it that. [1122.32] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: But that's what it should be called, in my opinion. [1125.6] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Soccer or football feels slightly different. [1127.64] Frank: So they, I believe, have their own little sort of netted area that they bring along, along with [1136.72] Frank: these specially built soccer drones that hopefully people attending can have a go at and [1144.32] Matt: compete. [1145.44] Matt: So so there's there's really like two parts to the spectator side of things. [1150.72] Matt: So there are spectators that just want to come along and have a look like there'll be people [1154.0] Matt: that have just heard of it or they're like a bit interested and they will be able to walk in for [1158.88] Matt: free and come and have a look at the racing and see everything that's going on, see people [1163.84] Matt: playing on the drone, see the international pilots racing, watch the live watch the like [1168.48] Matt: commentary and live stream and get into the culture, meet the people and just and that's all [1173.4] Matt: free. You cannot you can do all of that and come and watch for free to give it a go on things. [1178.44] Matt: There is a small like give it a go challenge ticket. [1183.12] Matt: There's a small cost to that. [1184.16] Matt: And that's how we help grow this event into a bigger spectacle and put on more things for [1189.04] Matt: people to do. [1190.12] Matt: It's not expensive, but you will get to take part in all of the different give it a go events. [1195.72] Matt: We're talking drone soccer, the skill supply, the line of sight, flight simulators, FPV goggles for [1202.64] Matt: ride alongs, but not only take part, it's part of a challenge. [1207.08] Matt: So this ticket will get you a a challenge. [1212.08] Matt: I don't even know how I'm going. [1213.48] Matt: Oh, I'm calling. [1215.48] Matt: It's like a big graphic. [1216.88] Matt: OK, imagine a really big graphic or a sticker book, right? [1220.04] Matt: And bits will be grayed out and you will go and complete some challenges and they will get [1223.96] Matt: revealed and you'll eventually have this huge colorful graphic of Bird 2025 and you'll have [1228.76] Matt: completed the Bird 2025 challenge. [1231.56] Matt: And once you've completed it, you'll be entered into a competition to win a bunch of prizes by our [1236.16] Matt: generous sponsors. [1237.64] Matt: Oh, cool. [1240.28] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: I kind of want to just bud in and say that this these are the early days of micro FPV. [1247.12] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And I think it is so wonderful that spectators are free to come and see this world class level of [1253.48] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: skill at this competition. [1255.52] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And for those of you that are on the fence about it, I highly recommend coming to see it. [1260.32] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: We all know that spectators won't be free at these major events forever. [1264.84] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: That's just how the growth of all sports works. [1267.36] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: I hope that they're free at this event for many years to come. [1270.8] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: But nevertheless, it is an awesome opportunity to watch the really the highest skill on the planet [1277.2] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: perform on the world stage at Bird and to come to get to see that live is, you know, I'm the [1283.72] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: world's biggest fan of drone racing. [1285.16] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: I say it all the time. [1286.28] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: I love watching the fast races and the fast guys and trying to, you know, I sit there trying to [1292.84] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: think in my head what it's like to have a mind like that. [1295.76] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: It's just unbelievable to witness greatness on that level. [1298.72] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: So I'm also a huge advocate. [1302.12] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: If you're wondering what it's like to go to an event and see what the culture is like, see what race [1306.0] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: culture is like, you know, what it's like for the pilots in the pilot pits preparing for their time on [1311.96] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: the pilots line and flying on the course. [1314.6] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: That's a really special thing to see. [1316.6] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And for it to be free, I just want to I just want to just jump in and say, please come and see it. [1322.08] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Please come and see it. [1323.16] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: It's going to be a blast. [1324.36] Cerb: Because we were very hard on the live streams, you know, to make them accessible so that people [1330.52] Cerb: watching at home from the hardcore races that couldn't be there to the moms and dads and the family [1336.52] Cerb: and the interested onlookers we try and stream as we try and straddle that and tell those human [1343.2] Cerb: stories and and talk about, you know, the jeopardy, the excitement, because that's interesting. [1348.2] Cerb: But nothing beats coming along. [1351.6] Cerb: Really, you know, the atmosphere, the camaraderie, the people. [1356.28] Matt: Well, yeah, the camaraderie is great when people get something break and then you see them in the [1360.52] Matt: pits a moment later, talking to the other pilots from other parts of the world, like lending them [1365.24] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: bits and like here have a primary competition is their best friend helping them get back on it [1371.52] Matt: back in the air every time. [1373.28] Matt: And the Serbs got the live stream up so they will then be able to continue participating and their [1377.92] Matt: friends back in their own countries can see them on the live stream, even if they don't come, you [1383.36] Matt: know, because it's a long way to come to Birmingham, but the live stream helps them see that as well. [1388.96] Frank: But you make it a spectacle for the people spectating as well, right? I mean, you put the [1394.36] Frank: effort in with all the LEDs on the track, but you also make sure that the whoops themselves are [1400.36] Frank: nicely lit up, right? [1403.44] Matt: Yeah, it's something that I'm firmly never going to change from. Like there are many like rules that [1408.76] Matt: will bend for pilot satisfaction, but you will have LEDs on the quads and it will make it really [1414.2] Matt: easy to see them fly around this nice darkened room. It is I think pretty everyone remembers like [1420.92] Matt: DRL and the number of like LEDs that were on those quads. I think they had like, it was in the [1425.76] Matt: hundreds of LEDs, I'm sure on those. I only asked you to two LEDs is all you need to put on your [1431.84] Matt: whoop to participate in bird. And it just means