And that means we’re always sifting through DJI leaks, reading the tea leaves to see what the next new drone might be capable of and when it might actually come out.

Recently the DJI Neo and the DJI Air 3S have been the hot topic for leaks. And now new leaks have revealed even more about both drones—let’s take a look at everything we know for each one.

Neo Release Date Keeps Changing—But We Know Almost Everything about It

First, drone industry insiders said the DJI Neo was going to come out on August 20. Then it changed to August 29—which would have been just yesterday.

But DJI hadn’t announced any kind of launch for either of those dates, making it clear even at the time that a release was unlikely.

Now we know in no uncertain terms—the Neo will come out next Thursday, September 5.

The Future Takes Shape
September 5, 2024 | 9 AM (EDT)
Get notified https://t.co/lkRTa2dIcv pic.twitter.com/VIvnfCobCn

— DJI (@DJIGlobal) August 29, 2024

It looks like the Neo will be a new kind of selfie drone—new for DJI, anyway.

There’s already a drone out there called the HoverAir X1, which is so similar to the forthcoming Neo that Zero Zero Robotics, the company that makes the HoverAir, has quickly pushed out upgrades to try and get ahead of DJI before its launch.

Credit: Zero Zero Robotics

The HoverAir X1 Pro Max will have an impressive camera—better than the Neo’s—that comes with a 1/1.3″ sensor and 16mm wide-angle lens that can capture 8K video at 30fps in 10-bit HDR.

But one thing the Neo will have that the HoverAir X1 Max won’t is voice control—which is pretty incredible.

In fact, we know almost everything about the Neo’s specs since they were leaked via an Australian website that prematurely published its sales page for the drone.

[1of3] Game over… #DJINEO full promotional description just leaked via an Australian website. Price 299. Will also fly FPV in manual mode. No SD card. Will they announce pre-order tomorrow? Cheers! pic.twitter.com/tizyNGMYxC

— Jasper Ellens | X27 (@JasperEllens) August 19, 2024

Here’s everything we know so far about the Neo:

• Pricing. Set at approximately $299 AUD for the standard bundle, offering competitive value.
• Voice command. Allows for control via voice commands for hands-free operation.
• Battery life. 18 minutes.
• Video quality. Captures 4K video at 30 fps, featuring a half-inch sensor and a single-axis gimbal for stabilization.
• Storage capacity. Offers an impressive 22 GB of internal storage for ample photo and video storage.
• Palm launch. Engineered for automatic takeoffs and landings right from your palm.
• Quickshot modes. Includes photo and video Quickshot modes for rapid captures.
• Phone control. Supports remoteless flight operations using just a smartphone.
• Controller compatibility. Works with the upcoming RC-N3 controller for enhanced control options.
• FPV capabilities. Offers manual flight control in FPV with compatible controllers and goggles for an immersive experience.
• AI tracking. Equipped with advanced AI tracking algorithms to keep subjects in focus.
• Wind resistance. Features Level 4 wind resistance and stabilizes images and videos even in challenging conditions.
• Audio support. Compatible with DJI Mic 2 for clear, rotor-free audio capture.

Want more on the DJI Neo? @Quadro_News has seven—seven!—short videos on its X feed showing off the Neo from someone who was able to get their hands on it early.

Here’s the first one:

First unpacking of DJI Neo. I didn’t take a screenshot, let’s watch the video:) Part 1#dji #djineo pic.twitter.com/8kEGD5lUVb

— Igor Bogdanov (@Quadro_News) August 28, 2024

New Leaks for the DJI Air 3S

The DJI Air 3S had a rocky start on the leak front, with several prominent industry insiders calling out an early leak as fake.

All … Fake pic.twitter.com/jBluD6dmtR

— 航拍世家 打手 (@DealsDrone) May 21, 2024

Since then, several more credible leaks have come out, making it clear that DJI is actually working on an Air 3S.

In one of the most recent leaks, we saw this clear photo of the Air 3S from reliable leaker OsitaLV.

