At just 16 years old, Panayiota Vasiliades has taken the world of First-person view (FPV) drone filmmaking by storm.
Hailing from Earlwood, Sydney, this young talent recently showcased her exceptional skills by capturing the beauty of Cyprus through breathtaking drone footage. From the turquoise waters of the Blue Lagoon in Akamas to the historic charm of the Philippou Yiapanis Art Nest Museum, Panayiota’s work celebrates both her Cypriot heritage and her creative vision.
Her captivating journey has not gone unnoticed. After winning a prestigious GoPro competition and garnering more than 20,000 views on her footage featured by VisitCyprus.com, Panayiota is paving the way for a promising future in drone filmmaking.
Her story is one of passion, innovation, and a deep connection to her roots, inspiring audiences and future filmmakers alike.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m Panayiota Vasiliades and I’m a 16-year-old FPV drone pilot from Sydney. I’ve been flying FPV drones since the start of this year and I really enjoyed being able to showcase my skills in Cyprus. It was very nice to be able to fly there because of my Cypriot heritage and I really loved seeing the joy I brought to my family after they saw Cyprus being showcased in such a beautiful way.
What inspired you to start using FPV drones, and how did you develop such an impressive skill at just 15 years old?
My interest in flying FPV drones started after going to waterfalls with my dad and brother. At one of the waterfalls, we could only get to the top, and I remember thinking it would be cool to have a drone to see the entire waterfall from above.
Not long after, I was scrolling through Instagram and saw a video of a drone diving down a waterfall, filming it in a way I’d never seen before. I started researching and I discovered FPV drones. The more I learned, the more I wanted to give it a try and that’s where it all started. Since then, I have done lots of research and practice to develop my skills to a high level.
Can you share what it was like visiting Cyprus and capturing footage of such iconic locations? Do you have a favourite spot from your journey?
Filming in Cyprus was very fun because there are lots of scenic places all over the country. There were lots of spots that impressed me the most but my top three would have to be Bridge of Love in Ayia Napa, Blue Lagoon in Akamas, and Edro Shipwreck in Paphos.
My highlight of the trip was filming in Philippos Yiapanis Art Nest Museum. It was a really fun, unique place to fly through that really challenged my skills. The full video is available on my YouTube.
Winning the GoPro competition is an incredible achievement! How did you approach the competition, and what do you think set your footage apart?
Honestly, I had no intentions of entering the competition. I filmed my very first FPV video at Gerringong Falls in the Blue Mountains and then about a week later, I discovered the GoPro competition. I entered my video but I didn’t think I would have much of a chance to win. I think what set my footage apart was the stunning location that I filmed at and also because no one else has done an FPV drone shot there.
Your work was featured by VisitCyprus.com and gained significant attention. How did it feel to see your video reach such a wide audience?
Having my footage featured on Visit Cyprus’ social media was awesome. It was nice to know that my videos were helping promote the beauty of Cyprus. Seeing my videos being appreciated by such a large audience was really rewarding and hopefully encourages more people to visit Cyprus.
What was the experience of filming at the Farmakas Village Festival like? Did it hold special significance for you and your family?
Filming my grandfather’s village, Farmakas, during the Farmaka Village Festival was a very cool experience. Having the opportunity to film the community was really nice. Being able to document my family’s story with my FPV drone was really meaningful.
What are your plans for the future? Do you see drone filmmaking as a potential career, or do you have other aspirations as well?
In the future, I hope to pursue drone filmmaking as a full time career, working as a freelance videographer. My goal is to specialise in filming flythroughs for different businesses and venues. This could include restaurants, cinemas, arcades, hotels, concerts, entertainment venues, sports venues, homes for real estate and many more. I’d also love to travel around the world and film some cool cinematic FPV videos of unique places.
 drone filmmaking by storm.){kind=link}