that the people who are watching can see the [1437.28] Matt: bright colors zipping around and follow them where they are on the track. [1441.6] Cerb: And it means it means me and Jesse can see that when we come. [1448.35] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Yeah, the line of sight view of the racing, it's completely different with LEDs. You know, we said [1454.11] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: a second ago, I just got back from PTW six in Lodz, Poland, and watching the race way line of [1461.95] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: sight, you know, some some aircraft had LEDs, some of them don't. But when there's four LEDs on the [1468.43] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: corner of your aircraft, you can read the pilot's mind, you can tell what they're doing and what [1473.95] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: their input is, you can actually see what they're trying to do so much better as opposed to a dark [1479.07] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: blur moving around. So I'm on board. It's just so important. [1486.03] Matt: This is a this is my like, led king. Okay, so I can only turn it on for a moment, because if it [1491.87] Matt: doesn't have airflow, it genuinely starts to smoke. But as soon as I plug it in, like, I'm not [1497.07] Frank: kidding you, this is blinding. Wow, it's the camera is blown out by the power of the LED on that wheel. [1505.87] Matt: So the little, the little hoop that goes over the top is actually the filament from an LED bulb. [1512.51] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: So it's properly, properly bright. And it's probably meant for three volts. And you're [1517.31] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: probably running 4.3 through it. That's why it's getting so hot. And that's why it's making your [1523.31] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: entire for those of you that aren't watching the video version of this, his whole screen just went [1527.71] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: white pretty much. You can barely make out one side of his face as he's squinting in pain. [1534.03] Cerb: I think you need that on a switch on your transmitter. So it's about to overtake you just [1542.19] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Yeah, yeah, we do have lights over here that we call blinders that are just meant to mess with [1546.99] Matt: the people behind you. You know, it adds another dynamic of tactics to the event. [1555.47] Matt: But it's, it's one of those things that is, is I think critical to the growth of the spectator [1560.27] Matt: side of the sport. It doesn't hopefully put too much on us on the races, a couple of LEDs, [1565.87] Matt: you can get super, super lightweight ones. I mean, sir, RC Maniac made some incredibly lightweight [1571.39] Matt: ones. What were the what was though? They were like surface mounted things, weren't they? [1576.75] Cerb: Yeah, he was he was adding surface mount LEDs to plastic PCB strips, like like the flexible ones. [1584.91] Cerb: Yeah. And they weighed as much as a human hair. And they were amazing. [1589.31] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Yeah, I've got a bunch in my store that are 0.18 grams. And that includes wire going all the way [1595.55] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: out to the tips and very bright 0603 LEDs in any color you want, or in changing color or whatever. [1602.19] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: So it's all available out there. There's like a couple pilots on this planet that might be able [1606.91] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: to feel 0.18 or 0.178 grams, but not on a quad that weighs more than 14 or 15 grams. [1617.95] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: There's a lot more that's got to tell you they can feel it. [1620.75] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Yeah, I was actually just talking to T dog of a famous tiny pilot lives here in Colorado, [1628.83] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: he's a world champion. And I told him I want to do a double blind test. And because he refuses [1636.51] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: to fly LEDs, you know, because he, he's so dedicated to lightweight, you know, he I actually [1643.63] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: the last three times he won whoop topia, I bought his quad off of him. And I have it in my museum. [1650.99] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And you wouldn't believe these aircraft, all of the frames are shaved down. So the ducks are [1655.95] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: extremely thin. And they're the lightest aircraft on the planet. He's dedicated to ultralight and [1661.07] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: would never consider if it doesn't break a rule would never consider taking on extra 0.18 grams. [1667.31] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: So I said to him, let's do a double blind test where you don't know whether you've got this [1672.27] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: 0.2 grams difference. And if you can nail it, if you can't tell the difference, you have to write [1677.79] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: LEDs was kind of my thing. But we haven't done that yet. But anyway, yeah, there's no there's [1685.15] Cerb: really no downside. Yeah, the LEDs are cool. And they make the commentators life easier, [1691.15] Cerb: which means you can tell their stories more quickly, you, you can tell who's going where. [1695.55] Cerb: And that's good for the spectators and spectators become pilots. So [1702.51] Frank: are they going to be as color coordinated between pilots as as like DRL, as you mentioned, [1709.55] Cerb: I wish you'd be able to work out who's who. I would love that. But yeah, having having the [1715.39] Cerb: color dictated by your channel, by your frequency using would be the ideal. Like you would always [1722.75] Cerb: know that, you know, our one is red, and that makes the commentators life easier. But putting [1727.71] Cerb: that burden on the pilots technically wire that up is a step too far. Well, you're right. On the [1733.47] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: one hand, by the way, Matt, you're muted. But on the other hand, most pilots wear the same color [1738.75] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: LEDs, which I almost like better than having it associated with the channel, because the same [1743.71] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: pilot will always be blue and white. And the next pilot will always be pink and purple. And that's [1749.55] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: really nice as somebody, you know, who's paying attention to the entire event, saw them fly [1754.19] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: through qualifying, I can look at the at the field and know who it is without even looking [1758.91] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: at the channel. And I actually prefer that sometimes you do start to as you go through [1762.99] Cerb: the event, you start to recognize the quads. And that's good, because then the quads have [1766.99] Frank: personalities as well. They do. Imagine that