FPV Racing Archives - UAV Coach https://horizonap.com/category/fpv-racing/ Drone Training & News Mon, 26 Aug 2024 16:04:41 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Drone News Roundup: FAA Will Release Major BVLOS Rule Next Month, Futuristic Drone Bike, and More! https://horizonap.com/drone-news-roundup-bvlos-rule-deadline/ Thu, 29 Aug 2024 12:00:20 +0000 https://horizonap.com/?p=42607 This week we’re covering what we know so far about the FAA’s new rule on BVLOS, which will be released as a draft next...

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This week we’re covering what we know so far about the FAA’s new rule on BVLOS, which will be released as a draft next month.

We’re also covering a futuristic—but super sketchy-looking—drone bike, a beautiful FPV shot from the Dolomites, experiments with flying a drone inside a moving truck, and Cyberhawk’s nationwide BVLOS waiver.

Now on to the links!

FAA’s BVLOS Rule Will Be Released Next Month

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Image source

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024—the recurring bill that funds the FAA for five years, reauthorizing the agency and setting its goals and priorities—mandated that the FAA draft a BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) rule by September of 2024. This means that we’ll see the new rule next month. Since the FAA released the Part 107 rules back in 2016, flying BVLOS has been a kind of holy grail for the drone industry. The FAA knows this, and it has been testing BVLOS operations for years, most recently in the BEYOND program (which takes its name from the first word in BVLOS).

So far, we know that the FAA’s BVLOS rule will:

  • Establish operating rules for BVLOS operations.
  • Streamline the acceptance process for BVLOS drone ops, replacing the current system of individually applying for waivers or exemptions.
  • Define standards for remote pilots or UAS operators for BVLOS operations.

After the FAA releases the draft rule it will be open for public comment, at which point you can submit your thoughts on the rule to the FAA. Once the public comment window closes the FAA will collect feedback, finalize the rule, and release it. Follow the link below for more information on the rule’s timeline.

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Would You Ride This Drone Bike?

Call me a worry wart, but I don’t see a seatbelt on this thing—though we have to admit, it looks pretty cool. This video was shared to an Instagram account called Upscale Luxury, but riding one of these flying bikes looks more like an extreme sport than a high-end transportation offering. Either way, I guess we’ll have to wait a few more years until we can try one for ourselves, since the post says “drone bicycles coming in 2026.”

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Tricky FPV Flying in the Dolomites

YouTube Video

This short FPV shot was captured by YouTuber SirM Productions in the Dolomite Mountains, a famous mountain range in northeastern Italy. But the video doesn’t just feature stunning natural beauty. It also has some pretty tricky—not to mention gutsy—flying. Against a gorgeous backdrop, the pilot flies across a bridge and then under another one, with the space between the bridge and the water looking like it’s barely big enough to fit the drone. Said one commenter, “At first glance, I thought it’s kinda a video game trailer. Awesome shot and unrealistically beautiful place.”

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What Happens When You Fly a Drone Inside a Moving Truck?

YouTube Video

If you’re standing in the back of a U-Haul, you’ll be pushed backward as the truck accelerates. This happens because of inertia. Newton’s First Law of Motion states that an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion unless acted upon by an external force. Since your body is at rest it wants to stay at rest—until the force of the truck’s movement causes your body to move. But what happens to a drone hovering in the air? Does it also follow Newton’s First Law, or is it more complicated because it’s in the air? Watch this video to find out.

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Cyberhawk Secures Nationwide BVLOS Waiver

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Credit: Cyberhawk

The FAA has granted drone inspection company Cyberhawk a waiver that allows it to operate drones BVLOS without the need for a visual observer—and the waiver applies throughout the U.S. This kind of sweeping BVLOS waiver is rare, and a big win not only for Cyberhawk, but also for the drone industry at large. These kinds of waivers are great for the drone industry because they expand the capabilities of commercial drone ops, opening not only new use cases but also expanding the vision for what drones can do to support work. According to the company, the waiver will “significantly enhance Cyberhawk’s ability to support critical infrastructure sectors, including utilities, oil and gas, and capital projects, with robust high-precision aerial inspections and data analytics.” With the waiver, Cyberhawk anticipates it will be able to increase efficiency, enhance safety, gain greater coverage, and get access to innovative data solutions.

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Drone News Roundup: Beautiful Cinematic Mavic 3 Pro Video, HoverAir Upgrades Selfie Drone ahead of DJI Neo Launch, and More! https://horizonap.com/drone-news-roundup-mavic-3-pro-mountains/ Thu, 22 Aug 2024 12:00:45 +0000 https://horizonap.com/?p=42576 This week we’re covering a beautiful new video shot entirely on the Mavic 3 Pro featuring shots of wildlife and dramatic mountain landscapes. We’re...

