Podcast Summary: Ian Frazier Among the Drone Racers

Podcast: The New Yorker Radio Hour
Host: David Remnick
Episode Date: February 13, 2018

Episode Overview

This episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour, hosted by David Remnick, delves into the fast-evolving world of competitive drone racing. Staff writer Ian Frazier profiles some of America’s top drone racers, exploring the culture, lifestyle, thrill, and challenges that come with the sport. The episode offers a behind-the-scenes look into this new and unconventional profession, where passion and vocation blend in unexpected ways.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Rise of Drone Racing

• Drones in Popular Imagination: David Remnick kicks off the episode by highlighting the different ways people think about drones—from military use to consumer gadgets. But here, the focus is on drones used for high-speed racing.

  “If I just say the word drone, do you imagine an unmanned plane dropping bombs...a little Amazon robot?...Or a Christmas present that was lost or broken...?” (00:29)

• Transition to a Legitimate Sport: Ian Frazier recounts attending the 2016 Drone National Championships, noting the early, somewhat disordered state of the sport and the incredible speeds involved (up to 180 mph in trials).

  “It was one of those things that happen early on in the development of a sport...not really very well thought out.” (01:30)

Meeting the Drone Racers

• The Fort Collins House: Frazier visits the home of three drone pilots—Zachary "Anoob" Thayer, Jordan "Jet" Tempkin, and Travis McIntyre. The house is entirely dedicated to drone racing, with trophies, equipment, and custom-built drones filling every room.
  • Trophies from worldwide competitions: “California, Arizona, Dubai, New York. Man, lots of places.” – Zachary Thayer (03:46)
  • The chaos of their workshop resembles the Wright brothers’ famous bicycle shop.
  • Custom-designed drones for mountain flying, prioritizing their unique needs over mass market.

The Experience of Racing and Building Drones

• Engineering Meets Adventure: The pilots design their own drone frames for specific challenges, like mountain flights, seeking better flight times and speeds.
  • “We want something that’s better for mountains...because mountains are deceivingly large.” – Zachary Thayer (05:34)
• Practice in the Rocky Mountains: The pilots regularly take their custom drones into the mountains near Fort Collins for high-adrenaline practices—pulling off the road, launching drones at cliffs, and maneuvering along rivers.
  • “So like Travis, right now, he’s just an empty carcass of a body standing there, and his consciousness is somewhere flying around this mountain.” – Travis McIntyre (07:02)
• The Thrill of FPV (First Person View): Ian Frazier tries FPV goggles, describing it as a completely immersive, exhilarating experience, akin to flying in a dream.
  • “It’s exhilarating. I mean, it just absolutely gets your entire body wired.” – Ian Frazier (08:58)
  • “There’s no feeling of your own self. It’s mostly like what flying in a dream feels like...” (09:50)

The Drone Racer Lifestyle

• A Haven for Adrenaline Junkies: Many racers are former enthusiasts of extreme sports—skateboarding, skiing, motocross—drawn to drone racing for the thrill minus the physical danger.
  • “They had a bad motorcycle accident and this is their outlet to getting this sensation of, ‘I’m going 100 miles an hour an inch from the ground.’” – Travis McIntyre (10:13)
• Struggles with Professional Identity: The pilots grapple with describing their profession, sometimes settling on “entertainer” or “artist” for practical reasons.
  • "I sort of chuckle and say I'm a professional drone racer because it doesn't seem like I should be able to say that or that it's real." – Zachary Thayer (11:04)

The Drone Racing League (DRL) and Competitive Racing

• From Hobby to Profession: Top pilots like "Jet" and "Anoob" race for the DRL, which is televised globally by ESPN and other networks.
  • Courses take place in complex locations: stadiums, abandoned malls, and historical buildings.
• Skill Transfer from the Mountains: Their training in challenging mountain terrain gives them a competitive edge on intricate racecourses, helping Jet (Jordan) become the 2017 world champion.
  • “Jet finds another gear. He beats Gab in the U turn. He takes it. Jet wins it all.” – DRL Announcer (13:27)
• Financial Realities: It’s difficult to make a living solely from prize winnings. Contracts for appearances and filming are the main source of income.
  • “Where’s the money? There’s not much right now. There’s a little bit here and there, so you got to sort of fight for it and scrape by.” – Zachary Thayer (14:09)

The Future of Drone Racing

• A Sport for All Ages: New, younger competitors are beginning to outpace veterans, illustrating how rapidly the sport is evolving.
  • “There are these guys who live in places like Indiana and all they do is practice every single day and they’re getting incredibly fast and precise.” – Travis McIntyre (14:53)
• Fusion of Passion and Work: Ian Frazier concludes with a parallel to a Robert Frost poem about uniting one’s calling with their passion, echoing the racers’ devotion to their craft.
  • “My object in living is to unite my avocation with my vocation, as my two eyes are one in sight only where love and need are one, and the work is play for mortal stakes.” – Robert Frost, quoted by Ian Frazier (15:16)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Immersion:
  "You’re so engulfed in just being that drone, right?" – Travis McIntyre (09:45)

• On the Sensation of Flying:
  "It’s mostly like what flying in a dream feels like. Only I’ve never had a dream in which I did a loop de loop or anything." – Ian Frazier (09:50)

• On Adrenaline and Safety:
  "Worst case, I crash and break a twenty dollar motor." – Travis McIntyre (10:13)

• On Blurring Professional Lines:
  "My object in living is to unite my avocation with my vocation..." – Robert Frost, via Ian Frazier (15:16)

Notable Segment Timestamps

• [01:30] – Ian Frazier describes the early drone racing scene.
• [03:40] – Inside the racers’ Fort Collins house and their commitment to the craft.
• [05:34] – Designing specialized drones for mountain flying.
• [06:47–09:45] – Ian Frazier experiences first person drone flight.
• [10:13] – The crossover of extreme sports and drone pilots.
• [11:04] – The challenge of describing drone racing as a profession.
• [12:50] – The unique setups and international scope of DRL events.
• [13:27] – Jet wins the 2017 DRL championship finals.
• [14:09] – Realistic economics of pro drone racing.
• [15:16] – Poetic reflection on combining work and passion.

Conclusion

This episode underlines how drone racing blurs the lines between hobby, sport, and profession, creating a unique subculture rooted in technology, adrenaline, and camaraderie. Against the backdrop of evolving competitive landscapes, the racers live in pursuit of exhilaration and mastery, embodying the challenge of uniting one's deepest passions with their daily labor.

For further reading: Find Ian Frazier’s written piece about drone racing (and more) at newyorker.com.