shows up on stream as well, right? Oh, yeah. It shows [1774.59] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: up on stream. Because if you're whether you're watching a line of sight camera, or watching [1779.07] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: somebody else's FPV feed, you see those LEDs in front of the guy that he's trying to make the pass [1784.59] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: on. It's really exciting, as opposed to, like I say, an invisible dark blur. It's like, they're [1792.11] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: not moving slow. These things are lightning fast. And they're so light nowadays, they change when [1796.83] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: they're changing direction, they just bounce off a wall. There's no moment where you see them, you [1801.31] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: know, sort of apex very slowly, like the old days, it's just different than that. So yeah, just yet [1806.99] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: another argument for LEDs. The only problem in the United States is giving the pilots themselves a [1813.15] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: reason for LEDs. So it kind of ends up having to be required, which I love. This episode was recorded [1820.75] Frank: in front of a live online audience, downloaded and edited to make sense when it played audio only [1826.19] Frank: sensors to please the iTunes people hosted on the internet, forwarded through to your podcast [1830.27] Frank: provider, downloaded playing on your device, and is now playing in your ears. All thanks to our [1835.79] Frank: patreons. Consider joining them and you'll also get other online benefits. Find out more at patreon.com [1842.43] Matt: forward slash let's drone out. It's these these whoops are like you say, modified biases pilots, [1850.11] Matt: so they become an extension of your personality. T dog clearly, you know, puts the thing to the [1854.19] Matt: absolute nth degree to get the lightest weight thing going. I am never going to be a T dog like [1860.19] Matt: I'm fully okay with that. I'm not going to be that quick. But for me, I like flashy LEDs. And I like [1867.71] Matt: things that can blind you when you look at them directly. So blows out your camera. So we can't [1875.07] Matt: see you. That's what you like. It's so that quad is so uncompetitively heavy. It's got the big white [1883.79] Matt: one that goes over the top destroys the nice blue one. I got this this like cob LED that was shaved [1889.95] Matt: down from my in Japan when I was over there. She, her one of her pilots very kindly gave me a shaved [1898.99] Matt: down cob blue, like I've put onto this one. Beautiful when it was all out. And then I was like, [1904.19] Matt: oh, let's make it brighter. Let's put this one on top. And I didn't realize how bright it was going [1907.15] Matt: to be. But it kind of having it go all the way around the edge, gives the quad like a big square [1913.71] Matt: and you can see where people are turning. You can see Yeah, it's just it's extra special with the [1918.43] Matt: LEDs. Sorry, go on about it a lot. It's just so good. I totally agree. Jesse mentioned there in [1925.87] Frank: passing. But I think we should talk about a bit more about having some line of sight cameras as [1931.87] Frank: part of your stream. So how are we how are you working Latin? What's what's going what's going [1938.67] Cerb: on there? So we've spent a few years with trying to figure out our track cams. And that's going to [1947.55] Cerb: expand now into different cameras. But first up the how to get stuff out there on track on a [1955.23] Cerb: shoestring budget that you designed on your kitchen table. We actually it's no secret use NDI, [1963.95] Cerb: which is a camera protocol. And actually what we use is old phones. So everybody out there has [1972.67] Cerb: a phone sitting in a drawer somewhere because they upgraded. And the cameras on phones now [1978.03] Cerb: are really good. Yeah. So so yeah, RC maniac, who is another, another member of FPV Racing Solutions [1989.47] Cerb: came up with this fantastic system. And he's done a lot of work in the background on power supplies [1995.95] Cerb: and network connections and NDI routers and all this clever stuff. And it's great for me, because [2003.95] Cerb: he is the guru. And I just go do track cams. And he goes and does track cams. And they're brilliant. [2010.03] Cerb: And he maintains them all throughout the event and looks after them. Superb. He's an absolute [2016.59] Cerb: superstar with that stuff. So the idea behind it was, you know, if you if you're watching Formula [2023.79] Cerb: One, you can go red button and you can go on board with Max Verstappen for the whole race if you want [2030.27] Cerb: to. And a lot of what we do and streams in the past have been just the four video feeds on board [2039.23] Cerb: back in the day grainy, but now we get some HD stuff as well. And it's difficult to commentate [2044.75] Cerb: and it's difficult for non drone races or drone fans to follow. So we really wanted to have that [2052.59] Cerb: ability to go to a track cam and like show an overtake not on the FPV feed, which is it's a [2058.99] Cerb: bear to time and production terms. You have to be on your game because two whoops go into a [2065.95] Cerb: drop gate. This looks like I'm going to go to that camera. And if you're lucky, you'll catch it [2070.99] Cerb: like off board. And you know what? The hardcore racers aren't too keen on that because they just [2076.03] Cerb: want FPV FPV FPV. But the thing we found is that a lot of the feedback we're getting from the people [2082.27] Cerb: that are at home, especially non racers, like this is brilliant. This is really engaging. We get [2088.51] Cerb: we get an idea of the track. We get an idea of the space. We see the quads moving through the air, [2094.67] Cerb: but you have to balance it. You have to be really careful. You can't just put it on a track. You can [2098.75] Cerb: only go to a track camp if there's value in going to a track camp. Yeah, there's people there from [2104.03] Cerb: a production standpoint. And then we're going to add to that as well. So, you know, we're we're [2108.99] Cerb: expanding FPV racing solutions, you know, and joining together with the guys here, Jesse and [2117.15] Cerb: Matt, you know, we're all one big family now. And there's really great ideas and really great [2123.07] Cerb: technical resource that these guys are bringing in. And we're, you know, we're looking at the [2127.07] Cerb: interview cams and playing in a role and we're going to have pilot we're going to get the pilots [2133.55] Cerb: to submit little interviews and talking head slots so we can put those into production. [2140.83] Cerb: Yeah, just basically like we want it to look like it's got a 10,000 pound production budget, [2145.71] Matt: but it's stuff that I built on the kitchen table. Yeah, well, what can do on his kitchen table, [2153.63] Matt: like some of it you can't repeat on live stream, but stuff he brings to stuff he brings a bird [2159.87] Matt: is next level. It honestly pushes the pushes the absolute envelope for tiny web live streams. I [2166.91] Matt: I am always at all to what he comes out with because he's like, Oh, we can do this. I was like, [2170.99] Frank: really? Just as an aside, sir, just for your own mental health, never add up the total cost of all [2179.47] Frank: the stuff you've got the time you put into it. Don't don't do it. Don't do it to yourself. [2184.91] Cerb: Well, one of my biggest fears is that I suddenly and unexpectedly pass away. [2189.79] Cerb: And my wife, so I told her it cost. [2197.23] Frank: Oh, dear. Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing that stream. That sounds like that's going to be [2202.75] Frank: really good. I mean, you've always done a very good job of trying to tell the story of the races, [2208.43] Frank: of the people, rather than, you know, I'm sure it's like, like you say, for a racer who knows the [2215.15] Frank: track, knows the knows the context of it and is deep into the the law of everything. Seeing the [2223.79] Frank: the FPV feeds of all the races is what they need to get the best out of it. But like you say, [2229.39] Frank: to have a have a personal connection with the group of people, the atmosphere, to get that [2235.23] Frank: through the camera, to get that through the stream to people at home who aren't, you know, [2240.67] Frank: at the top of the leaderboard all the time. I think you do a good job of that. And I'm looking [2246.43] Frank: forward to seeing how how this all comes together as well. Exactly. I would I just going to jump in [2253.23] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: and say there's two, two goals for me for a live stream. On the one hand, you're exposing people [2258.67] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: that are not familiar with FPV or with tiny whoop or with, you know, you want to expose the race to [2265.07] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: them the competition. But another goal of the live stream is to expose the race culture to [2270.75] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: the people that weren't able to make it. Right now, there's a growing community of people that [2275.39] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: are willing to actually travel for a tiny whoop race and have a blast. And, you know, in the early [2280.11] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: days of mini quad events, at least on my side, it was a whole bunch. This we knew it was like the [2286.35] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: pioneer days of FPV. And we thought about it like, you know, back in the day in 2015, I was like, [2291.87] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: okay, I get I'm going to spend the money. I'm going to go to this event. I'm going to do it [2297.47] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: because I think maybe I'll be one of those early professional racers, you know, but then I went [2304.35] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: and ended up just realizing how unbelievably fun it is to be at this event competition aside, [2310.91] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: you know, the the fun of the event, the drone house, which has now evolved into the whoop house. [2316.19] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: So anyway, I was just going to say I also want to communicate [2320.27] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: this scene and the vibe and the feel of Birmingham International, you know, of bird 2025 to those [2328.43] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: pilots that are down to fly with their local crew, but haven't yet started to become a part of the [2334.59] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: international or the national travel tiny whoop pilots, you know, we see more and more every single [2341.71] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: year. That's one of the reasons tickets sold out immediately. I mean, I think we could if there was [2347.23] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: twice as many tickets available, I think they would also be sold out. I think people really want to [2352.43] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: come to this event, in part because it's such an incredible international competition. It's one of [2356.75] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: the biggest and most international tiny whoop competitions in the world. But it's also an [2362.67] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: experience to go to the whoop house and to just get to hang out with all these pilots and get an [2368.99] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: idea who they are. Like I say, it really takes a special group of people to create a tiny whoop [2374.99] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: club or any FPV club, there's some dedicated, really creative people that love the scene, [2380.99] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: and witnessing what they do is a really special experience. So that's one thing that that these [2387.63] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: guys do a great job with live stream wise is not just showing and exhibiting the competition, [2392.83] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: which like you said, those those track those track cams are really useful for, but also showing who [2399.63] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: the pilots are, the interviews and the pilot pits and the way it all feels for the people who aren't [2405.95] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: able to like make that transition into traveling tiny what pilots yet is another big step for a [2411.95] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: tiny what pilots to take. And once they do, they never go back. They love it. On that note, just [2418.83] Frank: about people getting people involved in the community and people contributing other things. [2425.07] Frank: Matt, you've you sort of put a bit of a call out for volunteers for Bird25, right? [2431.47] Matt: Yeah, so, you know, the core team of people that we work with to do all the like the graphics and [2437.31] Matt: the OBS scenes and the technical side of things is is the nitty gritty and it starts months ahead of [2443.31] Matt: the thing months ahead of the event. But on the day, we want volunteers to step forward and, [2449.55] Matt: you know, donate some of their time at the event, not all of it, but just some of it to kind of [2453.47] Matt: be part of it to help us grow this community and get to all of the different pilots help them get [2458.75] Matt: what they need from the event, make sure they're where they need to be, make sure the spectators [2463.23] Matt: know what's coming up, give them like directions, really simple stuff just being involved on my [2467.95] Matt: check-in desk, technical desk, you know, like things like this that, you know, won't take the [2472.83] Matt: whole event, but will help them get a feel of what it's like to be involved in it and also share [2478.99] Matt: their passion because if you know, if you're a volunteer, you're going to be pretty passionate [2482.43] Matt: about FPV and those are the people we want on the front line interacting with new pilots coming to [2488.19] Matt: Bird who have never seen it before, maybe, and they're going to be picking up maybe a give it [2492.27] Matt: a go line of sight drone for the first time, having people that are passionate and getting involved, [2497.15] Matt: being on the front line, talking to them about how to do