JAKARTA - In the midst of the growing drone trend in Indonesia, a unique community emerged that combines adrenaline, creativity, and exploration of extreme locations. They are the Bando Brothers FPV, a freestyle FPV community known for exploring abandoned buildings as a flying arena.
Unlike the general drone user who focuses on aerial photography or cinematic videography, this community carries the freestyle FPV style - a technique for flying a drone with fast, high-precision, and improvised maneuvers.
Abandoned buildings or often called "bando" (from the origin of the word "abandoned") are a favorite location because they offer unique technical and visual challenges.
Legia, or known as @airwizzard together with Hanip @iflyquad, founder of Bando Brothers FPV explained that the abandoned location provides a "line" or flight path that cannot be found elsewhere. Because exploring using FPV drones inside abandoned buildings with "freestyle" acrobatic maneuvers can also provide a unique experience for both drone enthusiasts and the general audience.
"In the bando everything is unpredictable - broken structures, narrow spaces, to random obstacles. That's what makes freestyle more alive," Legia told VOI, Sunday, April 19, 2026.
In addition to being a means of channeling hobbies, this activity also requires high ability in controlling drones. Risks such as signal interruption, collision, and device damage are common.
However, this community is not arbitrary in choosing a location. They still consider security factors and avoid areas that have the potential to harm others.
"The permit is the main thing. If it is not allowed, we will not fly." continued Legia.
Hanip added, even though flying in a place that has been damaged or abandoned, Bando Brothers FPV still prioritizes safety and also permits (permissions) to the managers or local people around the bando.
The FPV freestyle phenomenon itself has begun to develop rapidly in Indonesia in recent years, along with increasing access to drone devices and the emergence of local communities. Bando Brothers FPV is one of the representatives of this subculture that combines sports, art, technology, and urban exploration.
Not just a hobby, their activities are also often documented in the form of videos uploaded to social media.
The extreme visuals from inside the abandoned building provide their own appeal to the audience, while opening up opportunities for collaboration with various parties, including brands and the creative industry.
In the future, Bando Brothers FPV hopes to continue to develop the community while introducing FPV freestyle to the wider community.
"We want people to know that this is not just playing with drones. It's a combination of skills, creativity, adrenaline and exploration," concluded Hanip.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