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This week we’re covering a beautiful new video shot entirely on the Mavic 3 Pro featuring shots of wildlife and dramatic mountain landscapes.

We’re also covering upgrades to HoverAir’s X1 selfie drone ahead of the competing DJI Neo launch, Walmart ending drone delivery programs in three states, big improvements to Drone as First Responder programs through a new partnership between BRINC and Echodyne, and news about the schedule at Commercial UAV Expo, which is just two weeks away.

Now let’s get to those links!

Rolling Mountains with the Mavic 3 Pro

YouTube Video

Need a moment of zen? Take a few minutes to watch this video expertly shot and edited by YouTuber @genki_drone92‬ entirely on the Mavic 3 Pro. According to the video’s creator, the Mavic 3 Pro’s triple-camera system elevated his entire approach to shooting, allowing him to “capture different viewing angles from the same drone, elevating my creative process to a whole new level.” He went on to say that “the 3 x tele camera was ideal for capturing jockeys, lambs, and cows . . . [and] the 7 x camera was great for shooting wildlife and other animals from farther away.” 

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HoverAir’s Selfie Drone Gets Big Upgrades ahead of DJI Neo Launch

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Leaks about the DJI Neo have been all over the internet recently. Although its exact launch date is unknown, it’s clearly coming soon. And that is probably why the HoverAir X1—a popular selfie drone seen by many as the inspiration for the Neo—may be getting a major upgrade. Zero Zero Robotics, the company that makes the HoverAir X1, has put out two new versions:

  • The HoverAir X1 Pro. Comes with a 1/2″ CMOS sensor and 17mm wide-angle lens, and can capture 4K videos at 60fps.
  • The X1 Pro Max. Comes with a 1/1.3″ sensor and 16mm wide-angle lens, and captures 8K video at 30fps in 10-bit HDR.

When you look at the leaked Neo specs, it looks like these new HoverAir’s will beat the Neo in terms of video resolution. But the Neo has a lot of other compelling features, including voice control—stay tuned for news about its launch.

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Walmart Stops DroneUp Drone Delivery Services in Three States

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Credit: Walmart

Walmart is ending drone delivery programs run by its partner DroneUp in Phoenix, AZ, Salt Lake City, UT, and Tampa, FL. The reason? The programs are just too expensive. At the moment, it costs $30 to make a drone delivery—more than it would cost to use other methods. DroneUp CEO Tom Walker recently said he wants to bring the cost down to $7, which would make it more viable. But for now, three of the delivery programs the company was conducting with Walmart will stop, which means that 18 Walmart delivery hubs will close, resulting in layoffs of 17% of DroneUp’s workforce (70 employees). You may remember that a Florida man recently shot down a DroneUp delivery drone making a test delivery for Walmart in Lake County, FL—apparently that program, which was just getting started, is still active.

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BRINC Partners with Echodyne to Automate DFR Programs

YouTube Video

BRINC and Echodyne are partnering to bring “true BVLOS” to Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs, allowing these programs to operate without the need for visual observers. In a DFR program, a drone is deployed automatically to the scene of a 911 call, giving first responders early and ongoing intel to inform their response to the emergency. Through the partnership, Echodyne’s cutting-edge radar technology will be integrated into BRINC’s DFR solution, which includes the Responder Drone. This addition allows the drone to fly automated DFR missions, enabling automatic grounding or rerouting to avoid air traffic as well as alerting pilots to potential dangers.

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Commercial UAV Expo Is Just Two Weeks Away

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Commercial UAV Expo is just two weeks away! The conference will take place from September 3-5 at Caesar’s Forum in Las Vegas, NV. Register here if you’re not already signed up.

Wondering what the schedule looks like? Here are the broad strokes:

  • September 3: Outdoor flying demonstrations (6:15 AM – 12:00 PM)
  • September 3: Exhibit hall opens (5:30 PM – 7:30 PM)
  • September 4: Full day of keynotes, exhibits, and sessions (8:00 AM – 6:30 PM)
  • September 5: Keynote, exhibits, and sessions continue (8:00 AM – 3:30 PM)

Daily features include exhibit hall hours, theater presentations, and breakout sessions, as well as networking events, including a welcome reception and happy hour. Learn more about the conference and why we’re so excited to attend here.

Planning to attend? We’ll be exhibiting—make sure to come see us at Booth 1226!

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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: Beautiful Cinematic Mavic 3 Pro Video, HoverAir Upgrades Selfie Drone ahead of DJI Neo Launch, and More! appeared first on UAV Coach.

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Drone News Roundup: New Leaks Reveal Launch Date and Enticing New Feature for the DJI Neo, Epic FPV Drone Video of Windy Road in Transylvania, and More! https://horizonap.com/drone-news-roundup-dji-neo-launch-date/ Thu, 15 Aug 2024 12:00:34 +0000 https://horizonap.com/?p=42505 This week we’re covering new leaks that reveal the launch date and an exciting new feature for the DJI Neo. We’re also covering an...