In the picture we can see some highlights of Air3S on that laptop.
14ev dynamic range, optimized for sunset scenario.
Better noise reduction for image taking.
13000×6500 panorama composition on-board. https://t.co/UhBSYRJwMs

— OsitaLV (@OsitaLV) August 21, 2024

In the post, OsitaLV calls out the info on the laptop behind the image of the drone, giving us a short list of specs for the Air 3S:

• Sensor technology. Utilizes a Sony CMOS sensor, likely the IMX320, for high-quality image capture.
• Dynamic range. Offers a 14EV dynamic range, specifically optimized for capturing stunning sunset scenes.
• Noise reduction. Features enhanced noise reduction capabilities to ensure clearer images under various conditions.
• Panorama capability. Capable of composing on-board panoramas with resolutions up to 13000×6500 pixels for expansive scene capture.

@Quadro_News also shared these images of the drone recently:

Sorry DJI Neo, but you will be forgotten today.#dji #djiair3s pic.twitter.com/TX0PNQdvcB

— Igor Bogdanov (@Quadro_News) August 21, 2024

Well…since they showed the Air 3S, I’ll show you the Air 3S.#dji #djiair3s pic.twitter.com/na8aDrYus2

— Igor Bogdanov (@Quadro_News) August 21, 2024

Based on these tweets and other leaks, it looks like we can extrapolate a little more about what we might find in the Air 3S:

• Video quality. Supports 4K video capabilities, allowing for high-resolution video recording.
• HDR modes. Includes High Dynamic Range (HDR) modes to enhance contrast handling in varied lighting conditions.
• ISO sensitivity. Features advanced ISO sensitivity settings, optimizing performance in low-light environments.
• Color and noise. Offers enhanced color reproduction and noise reduction for clearer, more vibrant images.

Unlike the Neo, we don’t yet have a release date for the Air 3S. But given all these leaks, we imagine it will come out before the end of the year.

The post Fresh DJI Neo Leaks Ahead of September 5 Release + Latest Leaked Images of the DJI Air 3S appeared first on UAV Coach.

This month marks UAV Coach’s 10th anniversary.

To celebrate the anniversary, we’ve released a newly updated Drone Pilot Ground School, our test prep course for the FAA’s Part 107 exam.

We’ve completely reimagined the course with:

• Brand new videos
• Virtual flashcards
• Personalized study plans
• Spanish subtitles

And a lot more, which we’ll cover below in this article.

To celebrate the new version of the course, we’re offering $100 off thru August 14th.

Sign up now to get the discount.

Celebrating Ten Years by Doubling Down on Our Commitment to Drone Pilots

When UAV Coach first started in 2014, the FAA’s Part 107 certification didn’t exist. From 2014 to 2016, the only way to operate drones commercially was to obtain a Part 333 exemption.

In 2016, the FAA released the Part 107 rules.

On the same day the rules came out we launched Drone Pilot Ground School, our online test prep course to help drone pilots pass the Part 107 test.

Since then, we’ve trained over 65,000 drone pilots to become Part 107 certified. Our students have over a 99% pass rate on the test, and we’re trusted by nationally recognized organizations like Tesla, the NYPD, and NBC Universal to train their pilots.The journey to get to this point has been incredible. And all of our success has come from you, our students.

That’s why we wanted to celebrate UAV Coach’s 10th anniversary by creating a completely up-to-date version of Drone Pilot Ground School.

[Want to see what the course looks like? See inside one of our lessons!]

The original course was made in 2016, just before the FAA released the Part 107 rules.

After a few years, we felt like we could do better. So we completely redid Drone Pilot Ground School, reshooting videos, creating new lessons to address notes from our students, and making the learning experience more seamless.

Now, we created a completely new, up-to-date version of Drone Pilot Ground School to provide the very best resources for our students—keep reading to learn more about the updates we made.

What’s New in Drone Pilot Ground School

Here’s a closer look at the updates we made in the new version of Drone Pilot Ground School.