things, taking the time to spend [2501.31] Matt: with those individuals and just give them that one-on-one time will really make a difference [2506.11] Matt: to that person's life and, you know, like it's been such a big, it's honestly taken over part [2513.79] Matt: of my world, like my wife kind of, uh, despairs a little bit because she's like, you weren't into [2518.75] Matt: drones when I met you and I'm like, I know I kind of met you and drones at the same time and I'm [2522.11] Matt: sorry, but like, you're both really important. And it is, it's become an important part of my [2529.31] Matt: life just for the fun of getting out there and flying. So to have people that are willing to [2534.03] Matt: volunteer a bit of time, spend it with the people that come in long to give things a go [2538.27] Matt: and hopefully share them, share with them their passion and maybe it will become a passion for [2543.31] Matt: them too. Like this is something that has touched all of, everyone listening will be involved in [2548.91] Matt: drone or, you know, some sort of piloting, remote drop piloting. And that's, we all have that passion [2554.27] Matt: and to be able to share it with people is really one of my main, like, uh, driving forces to kind [2559.63] Matt: of spread it and say, look, this is amazing. You should, you should look involved with this. [2563.95] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Volunteering is the best way to experience an event. And I'm telling you that, you know, [2567.63] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: I volunteer at, um, MultiGP international open and I also volunteer at flight fest every year. [2574.11] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: They're massive events here that, you know, MultiGP IO is the biggest FPV event in the world. [2580.35] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And I'm a part of that volunteer family flight fest, you know, they get six to 10,000 people. [2585.87] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: And I'm, I, both of these events have hardcore, long running volunteer families that come back [2592.75] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: every year. And that's what's being established at bird. Uh, to be a part of that team is really [2596.99] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: special. You meet all the coolest people. You also meet new people and, uh, you make some of [2602.51] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: your best friends. I love it. Yeah. And it's worth, it's worth shouting out to the, the organizer [2607.31] Matt: that hasn't been mentioned yet. Um, Jaggers who deals with the, um, deals with the Woop House, [2612.35] Matt: um, for the last three years, I think, or two or three years, he's dealt with organizing the [2617.23] Matt: Woop House and it's not like front of house in the bird like team, but he's very much like part of [2623.95] Matt: the family and essential to the whole pilot experience coming to bird. Like the Woop House, [2629.55] Matt: like is, it's not the like headline. It's not why the pilots are there, but it almost is why [2635.47] Matt: the pilots are there because like, this is an international race, but you want to spend time [2639.47] Matt: outside of the race, hanging out with people, just having a good time, having a few beers and [2643.39] Matt: just sending woops around a house, like just trashing them around, having a good laugh. [2647.71] Cerb: Yeah, it's good fun. And it's, it's kind of part of, um, no, like one of the saddest things I hear [2654.03] Cerb: from, from pilots, you know, once, once you get pilots into it and you know, you get them through [2658.67] Cerb: that threshold and they've got a transmitter in their hand and then they're like, well, [2661.87] Cerb: why don't you come to a race? I'm not good enough. Well, everybody's good enough. It's, it's, it's [2667.47] Cerb: about so much more than who takes home the trophy. That's important for sure. But the, the, the [2675.47] Cerb: actual social side of it, the Woop House side of it, um, the event on the day, the stuff around it, [2682.11] Cerb: um, for me in, you know, in, in my kind of my dream, um, it becomes, you know, like a three, [2689.23] Cerb: four day festival. And, you know, we, we end up in, in five years time, we'll be in like this huge [2695.63] Cerb: venue and we'll be on Sky Sports and, you know, uh, that's, that's where I'd love to be. And if we, [2704.91] Cerb: from this grassroots can, can build up that, that human side of it, which I think this event really [2711.07] Cerb: does in my really humble opinion. Um, and I, I think we're, we're onto a good thing. Um, and [2718.67] Cerb: it's just so exciting. I'm so, I'm so looking forward to it. This, this has given me, um, so [2724.35] Cerb: much enthusiasm and it always does every year. This, this event and the gym race, uh, these are [2730.59] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: for me, what keeps me going. I can't say enough good things about Woop House. I mean, yeah, it's, [2737.55] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: it's the best. It's so much fun. It's really, really fun. Jaggers is basically Trivago for, for [2744.75] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Whoops. Imagine going to, um, a house full of incredible international pilots and not having [2753.47] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: had, you don't have to waste any time not talking about drones. You can just hang out and talk, [2760.43] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: talk about your favorite thing and, and you know, talk about the gift of flight for days [2764.99] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: with some awesome people. And the Woop House, if you want to, you can go, you can rest there, [2770.27] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: but the Woop House never sleeps. It's just an incredible, uh, it's where, you know, [2775.39] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: I say it all the time. Tiny Woop was born in the after hours of FPV events. It's the truth. [2780.27] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Tiny Woop was born at drone house or mini quad events, um, over and over and over and then spread [2786.11] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: to, uh, what became drone houses, what became whoop houses everywhere. It, it was born in the [2791.71] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: after hours. It does its best. It lives its best. You know, racing is a big part of Tiny [2796.27] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Woop culture now, but it is not the heart and the heart of Tiny Woop culture is messing around with [2801.63] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: your friends, tooling around, exploring, you know, Woop House, which, you know, last time I was there, [2806.67] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: a gigantic mansion with endless rooms and corridors and a beautiful, uh, estates and, [2812.83] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: you know, the house this year is going to be incredible. Also, uh, it's a place where you [2816.75] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: can fly around people and not worry about what they're thinking. You can go mess with someone, [2822.19] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: