Behind The FPV Goggles: Furadi

Description: Drone Racing and FPV Freestyle are some of the fastest growing sports in the world. Meet the men and women behind the goggles who are changing the way we see our planet.

Conrad Miller, aka Furadi, took us flying around Julia M. Davis Kleiner Park just outside of beautiful Boise, Idaho. It's one of the first places he learned how to fly, and it's where he taught his sons to love the sport as well. Conrad says unlike some of the bigger cities, Boise is pretty open to drones. In fact, he thinks most locals are excited about them, as he knows first hand from flying and working at ThrustUAV.

His son, Sorrel, has really latched on to flying. He's even beaten Conrad a few times. Sharing the experience of flight is something he cherishes, saying sharing a hobby and passing it on to your children is every parent's dream.

But flying isn't only something he does because his sons like it. He's addicted to speed. Conrad says any time he can prove he's faster than someone else, he's game to try it. As one of the fastest pilots in the world, you'd think he'd have a bit of an ego. Far from it. He says he appreciates what he's been able to do, and attributes it to his ability to relax and the confidence he has in himself, but
certainly doesn't think he's untouchable. Thanks for flying with us, Conrad!

To learn more about all of your favorite drone racing and freestyle pilots, visit www.airvuz.com/user/BehindTheGoggles.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Kendall Mark: ROM racing and FPV freestyle are some of the fastest growing sports in the world. Meet the men and women, behind the goggles, who are changing the way we see our planet. Conrad Miller, AKA Furadi, took us flying around Julia M. Davis [00:00:30] Kleiner Park, just outside of beautiful Boise, Idaho. Conrad Miller: This is actually one of the first places I learned to play. Kendall Mark: Really? Conrad Miller: Yeah, I just like the park, because Boise's kind of a small town, and this is kind of a big, scenic park. So, yeah, when I first started flying, I brought the boys here and we had our little toys, and we were just trying to find a spot where there wasn't a ton of people, and just have fun. Kendall Mark: Unlike some other cities, Conrad says Boise is pretty open to drones. In fact, he says people are really excited them. Conrad Miller: [00:01:00] I think, in that sense, Boise's just laid-back, and people aren't so uptight. Usually, the only time that I get any kind of static is if somebody's walking a dog off-leash, and their dog chases the drone, and that's somehow my fault. Kendall Mark: Conrad's son, [Sorrell 00:01:17], pilot name Zero, is one of the young guns in the FPV circuit. As we figured, sharing the experience of flight together is pretty awesome. What's it like having that bond? Conrad Miller: It's pretty amazing. [00:01:30] That's what parenthood is about, is raising your kids and passing something on to your kids, and being able to share something with your kids. When my boys, he has an older brother named [Kaden 00:01:40], when they were younger, our thing was skateboarding, 'cause I skated as a teenager. Now, I'm too old to skate, and so, when I got into flying, as soon as I could afford it, which was about a year later, I got them into it. Naturally, they love it. If there's a teenage boy that doesn't like drone racing, or flying drones, [00:02:00] I don't know what's up with that. That's kind of weird. Kendall Mark: Do you think that's why kids are pretty good when they get started? Because, they don't have those same anxieties adults have? Conrad Miller: No, I don't. A lot of people think that. A lot of people think that kids don't have any stress, or any concern, or they don't care if they break it, 'cause their [inaudible 00:02:17]. It's not true. If you look at Sorrell, he stresses hard enough to where he's gonna puke sometimes. I think kids do better, just because their brains handle the input that much faster. Kendall Mark: Why did you take up racing instead of freestyle? Because of that [00:02:30] always having to be competitive and race side of you? Conrad Miller: Yeah. I'm always looking for an outlet to be faster than the next person, regardless of what it is. When I was riding motorcycles, I couldn't afford to actually race motorcycles. I did a couple of track days, but we were right at Bogus Basin, which is our local mountain, and we would see who could be the fastest up and down the mountain. Even as foolish as that is, I made it a point to be one of the fastest people in Boise on the mountain. So, drones, [00:03:00] it was just a natural transition, 'cause it's way safer. Kendall Mark: 'Cause you're a dad now and you need to, like ... Conrad Miller: My wife would say that. It's like, when you're doing stuff like that, you don't get scared. It's so zen. You're just in the moment, and you're feeling the controls. It sounds lame, but you're one with the machine, and you're just totally locked in. It's not scary. It's just total, 100% focus. Drone racing is the exact same thing, but [00:03:30] way safer, way cheaper. Yeah, I naturally gravitate towards racing, 'cause I just want to be the fastest guy. Kendall Mark: Conrad is one of the fastest guys in the world. When it comes to qualifying for big events, like Drone Worlds, he doesn't get too worked up. Conrad Miller: To be the top five qualified pilot, that's pretty cool. Kendall Mark: Yeah, it's pretty cool. You say that so casually. Like, I feel like I'd be so geeked out, because I've done so many of these interview, and I've met so many of you guys. It is a really competitive [00:04:00] field. It's fractions of a second, that differentiate everybody, or a random crash, or something goes wrong during the race. It could glitch out, and, you know ... Conrad Miller: Well, like I said, there's self-doubt, but you have to believe that you can do it. Kendall Mark: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Conrad Miller: You have to believe that you can be the best, and that you can beat anyone. 'Cause, if you don't believe that, in some small way, then it's not gonna happen. Like a_nub, he's total confidence, for a reason. And, you have to have that [00:04:30] confidence to be able to perform, or else you'll just psych yourself out.