NEW Most Updated Industry Content

We guarantee that you will be getting access to the industry’s most up-to-date content so that you can have confidence in passing the FAA exam.

Our videos are NEW as of July 2024, no outdated videos here!

Here’s a look inside the new course:

NEW Personalized Study Plans

Complete the course in one week or spread it out over the course of two weeks or one month. With our study plans, you’ll be able to pace your training to your ideal completion time.

NEW Virtual Flash Cards

Our course now includes digital flash cards to provide even more study tools to help you pass the exam the first time. Guaranteed.

NEW Spanish Subtitles

Although you need to be able to read, speak, write, and understand English to become a certified drone pilot; we now offer Spanish subtitles for more accessible learning.

Ready to become a commercial drone pilot?

Get $100 off the newly updated Drone Pilot Ground School now.

The post Want to Become Part 107 Certified? Get $100 Off Our Newly Updated Test Prep Course, Drone Pilot Ground School appeared first on UAV Coach.

We’re also covering the U.S. Department of Commerce blacklisting Autel, North Carolina’s repeal of its state drone license requirement, DJI’s move into ebikes, and AUVSI’s key takeaways from the FAA Reauthorization bill.

Now let’s get to those links!

July 4th Pyro Drone Light Show

A few weeks back, we covered Sky Elements getting the first authorization from the FAA to launch fireworks from drones—a phenomenon it calls pyro drones—and shared a video of a test the company performed with its new exemption. In this video, Sky Elements puts that permission to use for the first ever public pyro drone display. The show took place to celebrate July 4, featuring a red, white, and blue eagle made of light show drones, which launches fireworks from its wings, making for an incredible spectacle against the backdrop of the night sky.

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Autel Blacklisted by the U.S. Department of Commerce

Credit: Autel

The U.S. Department of Commerce has added Autel Robotics to its entity list, also known as its blacklist. The list contains foreign individuals, companies, and organizations deemed a national security concern. (DJI was added to the list back in 2020.) Being placed on the entity list is not the same as being banned—DJI has continued operating in the U.S. since being placed on the list four years ago. But it will make it harder for Autel to do business in the U.S., requiring the company to jump through more hoops to export its goods. Like DJI, Autel’s addition to the list could signal that it’s the next company to be targeted with bills like the Countering Drones CCP Act, otherwise known as the DJI ban. And that would make sense, given that Autel is the second biggest Chinese drone company operating in the U.S.

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North Carolina Repeals State Drone License Requirement

Image source

North Carolina has repealed its requirement for commercial drone pilots to pass a state knowledge test offered by the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) to obtain a permit and operate there. The reason for the repeal is simple: the rule hurt the economy. By making it harder to operate drones for work in North Carolina than in other states, the rule effectively drove commercial drone pilots into opening businesses elsewhere, or simply choosing not to operate at all. But the repeal wasn’t inevitable. It required hard work from AeroX, a North Carolina-based nonprofit focused on pushing forward drones and advanced air mobility, which dedicated itself to educating lawmakers about the benefits of drones and the importance of advanced drone operations to the state economy.

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DJI Is Getting into—Wait for It—Ebikes

Credit: DJI

DJI just announced that it’s getting into e-bikes. According to the company, this is a natural move since it has developed advanced battery and motor technology to power its drones and the gimbals they carry. DJI’s foray into the ebike world comes in the form of the Avinox Drive System for a new bike company called Amflow. As you might expect, the Avinox system leverages technology typically found in drones and smartphones, including a 2″ color OLED touchscreen that displays things like real-time riding data, setup options, and the bike’s remaining range. The first electric bike to feature the system will be the Amflow PL, an e-MTB (electric mountain bike), which will launch later this year.

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AUVSI’s Top Takeaways from FAA Reauthorization Bill

AUVSI recently shared some insights about the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act, which serves as a roadmap for the agency’s upcoming priorities from now through 2028. The two main areas the Reauthorization Act focuses on are BVLOS  for drones and powered lift aircraft (i.e., large VTOL aircraft like drone taxis and others used for cargo delivery).

