Pilot of drones, this young man of 17 years lives in Pacé. He is passionate about flying these funny mini planes. They offer, it seems, sensations comparable to those felt by flying a fighter plane. And this, thanks to the 3 D glasses connected to the camera of the drone.

Fabien Collobert, 17, was born in Pacé and attended all his schooling. He is in STI2D (Science and Technology of Industry and Sustainable Development) in Victor-Hélène-Basch, Rennes.

How did this passion for drones come to him? "Three years ago, I asked for a drone for Christmas, it was a toy. By dint of playing with it, there was some breakage! In the store where I hung out to get it fixed, I saw that there was a club in La Chapelle. "

Since then, Fabien has graduated in Saint-Médard-sur-Ille, in a drone club (multirotor). "There is the sporting aspect and the competition, with the friends we like to go shopping in the club. "

Pilots ride their drones themselves

The town hall of Saint-Médard has put at their disposal an old football field that allows them to have a fixed circuit, approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) and therefore usable at any time.

But the competition drone is not just about driving.

"Our drones are fully assembled by the pilots . We choose the different parts: engines, propellers, carbon chassis, camera and electronic components. We receive everything as a kit, it's up to us to assemble them. The drones for outdoor competitions cost us around € 400. "

"It's an activity that takes me about six hours a week to train. More time at home, dedicated to the maintenance of my drones. "

Light and autonomous

Fairly light, about 500 g, they have a range of 1'30 to 2 minutes, depending on the flight. But their performances are astonishing: less than 1 second to go from 0 to 100 km / h in ascension and a maximum speed (for that of Fabien) of 150 km / h!

The French Aeromodelling Federation establishes a ranking of the 80 best French drivers based on the various events organized for the French championship.

The last one took place in La-Queue-en-Brie (Val-de-Marne) on October 6th and 7th. There are only two categories, junior (under 18) and senior (over 18).

Fabien ranked 2nd junior and 3rd in scratch (drone programming software). A good progression, since it went from the 10th place to scratch in 2017, the 3rd this year. "My goal in 2019 is to compete abroad, under the auspices of the International Aeronautical Federation . "