you can chase with someone, you can get in someone's face, you know, uh, and not, you know, [2826.59] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: you can't do that in public places usually. So I, I just want to say, um, that it's, that I love it. [2833.63] Frank: And it's one of the big reasons I'm here. So who's going to take this? What, what is the [2838.59] Frank: Woop House? You've been singing its praises. We don't actually know what it is. Oh, sorry. I [2842.83] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: should have said it's a place where all of the, it's a, you know, it's organized by Jagger's and [2848.67] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: at least in the UK it is. We always have one at every big events here, usually in the United [2852.51] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: States, it's organized by Dan Sagano, the godfather of iGao, but I've organized a bunch of them myself. [2857.79] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: It's just an Airbnb. It's a giant Airbnb that sleeps maybe 20 or 30 people. And we offer a space [2865.39] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: to pretty much everybody going to the events to come and stay there, uh, and have a place to stay [2872.11] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: when you do that, it gets way cheaper than a hotel. Um, in the case of the UK Woop House, there's [2877.87] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: meals in included. So there's these big family meals, which is just such an awesome addition [2882.91] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: to Woop House culture. And yeah, it's just a place to stay. If you're an international or just even [2888.27] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: local traveler to the race, uh, go stay there and live Woop House life for three, four days or [2894.35] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: whatever. Uh, that's what it is. It's an Airbnb, you know? Nice. So how does someone get into the [2901.47] Frank: circle of the Woop House? Where do they go to, to get, uh, the secret handshake? So first off, [2909.23] Matt: it's, uh, offered out to the, to the pilots. Um, and I think there were 30, some 28 or 30 rooms, [2916.51] Matt: I think this year, and, uh, they all went like immediately. Um, so unfortunately there's another [2923.55] Matt: sold out thing we're talking about, but the important bit to take from it is that, like Jesse [2929.07] Matt: says the heart of, uh, tiny culture is in more than just the racing. The racing is important. [2934.83] Matt: We're there to have a race to crown the, you know, Birmingham international race day, uh, [2939.31] Matt: like champion. Um, and that is, that's why people travel to it to have that experience of racing, [2944.99] Matt: but it's not the like most important thing. The most important thing is meeting new people, [2949.55] Matt: taking part in, in the event, but spending time with people, making friends, yeah, [2956.67] Matt: making friends, like swapping stories, messing around. Everyone shows off like the new crazy [2962.27] Matt: drone they've like made and tweaked to the nth degree. And yeah, you just, like you said, [2966.35] Matt: you don't have to bother talking to, you don't have to bother talking to your wife. You don't [2970.03] Matt: have to bother talking to your wife. I've never put it that way. No, you don't have to censor, [2974.99] Matt: you don't have to censor your enthusiasm for FPV around these people because they are also, [2981.39] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: in addition to all of that, just to pivot away from that dangerous territory, [2985.87] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: in addition to all that, um, the whoop house is the place where you find, uh, the innovation [2990.99] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: of the future in tiny, in tiny whoop world. Uh, it's where the new LEDs get shown off. It's where [2996.03] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: the, uh, all the new technology happens there. There's always, um, you know, at least in the [3000.91] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: United States, there's just always unreleased products, making an appearance there, all kinds [3005.15] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: of new stuff happening. And the people that end up finding the heart of tiny culture at whoop house [3011.31] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: and at these big events are the people that also end up being the hardcore innovators driving the [3016.75] Cerb: entire tiny what movement. Matt, I'm, I'm not familiar with the venue yet. Cause I haven't [3023.39] Cerb: talked to Jags about it, but, um, but for people listening and watching, if you're not [3028.91] Cerb: booked into whoop house, can you still rock up and like, like, I believe, yeah, in the evening, [3034.67] Matt: you can come along. I'll, I'll tentatively say that, yeah, that's a thing. You can come along [3039.95] Matt: and have a look. I mean, it's, it's basically a big, um, it's a big, it's Jagger's, it's Jagger's [3046.75] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: baby. So told Jagger's decision. And I will say that it tends, at least on my side, it tends to [3052.75] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: be slightly invitational because this is a place where everybody has their gear out. So, uh, getting [3058.27] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: involved in it kind of also involves getting involved in the community, making some friends [3062.83] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: at the event and probably wind up with an invite to the after party or whatever. So volunteering [3068.67] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: would help, right? Volunteering is a, yeah, that's, that is a, um, fast pass. All volunteers are [3076.59] Cerb: carried aloft through the halls of whoop house. Yeah, exactly. On our shoulders. Yeah. [3084.67] Frank: The other avenue that I can see is that, uh, Jagger's is, uh, holding a group night at the [3090.83] Frank: Egg and Rugby Club in Surrey this coming Tuesday, the 19th of November. So, you know, there's a, [3096.99] Frank: there's another early point to, to start making headway into getting an invitation to the whoop [3102.43] Matt: house. I wish I could go to that. He runs a, he runs a great, uh, event down there. And, um, [3110.51] Matt: he also uses the, the killer quads, uh, conduit, like gates as well. They're used all over the [3116.27] Matt: country. Like, um, a guy came along to the Birmingham Tiny Whippers regular event on [3121.95] Matt: Wednesday. Was that yesterday? Yesterday. God, time's fine. Fast. Um, he came all the way down [3126.75] Matt: from Warrington. Now it's not going to mean anything to JP, but that's like a two and a half [3130.99] Matt: hour drive down to Birmingham. Um, just to come to an event for his first time, he was like, oh man, [3136.91] Matt: I've got to get one of these started up there. And I was like, well, we've got some extra gates here. [3139.95] Matt: Have some of these. And then here's the conduit project, go and print some and start a, start an [3145.07] Matt: event, you know, start a regular meet up there. They're used across the world. I've seen, I've [3148.99] Cerb: seen people posting, they'll post stuff on, on Instagram, Facebook. I'm like, those are my gates. [3154.91] Cerb: That's so cool. Like back in the day when I first, um, was designing them, I was like, oh, right. I'm [3161.07] Cerb: going to set up a little shop and I'm going to 3d print and you can like, like go to my Etsy shop [3165.55] Cerb: and buy the corners and like, like, and I'm like, I, life is too short. Uh, no, no chance. So the [3172.67] Cerb: idea was to make it like a community thing, like to put the project up. Um, and if anybody like, [3179.47] Cerb: redesigns or rerolls any of the corners or the parts, send the files to me. I add them to the [3185.07] Cerb: project. Uh, and it just hopefully, um, like Gridgefinity, hopefully it will take on a life of its [3191.23] Cerb: own. So far, most people just like download and print and putting together and race. There's not, [3197.15] Cerb: there's not been too many remixes yet, but it's, it's really cool. It's so nice to see them, uh, [3203.47] Matt: being useful and being used. Yeah. Jaggers has got a good, uh, set up with them down there. [3209.63] Matt: I've seen a couple other, um, cause we're, we're coming, well, we're, we're into whoop season, [3214.51] Matt: if you like now, uh, in the, in the Northern hemisphere. Um, but it's whoop season is getting [3220.43] Matt: longer and longer. Like I don't know about the rest in, in America, but our, this year ran all [3226.75] Matt: the way through summer. People kept turning up at events. And I said, look, I'll keep organizing [3230.83] Matt: them. If you keep coming and people can come in. So all the way through summer, we were running [3234.83] Matt: the winter whoops because people kept flying. It's all offended by that. So I've run winter [3242.75] Cerb: whoops for like six years or something. I'm like, right. I've got too much else going on. Matt, [3248.11] Cerb: winter whoops is yours. You manage it now. You look after it. So it became killer quads, [3253.47] Cerb: Birmingham, tiny whoops joined together, joined forces. I'm like, great. I'm going to spend the [3258.51] Cerb: winter building race cars, um, which I didn't build. And that was the first year. And I've [3264.19] Cerb: always said, if you keep coming, I'll keep doing them. And for the first time, Matt just went all [3269.31] Cerb: the way through, never stop. And so in some ways I'm, I'm really annoyed that people don't like me. [3275.71] Cerb: But also I'm right. Just really pleased. Um, that was so cool. And people, [3280.67] Cerb: people are still turning up and it's growing and growing. It was really awesome. [3283.95] Matt: Yeah. So we've, we've got a new venue there and Jaggers has, uh, started up a new venue at his [3291.15] Matt: rugby club. And there's a guy like, say came down from Warrington. The drone circle guys are up and [3296.43] Matt: running again. They're running there. I think they're once, uh, next week, I think sometime, [3303.23] Matt: um, you know, they, all these clubs are kicking into gear and it's, it's just taken off again. [3309.47] Matt: The tiny culture just evolves with people just getting involved. And yeah, [3314.03] Frank: where's the best place for people to go to maybe try and find their local group club? [3321.07] Matt: The best place to start really is just a big shout out on the UK tiny whip pilots, uh, Facebook [3326.75] Matt: group, just say, I'm here. Is there a tiny group near me? And somebody will say, yes, it's here. [3332.59] Matt: And that's what the community is about reaching out and helping each other find these places to go [3336.51] Matt: and thing. You can also go to the BDRA website. There's like a list of the bigger clubs on there, [3341.87] Matt: but there was always someone in a pub back room somewhere flying trans. There it is. Hey, Han. [3347.95] Matt: Hey dude. Nice. [3349.23] Frank: Now on the chat says the next drone circle event is 24th of November. [3354.35] Matt: There you go. So if you're around, uh, Macclesfield way, roughly, then, uh, that's, [3360.59] Matt: that's where you want to head to, um, drones, uh, cool. [3364.91] Frank: And internationally, have you got any recommendations, Jesse, for [3369.15] Frank: where someone who's listening might go to find out about their local [3373.63] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: group events? I actually recommend about the same, the same move in the tiny whip group. [3378.51] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: There's a huge international tiny group with 40,000 pilots and putting a post in there always [3383.79] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: yields good results. I see them all the time. And whenever I do, I also make a post on their behalf [3388.99] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: because I've got a slightly bigger reach in that group. And we always find local communities. And [3393.71] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: sometimes we don't find one. And, uh, just like Matt, I'll give them a hand starting up a local [3398.43] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: club, just getting two or three guys together and it's snowballs from there. It's kind of the story [3402.43] Frank: of tiny whip since the beginning. Yeah. Nice. Nice. And I can see in the, in the chat, uh, [3408.11] Frank: Caroline Tyler has bought a Mobula seven and she wants to lend a hand at bird 25. How should [3415.71] Matt: you get in touch to volunteer? Uh, best thing is, yeah, just, uh, drop a message in the live stream [3425.07] Matt: chat, um, or on the Birmingham tiny whoopers, uh, Facebook page, um, just say, Hey, want to get [3431.55] Matt: involved. Um, I think there is a, there should be a post on the, on that page where you, where [3435.87] Matt: volunteers were requested. There'll be another one going out. Um, I imagine after this, uh, stream, [3441.07] Matt: um, so just drop us a comment in there and I'll get in touch with you directly. [3445.15] Frank: And for anyone, uh, not on Facebook, presumably they can go to your website, [3449.55] Frank: B T w club, Birmingham tiny with this club dot code at UK slash bird. And I can see at the bottom, [3456.67] Matt: there is a contact us. Exactly. That's the one I always forget about that because it's a relatively [3462.19] Matt: new development sort of trying to formalize the, uh, the like presentation of the event. [3468.83] Matt: Like I've always had a webpage, but it's always been on my random blog that nobody really needs [3472.43] Matt: to like go and read. Now I've actually got a proper Facebook page for the events. [3478.35] Frank: There's an actual website, uh, BTW club, Birmingham tiny with this club dot code at UK [3483.95] Frank: slash birds. So that's presumably also where people can go. Uh, if they want to get involved [3489.87] Frank: in the, uh, give it a go, the challenges, uh, tickets for sale there. So yeah, if you head over [3497.23] Matt: to that, if you said over to that, uh, website, you've got the option between a spectator ticket, [3501.55] Matt: which is free. Basically we've got like a cap on numbers, so we have to ticket it, but it's free. [3506.35] Matt: So you can get a free ticket on there. Um, and then if you want to, uh, have a go at the, give [3512.59] Matt: it a go sessions of the, give it a go, um, activities, then you can, uh, purchase a ticket [3517.23] Matt: on there. Uh, it's set at 12 pounds, I believe. Um, so as cheap