Here are the key takeaways:

• Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS). The law requires the FAA to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking within 4 months and a final rule within 16 months that establishes acceptable levels of risk for BVLOS operations and provides an approvals process. The uncrewed systems industry broadly agrees that enabling routine operations BVLOS is critical for high-value uses. Examples include inspections and surveying, package delivery, public safety missions, and disaster response.
• Drone Inspection Grants and Educational Programs. The FAA Reauthorization Act establishes a grant program to support the use of drones when inspecting, repairing, or constructing critical infrastructure. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) will award grants to state, tribal, and local governments to purchase and use drones to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve worker safety. It also directs DOT to establish a grant program for educational institutions conducting UAS workforce training.
• Powered Lift Aircraft. The FAA Reauthorization Act requires the FAA to issue a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) for the operations of powered lift aircraft within seven months, which will help to meaningfully move the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry forward. The law supports type-specific training and qualification for pilots, which will support the safety of early AAM operations.
• AAM Infrastructure. The FAA Reauthorization Act makes clear that existing infrastructure, in concert with new infrastructure, is eligible for grants under the previously established AAM Infrastructure Pilot Program. It also extends the Pilot Program for two years, through 2026.

AUVSI will be hosting a Drone and AAM Symposium later this month focused on the future of the integration of drones and AAM into the national airspace system. The symposium will feature talks on drone regulations, UAS detection and mitigation, infrastructure, and complex operations.

The event will take place from July 30-August 1 in Baltimore. Follow the link below to learn more.

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Make sure to sign up for our free weekly newsletter using the button below so you can get our weekly newsletter every Saturday, with this roundup and our other featured stories from the week.

The post Drone News Roundup: First Pyro Drone Light Show, Autel Blacklisted, and More! appeared first on UAV Coach.

But it’s true—Commercial UAV Expo 2024 is less than two months away!

And this year’s a big one, with the conference celebrating its 10th year, which is practically a century in the fast-moving world of drone technology.

After the drone conference shakeup that happened during COVID, Commercial UAV Expo has emerged as the clear front runner in the world of drone events. These days, it’s one of the biggest, best U.S. commercial drone conferences you can find.

Every year we start getting excited around now because we know the conference is coming up.

In this post, we’re going to share all the reasons we’re excited for Commercial UAV Expo 2024. If you’re on the fence about attending, this post may help you make a decision. And if you already know you’re going, we hope this post will serve to get you pumped.

When and Where Is Commercial UAV Expo 2024?

As it has been for several years, the conference will be held at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, NV. The dates this year are September 3 to 5.

Right now you can get early bird pricing for $300 off. This deal is good until July 19.

Learn more about attending, or keep reading for our nine reasons to attend.

9 Reasons to Attend Commercial UAV Expo 2024

Here are the reasons we’re getting excited for the conference this year.

1. Best-in-Class Technology

The exhibition hall is always one of the best parts of any tech-focused conference. And the hall at Commercial UAV Expo is a standout, because all the heavy hitters in the drone industry are there.

This year, the expo will feature over 300 exhibitors showcasing the latest in commercial UAS technology.

The Elios 3 in flight inside a trailer at Commercial UAV Expo 2022

And if this year is like the last few, you can even fly Flyability’s Elios 3 on the exhibition floor—because they bring in a trailer where they literally let you fly right at the booth. That’s pretty cool.

2. Vertical-Specific Drone Deep Dives

Want to learn more about a specific section of the drone industry? Or learn a little about a lot of different commercial drone applications?

Whether you want to go deep on one application or just get a lay of the land for how drones are being used in work, Commercial UAV Expo is a great place to learn.

The conference program this year will offer talks in five key drone verticals:

• Construction
• Drone Pilot Program
• Energy and Utilities
• Infrastructure and Transportation
• Policy

View the full 2024 conference program.

