Airspeeder names Patrick Lombardi to drive for Team Italia, completing the initial five-pilot line-up
Why It MattersPilots drawn from FPV drone racing, rather than conventional aviation, suggest early eVTOL competition is building its talent pool from drone sport and simulator-based training.
On 5 November, Airspeeder announced from London that Patrick Lombardi will race for Airspeeder Team Italia and Dan Miles for Airspeeder GBR. The two appointments complete the initial line-up of five national teams in the Airspeeder International Series, which is preparing for a closed-door opening race in Adelaide, Australia, in November. The other three pilots were already known: Thomas Bitmatta (Airspeeder Team Australia), Mason West (DeLorean Airspeeder Team) and Seth Moore (Airspeeder New Zealand).
Airspeeder describes itself as the world's first racing championship for electric flying cars, meaning eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft such as the Airspeeder Mk3C. In the International Series, teams represent their countries and are backed by universities, industry and technology partners in advanced manufacturing and aerospace. The tracks are Augmented Reality Racetracks: virtual courses and gates drawn in the sky with digital technology, which can be changed or moved without building permanent infrastructure.
Lombardi was born and raised in Riva del Garda, Trentino. He began in international downhill skateboarding, winning titles, before a serious accident led him to change path; he moved to FPV (first person view) drones, which became his profession, filming supercars and extreme sports. Miles, from Britain, is a full-time professional racing and cinematic FPV pilot. He has flown FPV since 2021, qualified for the British national team in his first full season with the British Drone Racing Association, and represented Great Britain at the 2024 drone racing World Championships in Hangzhou.
The pilots now begin their preparation. Training is overseen by Global Drone Solutions, Airspeeder's Training Provider Partner, alongside simulator work and sessions with flight crews. Matt Pearson, Airspeeder co-founder and CEO, said the first five teams now have their pilots, giving the competition fresh momentum; Zeph Walsh, Airspeeder's head of pilot training, said the task now is to help the pilots understand the aircraft and build consistency at the controls.