as I can absolutely make it to [3522.75] Matt: just get as many people involved as possible. Uh, so that people get their hands on the kit [3527.95] Matt: because you see it flying. That's cool. I want to have a go and you can go over there and you can [3532.03] Matt: have a go at it. Um, and you have a chance to win some prizes by doing so. So it's win-win. [3537.39] Frank: Right. And just, just run us through again, what the challenges are. [3544.43] Matt: It's all right. I brought my notes now. So we've got, uh, the, the, the challenge, [3550.91] Matt: the birds 2025 challenge is a collection of things. It is a big, uh, graphic that will be [3557.63] Matt: hidden in places. And by completing the challenges, you will reveal the graphic and complete the, [3562.67] Matt: the, uh, bird 25 challenge. And they is things from, uh, hunts for stuff around the venue. [3570.59] Matt: You have to go and find out a bit of information from a particular pilot. Uh, you'll have to go [3574.83] Matt: and take a selfie with someone. Um, and then they give it a go stuff. There'll be simulators there. [3580.51] Matt: We've got drone soccer, so you get your hand on a Quidditch techno drone ball. [3584.91] Matt: Um, if I don't infringe on any coffee, right. [3591.15] Matt: Skill supply. One of the largest STEM educators in the UK is coming with his, uh, [3597.47] Matt: line of sight drones. We are, uh, his like drone coding drones. Um, we're also going to have the [3604.19] Matt: line of sight drones to give it a go. Uh, there'll be FPV goggles so you can ride along with the, [3609.95] Matt: uh, international pilots. And then once you've completed all of this big graphic, [3615.15] Matt: you'll be entered into a competition to win some amazing prizes from our sponsors. Um, [3619.95] Matt: and it's a good point to say the sponsors really do like help support this event. Like [3624.99] Matt: there has to be a charge for tickets for things to think, but it's it. The event has a huge cost [3631.31] Matt: to it every year. Like I have lost money doing it just because it's a fun event. I keep doing it [3637.31] Matt: this year. It has got to at least break even, and there's been huge support from the sponsors to [3642.11] Matt: keep it going because there's an internet international appetite for this event, which is [3647.63] Matt: incredible. So Jesse being on board, sir, being on board, uh, helps make that reality. [3653.23] Matt: Also the sponsors. So we bleed FPV put in a massive sponsorship, um, package, which I'm [3658.43] Matt: incredibly grateful for and mini figs, me as well stepped up and dropped an incredible package [3663.55] Matt: and they are relatively unrelated to the FPV community. Mini figs, me does Lego figures, [3668.91] Matt: um, custom Lego figures and is known, uh, you know, in various circles in the FPV because he's [3674.67] Matt: a really nice guy, Nick. Um, he wants to help support the, uh, the group. So big shout out to [3680.27] Matt: we bleed like Jeff. Incredible. Thank you very much. And to Nick, uh, many things like without [3685.79] Matt: these supporters, this, this event doesn't happen. So it's really important to like support these [3691.71] Frank: guys. Absolutely. And so lastly, for anyone who doesn't want to miss out on all the atmosphere, [3697.95] Frank: you're going to be piping to the internet. Uh, where should people subscribe to make sure they [3703.55] Cerb: get all the stream notifications? Uh, so head to, uh, YouTube and subscribe to the official tiny [3711.63] Frank: whoop YouTube channel. I think that covered your mistake. Well, sir, no one will notice carry on. [3717.71] Cerb: Uh, that channel will be streaming the event, uh, on both days. Uh, and there's a chance we [3724.43] Cerb: might also, uh, multi stream it. Uh, so if we get the technology working, which we're working on, [3730.91] Cerb: uh, we'll stream it across, uh, to Jesse's, um, YouTube channel as well. [3737.39] Frank: Excellent. So it will be everywhere you can find things. That's the goal. All right. Spreads the [3744.99] Frank: love, spread the atmosphere. Uh, it sounds like, you know, bird 25 is going to follow in the line [3752.11] Frank: of bird events and pull all the, the FPV community together, but then spread it out and share it [3759.31] Frank: with everyone else as well. So, uh, thank you very much everyone for joining us this evening. [3766.91] Frank: Uh, well, look forward to seeing Jesse over in the UK as well. So everyone should go along and say [3773.39] Frank: hi. Could be more excited. Yeah. It's going to be a blast. Last year we taught him how to say [3778.35] Cerb: Birmingham. So this year we're going to, we're going to expand his vocabulary. Uh, I think we're [3784.27] Cerb: going to move into British swear words this year. Yeah. Can't wait. I'm pretty well educated, [3790.59] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: believe it or not. We have a city in the United States called Birmingham and that is not how you [3796.99] Frank: say it in the UK. Well, thanks everyone for joining us this week. Uh, join us again next week [3806.11] Frank: or, uh, some talk about the sky star flight controllers and ESCs, but this week you have [3813.31] Frank: been joined by service from FPV racing solutions. You have been joined by Matt from Birmingham, [3821.39] Frank: Tiny Whoopers joined by Jesse Perkins from Tiny Whoop. I've been Frank, uh, Jack's been [3830.19] Frank: hiding in the background. He wants to know what Jesse's done to his hands. Oh, what's up Jack. [3838.83] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: Um, I was just in pole and this is a little carbon fiber splint that I made there that a [3844.51] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: friend made, but, um, I smashed my hand in a gigantic heavy door and broke my thumb and [3852.51] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: I smashed my finger in my thumb and it's not that big a deal. It's, uh, yeah, just, just, [3859.15] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: I mean, it's, it's more than a prop bite, right? It's more than a prop bite. I can't fly. That's [3864.51] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: the biggest problem. I, I, it looks like I'm not going to be able to get my thumb on sticks for, [3870.03] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: um, at least a few weeks. So that's the big bummer, but I'm all right. It could have been a [3874.83] Frank: lot worse. Yeah, but official drones safer than doors. Uh, yesterday we were telling Jesse that [3884.35] Cerb: the door story wasn't sexy enough and he needed to come up with something. Yeah. Yeah. We were, [3891.71] Jesse "Tiny Whoop" Perkins: we were joking about maybe I saved a puppy from in front of a bus and my hand got run over. [3896.35] Frank: Nope. It's not, not a good story. I wish it was. Thank you for joining us anyway. Uh, thank you [3903.71] Frank: to all our Patreons for keeping, uh, let's throw now on the podcast feeds, uh, reviewers wherever [3910.59] Frank: you can. If you're on YouTube, watching live or following on later, hit the like button, [3916.75] Frank: drop a comment, subscribe to us, go to our discord, say hello. Tell us what you think [3922.51] Frank: we should be talking about and get in touch with bird 25 to volunteer, spectate, follow along, [3930.59] Frank: give it a go. All of the good stuff. Thank you very much and good night. Bye. Bye guys. Bye bye.