Skip to main content

Watch this mind-blowing footage of an FPV drone at a bowling alley

Right Up Our Alley

If you thought you were getting good with your drone by flying it through an open window without crashing, then check out the remarkable footage (above) captured by filmmaker and expert drone pilot Jay Christensen of Minnesota-based Rally Studios.

Recommended Videos

The stunning sequence, shot at Bryant Lake Bowl and Theater in Minneapolis, was shot with a first-person-view (FPV) Cinewhoop quadcopter, a type of drone that’s smaller and more stable than many regular FPV devices, and used, as the name suggests, to capture cinematic footage.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The film starts with an aerial shot outside the bowling alley before swooping in through the door and out over the bowling lanes. But that’s not all. Demonstrating astonishing skills to create the 90-second clip, the footage takes you behind the bowling lanes and through the machinery that puts the pins down before continuing with a grand tour of the entertainment facility.

The skit is beautifully choreographed, too, with the clientele making carefully timed moves as the drone flies past, while the specially recorded audio track perfectly captures the atmosphere of the place.

But perhaps the most remarkable thing about the impressive short film is that Christensen only started flying the Cinewhoop drone last June, revealing on Instagram that he was “absolutely terrible” at it for a whole three months. The now-skillful drone pilot added that it “took a lot of tries” to nail the final sequence.

FPV drones, known for their speed and agility, have been thrust into the spotlight in recent days after drone giant DJI launched its first-ever FPV machine last week. While the $1,299 machine isn’t really aimed at FPV aficionados, it could prove popular with DJI fans already familiar with the company’s Mavic drones and who like the idea of adding some speed to their drone shots.

As for Christensen’s incredible drone flight, can you guess what happens at the end? Well, let’s put it this way, it’s very fitting for a bowling alley, and though it may look as if the dramatic climax must surely have destroyed the drone, the flying machine apparently survived.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Drone pilots face hefty fine if they fly near the Super Bowl
DJI Mavic 2 Pro

Drone pilots have been warned to keep their flying machines well away from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, during Super Bowl 2022 or face a hefty fine of at least $30,000 and potential criminal prosecution. On top of that, drones spotted within the designated no-fly zone could be knocked out of the sky with “deadly force,” according to a flight advisory from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

A temporary flight restriction will be in effect from 2:30 p.m. through 8:30 p.m. PT during the big game on Sunday, February 13. The flight ban covers a 30-nautical-mile radius of the stadium and extends 18,000 feet skyward.

Read more
Watch Emirates’ new daredevil ad shot by a drone
emirates new daredevil ad shot by drone burj khalifa 2022

Emirates' 2021 ad featuring a stunt actor perched atop the world’s tallest building proved such a hit that the airline decided to do it all over again ... and then some.

The same woman stands at the very top of the same building -- the 828-meter-high Burj Khalifa in Dubai -- except this time, the world’s largest passenger jet makes a guest appearance.

Read more
Watch this pest controller use a drone to vacuum up a wasp nest
A drone modified to remove wasp nests.

A company in Japan has unveiled a new contraption that can be loosely described as a drone with a vacuum cleaner attached.

But rather than using it for cleaning hard-to-reach surfaces, the machine is designed to remove troublesome wasp nests.

Read more