3. Innovative Hydrogen Track

In addition to the five core tracks above, this year there will again be a track put on by the HYSKY Society.

This event does cost extra. But it’s a really unique offering. The HYSKY Society Hydrogen Aviation Course brings together all pieces of the hydrogen aviation ecosystem: hydrogen production, hydrogen logistics, hydrogen infrastructure, hydrogen fuel cells, and engines, and hydrogen aircraft.

The course offers participants the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge about the latest advancements, technologies, and applications in the field of hydrogen aviation, designed to provide a solid foundation for understanding the principles, challenges, and opportunities associated with hydrogen-powered aircraft.

Learn more about the HYSKY Course.

4. The Keynotes

Commercial UAV Expo 2024 brings in top talent to speak every year, and this year’s shaping up to be no different.

Keynotes are a great opportunity to get personal perspectives from the top thought leaders, visionaries, and innovators in commercial drones operations.

Hear from industry experts about where the drone industry is headed from a regulatory perspective, how AI is impacting drone operations right now, and more.

5. Special Workshops and Events

Every year, Commercial UAV Expo puts on special events in addition to the main lineup of talks and panels.

Here are this year’s top workshops and events:

• Photogrammetric Mapping with UAS—led by ASPRS.
• LiDAR Mapping with UAS—led by ASPRS.
• From Air to Ground: Comprehensive Lidar Mapping Solutions—led by GeoCUE.
• Transforming UAVs into Real-World Mapping and Surveying Solutions—led by Trimble.
• From Drone Data to Survey Deliverable—led by Virtual Surveyor.

Learn more about special workshops and events at the 2024 conference.

6. Almost 4,000 Attendees Anticipated

Last year about 3,750 people attended Commercial UAV Expo. And this year the number may be even higher, if you can believe it.

Pulling people in from over 70 different countries, the event will truly be a global meeting place for all things drone-related.

7. The DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety Summit

Presented by AIRT, the Public Safety Summit is a co-located event that takes place over two days during Commercial UAV Expo.

Credit: DRONERESPONDERS

The Summit features programming designed to educate and prepare first responder UAS program managers and remote pilots at every experience level for public safety UAS operations.

If you work for a public safety agency and have been wanting to get up to speed with how to use drones, this event is a great opportunity to jump start your knowledge for using drones in your work.

Learn more about the Summit here.

8. Networking

Attendees at Commercial UAV Expo this year include people from top drone-related companies, government agencies, and some of the biggest companies in the world.

Where else can you rub shoulders with thousands of people who work with drones?

If you’re looking for work, to hire a drone pilot, to partner with another drone hardware or software company, or just to grow the list of contacts you have in the drone industry, Commercial UAV Expo is a great place to do it.

9. Live Outdoor Flying Demonstrations

Want to see the latest drone technology on display—not just in an exhibit hall, but actually in the air? Commercial UAV Expo’s live demos are the place to do it.

Here’s what Commercial UAV Expo has to say about this year’s live demos:

Leading vendors will demonstrate a range of drone applications. Not only will airframe and sensor capabilities be showcased, but a sophisticated AV set up will allow users to view resulting data sets and processing solutions for the full end-to-end view of the technology. Drone experts will be on-hand to narrate live scenarios and field questions from the audience.

Here are the companies participating in the live demos this year:

• Autel Robotics
• Event 38 Unmanned Systems
• Frontier Precision Unmanned
• ideaForge
• Skyfish

Learn more about this year’s live demos.

Want to Attend Commercial UAV Expo 2024?

Take advantage of early bird pricing, which gets you $300 off from now until July 19. Register here.

Hope to see you there!

The post 9 Reasons to Attend Commercial UAV Expo 2024 appeared first on UAV Coach.

This week we’re covering a hydrofoil powered by a drone—you have to see this to believe it.

We’re also covering a fun FPV freestyle video shot at an active conveyor belt in the desert, a Florida man shooting down a Walmart delivery drone, a drone patent to support off-road driving from General Motors, and a letter from lawmakers asking for proof that DJI is spying to be declassified.

