The Finnish FPV competition scene is not constrained by a lack of skills, but by missing structures. Finland has a highly experienced core community whose potential cannot be fully realised without stable training environments and a stronger ecosystem.
Aleksi Rastas describes a scene that is capable and committed, yet structurally underdeveloped. Rastas has been active in FPV drone racing for around ten years, both as an international competitor and as an event organizer. He has represented Finland in world championship events and invitational races around the world, organized a large share of Finnish FPV racing events, and acted as Team Finland FPV captain. He is currently the chairman of FPV Finland ry.
Finnish FPV competition activity has slowed down significantly since its most active years. Rastas describes the shift in concrete terms:
“FPV racing and drone competition activities in Finland are still alive, but the scene has become quieter compared to the peak years. During the most active period, roughly between 2017 and 2019, Finland had around ten competitions per year, often with 20–30 participants. Today the activity level is lower. In a typical summer season, we currently have around 3–5 competitions, with approximately 5–10 pilots attending each event.”
Despite the drop in numbers, the core strength of the Finnish FPV scene remains intact.
“Finland has a fairly mature FPV racing ecosystem in terms of experience, technical skill and event organization. The active pilots and organizers have been involved in the sport for many years, and we know how to run safe and high-quality competitions.”
The challenge is not expertise, but scale. Compared to larger European countries, the Finnish ecosystem remains narrow and fragile.
“We do not have a broad network of local clubs, training locations, beginner programs, sponsors, spare part suppliers or recurring league structures. This makes the sport highly dependent on a small group of volunteers.”
As Rastas summarises:
“The knowledge is there, but the support structures around the sport need to be developed further.”
The single most critical bottleneck for FPV competition activities in Finland is access to suitable flying and training locations. Without regular and accessible places to fly, communities cannot grow and new pilots struggle to enter the sport.
“The most important requirement is access to good places to fly and train. Especially in the Helsinki metropolitan area, there are not enough suitable, accessible and regular training locations.”
FPV racing requires space, safety planning and continuity. Occasional permissions or one-off event locations are not enough to support an active local scene. Without permanent or recurring training sites, activity remains project-based rather than community-driven.
Finland’s long winter makes indoor training a structural necessity rather than an optional extra. At present, it is one of the key limiting factors for year-round activity.
“Finland has a long winter season, and affordable indoor spaces are hard to find. Many sports halls are fully booked or too expensive for a small volunteer-based sport. If we could secure affordable indoor locations for winter training, the activity level would increase significantly.”
Changes in drone regulation have also reshaped FPV activity, especially for self-built drones. Casual flying opportunities have become more limited, raising the threshold for participation.
“Many hobbyists stopped flying actively after the new drone regulations came into force. For self-built FPV drones, the possibilities to fly casually in places like parks became much more limited. This reduced the low-threshold side of the hobby, which used to be important for attracting new pilots.”
While regulation is not intended to suppress the hobby, its practical effects are felt strongly. Without clear and accessible training environments, activity concentrates further around a small core group.
Despite the challenges, Rastas sees clear potential for Finland to develop into a leading FPV competition hub in Northern Europe – if the structural issues are addressed.
“Finland would also need a more visible and structured competition format. For example, a national FPV league with live streaming, sponsors, prizes and regular events would make the sport more attractive for pilots, audiences, partners and new participants.”
Finland’s proximity to Sweden and the Baltic countries creates natural international reach.
“There are many active FPV pilots in the Baltics and Sweden who would be interested in joining well-organized races in Finland.”
“In short, Finland could become a strong Northern European FPV hub if we can combine three things: regular training locations, active local communities and a supported national league.”
“The talent and experience already exist in Finland. The next step is to rebuild the structures around the community”
If regular training locations, winter facilities and local communities can be strengthened, Finnish FPV competition activity has realistic potential to grow again – this time on a more sustainable and internationally relevant foundation.
FPV Finland ry is a Finnish association focused on supporting and developing FPV drone activities in Finland, including racing, community building, events and beginner support.
