Our FPV Drone Team Live at the German Television Awards 2026 with Barbara Schöneberger
From camera tool to show element – the drone flies through the audience and surprises the Förderpreis winners
On 9 September 2026 we were at the Deutscher Fernsehpreis (German Television Awards) in Cologne with our new 99-gram live FPV drone – and this time not only behind the scenes, but on stage. The gala was produced by Riverside Entertainment, for the first time at the Confex Center in Cologne, and aired the same evening from 8:15 pm on RTL, hosted by Barbara Schöneberger.
The director’s idea: at one point in the show our FPV pilot Jules Berger and our technician Jonas Winkler stood on stage with Barbara Schöneberger and introduced the new generation of small live drones – our new 99g live FPV drone. They explained to the room why we are allowed to fly over people indoors at all: an enclosed space is not EU airspace. No aviation rules apply there. And why it is particularly safe today: our indoor drones now weigh just 99 grams and have foam prop guards – they do not leave a single scratch. Despite the tiny size, we stream live in 1080p50 and record in 4Kp50 at the same time. Right now this is what gets us booked heavily for sports and music events.
Screenshot
What began as a tech presentation was in fact the set-up for a surprise – the drone took off, flew right through the audience, gave Barbara Schöneberger pictures for a few remarks about the celebrities in the room and finally stopped in front of the young ensemble of “Chabos” – who until that moment had no idea they had won the Förderpreis (the award for young talent) of the Deutscher Fernsehpreis 2026. This year’s Förderpreis was thus presented jointly by Barbara Schöneberger, Jules Berger, Jonas Winkler and a 99-gram drone.
For us this is a special step: after the live openings at the Goldene Henne, “Ein sehr gutes Quiz” and Let’s Dance, this was the first time the drone was part of the staging itself – as a camera that tells a story, and as a tool the host can use to play with the room. As usual we hand the live feed to the OB truck via SDI.
Preparation at the Confex
The day before was the technical rehearsal in the hall: crew position in the studio, radio coverage across the rows of seats, coordination with direction and vision control. For the flight over the audience we agreed a risk assessment in advance with the production’s safety officer, backed by our operational authorisation and aviation insurance. The team, as always, consisted of one FPV pilot and one technician who acts as spotter and keeps line of sight to the drone – that evening both in suits.
A short, heartfelt thank you to Uwe Cornelissen, Executive Producer at Riverside Entertainment, who had the idea of bringing us on stage – and to the whole Riverside team around Marcel Wellner and Luisa Sperling for the trust to make the drone part of the show. And to Barbara Schöneberger, whose timing turned it into a proper number.
Credits
FPV pilot: Jules Berger · FPV technician: Jonas Winkler · Project lead: Mathias Kohl · Production: Marisa Reinhard
Production: Riverside Entertainment for RTL · Host: Barbara Schöneberger · Venue: Confex Center Cologne