Now on to the links!

Can You Power a Hydrofoil with a Drone?

As YouTuber Daniel Riley of @rctestflight points out at the start of this video a hydrofoil—also called a wakefoil—is basically a small aircraft on a stick. But they’re really unstable, which makes them really hard to ride. Drones are similarly hard to stabilize, a problem that gyroscopes help solve by measuring displacement, allowing the drone’s electronics to correct and stabilize it while in flight. Riley wondered if these same electronics could help stabilize a wakefoil, and he began experimenting with different ways of attaching a drone to one—watch the video to see the results.

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FPV Freestyle at Moving Conveyor Belt—2 Drones Lost!

2019 DRL World Champion and FPV master Alex Vanover met up with a few FPV pilots to do some risky freestyle flying around an active conveyor belt in this fun video from Rotor Riot. They got some amazing shots, including continuous barrel rolls around the moving belt and shots inside the conveyor belt’s metal structure, following the belt as it transported earth. But the footage came at a cost. At 2:14 Vanover loses a drone and at 6:44 Bubby, a Rotor Riot FPV pilot, loses another one. Do you think the footage was worth it? We do. Check out the video to see for yourself.

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Florida Man Shoots Walmart Delivery Drone

A 72-year-old Florida man recently shot a Walmart delivery drone, punching a hole through its payload. The delivery was being made by DroneUp, which has pivoted to focusing exclusively on drone delivery. According to the shooter’s arrest affidavit, a two-person crew from the company was at a delivery point in the Lake County neighborhood conducting a demonstration delivery when the drone was shot. The man faces charges of shooting or throwing a deadly missile into dwellings, vessels, or vehicles; criminal mischief above $1,000; and discharging a firearm in public or on residential property.

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General Motors Off-Road Drone Idea

Credit: General Motors

Imagine you’re off-roading and you get to a pretty wild spot in the road, where you can’t see which route forward is the best one to take. What do you do? You may get out, walk a ways from your truck, and determine the best way on foot. Or maybe you’ll drive forward only to have to reverse and start over. General Motors has a better idea—using a drone to scan the area and choose the best way for you. GM recently patented a system that includes a car dock for a drone, allowing it to deploy so it can scan the road ahead using what it calls AI Scout Drone mode. The AI piece is key. Not only will the drone scout possible off-road routes, it will also collect data like incline, rocks or obstacles, and soil conditions, then process this data using specialized software to give you an informed recommendation for which way to go.

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House Leaders Call for Declassification of DJI Drone Threat Data

Credit: DJI

Despite calls to ban DJI, and a law passed by the House that may actually do it (the law is awaiting a vote from the Senate), the truth is that we’ve never seen proof that DJI is using its drones to spy on the American people. Spying concerns are at the heart of the push to ban DJI, with proponents claiming the company is illicitly sending data its drones collect to the Chinese government. Now, House lawmakers have written an open letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Energy (DOE) asking them to declassify information “relating to potential national security risks posed by” drones from China. DJI has obtained several third party security certifications and paid for several third party security audits, none of which have found proof of its drones sending data to China or anywhere else. It will be interesting to see whether this letter results in the release of actual proof backing up the allegations that have been made against DJI for years—but we’ll be honest, we’re not holding our breath.

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Make sure to sign up for our free weekly newsletter using the button below so you can get our weekly newsletter every Saturday, with this roundup and our other featured stories from the week.

The post Drone News Roundup: Drone-Powered Hydrofoil, FPV Freestyle Flying Around an Active Conveyor Belt, and More! appeared first on UAV Coach.

We’re also covering a webinar we’re hosting on how to build a drone business, a new massive drone light show from Disney, drones and AI protecting people from shark attacks in Australia, a big win for drone pilots in Hollywood, and the appointment of Johan Mlouka as VP of Sales for Voliro.

Now on to the links!

