Drone-racing teen is third in the world
Spencer Cannizzaro, left, who only started flying FPV drones a little over two years ago, recently placed third in the MPG International Open. On the podium with him are Yuki Hashimoto of Japan and Thomas Bitmatta of Australia.
Two years and four months ago, Spencer Cannizzaro was a 14-year-old amateur drone racer just starting to spread his wings. On July 2 he stood atop the podium in Muncie, Indiana, having placed third among the world’s fastest quad pilots at the MultiGP International Open.
Cannizzaro, known as “Screecher” in the world of drone racing, competed in the IO in 2021, placing 77th, then rocketed to 13th place in 2022. He chalks it up to two factors: better gear and greater confidence.
“Spencer does have an advantage because he is homeschooled and has a family who supports his passion,” said Clare Cannizzaro, Spencer’s mother. “So he can eat, sleep and breathe racing.”
Clare Cannizzaro said placing third was a huge milestone for her son. “The other three pilots he was racing against were from Denmark, Australia and Japan, so it was an incredible achievement for him to be the only American on the podium.”
To get there, Spencer Cannizzaro had to compete in 10 rounds of qualifying and multiple elimination rounds. Near-perfection is demanded as the drones take off at 100 mph and must move flawlessly through a number of gates while flying against as many as eight other pilots at a time.
Visibility against the daytime skies is difficult, which is why the pilots wear goggles. First-person view goggles are basically portable screens that allow pilots to view the live race video from cameras in their drones.
Gaining the confidence needed to land atop the podium came only recently, according to Cannizzaro. “The mental state really screwed me up for a long time,” he said. “Every race where I took a loss was one move closer to me not caring much at all. I like to say I got unattached. I just got to the mental state of whatever happens, happens.”
In addition to the attitude change, Cannizzaro also needed to get in a lot of practice. The problem was he wasn’t finding many local races in which to participate.
His solution was to start his own MultiGP league chapter, the ECO Quad Racers, and begin holding races. The chapter currently has about 35 members from various parts of Ohio.
Landing a job
Russell Jones, owner of Jones Drones in Cleveland, recalled meeting Cannizzaro at the 2021 Flite Fest in Minerva. “He was orbiting the drone around his head really fast,” Jones said. “I told him, ‘If you work hard and practice, you could be one of the fastest FPV pilots in the world.’ He took that advice to heart, and here we are 2 1/2 years later, and he’s third in the world.”
Jones recently hired Cannizzaro as an intern pilot to help him take cinematic drone footage for his commercial clients. “We’ve done a number of video projects together, and one of them is about to come out. It’s my best work so far, and Spencer flew it,” he said.
On the horizon
Since he started flying, Cannizzaro has hoped to make a career of it. His job at Jones Drones is one step along the journey, but it also can’t hurt that he has rubbed elbows with a number of pilots who are becoming well known in the industry.
“Most of the pilots are personal friends of ours,” Clare Cannizzaro said.
Alex Vanover, who worked on the film “Ambulance,” and Evan Turner, a lead pilot for Beverly Hills Aerials, are just two among many pilot friends.
Jones also seems to have some big plans in store for Spencer Cannizzaro. “I’m 44 years old, and I’ve been in the entertainment industry for 23 years,” Jones said. “I’m looking to make a big shift in my life, and I think Spencer is going to play a big role in that.”
Spencer Cannizzaro has been creating maneuvering videos for an educational program called Drones in School and for the Collegiate Drone Racing Association, that and practicing for future races.
Follow Spencer Cannizzaro on Instagram, where his handle is screecherfpv, or watch him fly on his YouTube channel, Screecher FPV.