First DJI Mavic 4 Leak

Public beta tester left his #mavic4 on the streets to be caught on video by a bystander. We see a air 3 like design but with a larger camera we recognize from the Mavic 3 pro. Could this be the widely desired 1 inch? I’ll take a long shot: August 1st pic.twitter.com/OikebTGbMK

— Jasper Ellens | X27 (@JasperEllens) June 12, 2024

Drone insider Jasper Ellens seems has gotten his hands on what looks like a snapshot of a Mavic 4 prototype. The drone in the photo seems to have an airframe like the Air 3, but with a larger camera, like the kind we’d expect on a Mavic 3 Pro. If you recall, there was a debunked Air 3S leak a few weeks back—now it’s looking like that leak may have had some truth to it. Ellens predicts an August 1 launch date for the Mavic 4—if that’s right, we’re sure to see a lot more leaks in the coming weeks.

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Webinar: How to Build a Drone Business

Need help starting a drone business? Or already have one, and looking for tips to help it grow? Join us next Friday, June 28 at 3pm ET for a webinar focused on “Drone Business Foundations: The Essential Building Blocks for a Successful Drone Venture.”

• Market opportunities and growth trends in the drone industry
• What you should do post-Part 107 to start your drone business
• How to identify the ideal drone services customer
• Real-world insights from successful drone business coach Eno Umoh

SIGN UP NOW

Disney Debuts 800-Drone Light Show

Disney’s latest drone light show uses an impressive 800 drones to create classic Disney characters in the night sky, including Buzz Lightyear and Peter Pan. Called “Disney Dreams That Soar,” the show features some seriously big creations, including a 213-foot tall Death Star, from Star Wars, and a 328-foot tall Big Ben, from Peter Pan. The show itself spans 524 feet, making it one of the biggest drone light shows on record, both in terms of the number of drones used and in terms of the sheer amount of space covered. “Disney Dreams That Soar” is currently being shown for free at the Disney Springs resort mall district—but you can catch it right here, in this video.

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Drones and AI Help Prevent Shark Attacks in Australia

Credit: Department of Primary Industries

Australia has 100,000 beaches, and most of its population lives near the coast. The country is also a global hotspot for shark attacks—last year, it had 40% of the shark-related deaths in the world, an increase from previous years. To prevent these attacks, the country is turning to drones. At the moment, Australia has the largest coastal drone-surveillance operation in the world. The operation uses drones flown by pilots who can see the UAV, as well as using remotely operated drones and drones that can cover long distances, with the incorporation of AI to automatically spot sharks in aerial footage. The drones are part of a larger effort that includes nets, tracking devices, and new buoys made to identify the presence of sharks in real time.

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Hollywood Drone Pilots Score Major Union Win

Image source

Drone pilots in Hollywood scored a major win recently: They’ll now be covered under union contracts that previously only applied to those working cameras on the ground. The International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600) announced the change recently as the outcome of a dispute with major studios that began over whether specific drone pilots were covered under its contract. Moving forward, union films and T.V. productions made with major studios will have to cover drone camera crews and pay union benefits to drone crew members.

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Johan Mlouka Joins Voliro as VP of Sales

Credit: Voliro

Johan Mlouka, former head of North America and LATAM sales for Flyability, has joined Voliro as its VP of Sales. Mlouka brings with him over a decade of experience working with drones and robotics for inspections. At Flyability, he helped build the company’s market in North America to become the company’s largest in the world, leading the way in establishing the use of drones in inspections throughout the drone industry. Voliro makes drones specifically for outdoor inspections, with a special focus on using drones for ultrasonic thickness (UT) testing. In the new role, Mlouka will oversee global sales efforts for Voliro, with a particular focus on expanding the company’s footprint in the North American market.

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Make sure to sign up for our free weekly newsletter using the button below so you can get our weekly newsletter every Saturday, with this roundup and our other featured stories from the week.

The post Drone News Roundup: First DJI Mavic 4 Leak, Tips for Starting a Drone Business, and More! appeared first on UAV Coach.