The post Drone News Roundup: New Leaks Reveal Launch Date and Enticing New Feature for the DJI Neo, Epic FPV Drone Video of Windy Road in Transylvania, and More! appeared first on UAV Coach.

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This week we’re covering new leaks that reveal the launch date and an exciting new feature for the DJI Neo.

We’re also covering an FPV drone video of the famous Transfăgărășan road in România, a story about a drone pilot using his Avata 2 to help rescue seven people aboard a sinking ship in Utah, a plan to use heavy lift drones for dangerous work on Mt. Everest, and news that the secret service will increase the use of drones following its failure to prevent the assassination attempt of former president Donald Trump.

Now on to the links!

New Leaks Reveal Launch Date, New Feature for the DJI Neo

A recent post on the DJI subreddit by user stipsVEVO revealed a possible new feature for the DJI Neo: voice control. The post shared a draft webpage for the Neo on the DJI site, which included a reference to the drone having voice control. (The webpage has since been taken down.) As for the launch date, drone insider @Quadro_News shared a list of dates in a recent tweet, which has the Neo coming out on August 20. It also has the Action 5 Pro coming out on August 28. Check out the post linked below to learn more about the DJI Neo.

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Epic FPV Drone Video of the Windy Transfăgărășan Road in Transylvania

YouTube Video

The Transfăgărășan road in Romania is often touted as one of the best roads for sport driving in the world. This drone video from YouTuber Drone Supremacy takes us on an up-close tour of this windy road, making for a video that’s “full of adrenaline, action & of course drones” as its creator put it. The video was shot in just 24 hours and features establishing shots of wildlife and the scenery surrounding the road, which runs through the Fagaras mountains in Transylvania.

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Drone Pilot Helps Rescue People Aboard a Sinking Ship in Utah

YouTube Video

A drone pilot named Stefan Ceciu recently used his drone to help rescue seven people from a sinking boat in Utah. Ceciu had shown up at the Utah Lake to fly his new Avata 2 when he saw first responders from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office gathered at the edge of the water. Ceciu approached emergency personnel to find out if he could fly and they asked about the range of his drone, wondering if he might be able to locate the sinking boat. He quickly put his drone in the air and was able to locate the boat within 15 minutes, sharing the GPS coordinates with police so they could rescue the people, including two toddlers. Unfortunately his drone didn’t make it back—the battery died, and it fell into the lake. Ceciu set up a GoFundMe to replace it, which has already raised almost $2,500, well over the cost of the drone.

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Drones to Help Sherpas on Mt. Everest

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Credit: DJI

Last spring, DJI partnered with authorities in Nepal to test its FlyCart 30 delivery drone for transporting trash and climbing gear on Mt. Everest. After evaluating the results, Nepalese officials have decided to make drones a regular part of the work required to scale Everest. Using drones to haul gear from Camp 1 and Base Camp on the mountain will allow sherpas to avoid life threatening treks through the Khumbu Icefall, where over 50 people have died. Using drones for this work does mean that the work of hauling supplies may diminish for locals, but authorities have pointed out that sherpas will always be needed to guide climbers—jobs that pay more than the grueling work of hauling gear—they just won’t have to do the dangerous work of carrying supplies up the mountain.

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Secret Service Will Increase Use of Drones after Trump Assassination Attempt

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When Thomas Crooks tried to assassinate former president Trump on July 13, the Secret Service didn’t have a drone on site. It’s been reported that they were also offered the use of a drone by local law enforcement to surveil the rally site, and turned it down. But now they’ll start using drones, says Ronald Rowe, the new Secret Service director. According to a recent statement from Rowe, “We should have had better coverage on that roofline”—and a drone could have provided that coverage. Going forward, the Secret Service plans to use drones for surveillance, both before and during major public events like the rally in Butler, PA where the assassination attempt took place. Crooks did use a drone to surveil the site before he attempted to assassinate Trump, presumably using the drone’s live feed to find the best place for him to try and take his shot.

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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: New Leaks Reveal Launch Date and Enticing New Feature for the DJI Neo, Epic FPV Drone Video of Windy Road in Transylvania, and More! appeared first on UAV Coach.

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Want to Become Part 107 Certified? Get $100 Off Our Newly Updated Test Prep Course, Drone Pilot Ground School https://horizonap.com/drone-pilot-ground-school-update/ Wed, 24 Jul 2024 12:00:51 +0000 https://horizonap.com/?p=42310 UAV Coach is marking its 10th Anniversary by launching a completely up-to-date version of Drone Pilot Ground School, its flagship test prep course for...

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UAV Coach is marking its 10th Anniversary by launching a completely up-to-date version of Drone Pilot Ground School, its flagship test prep course for the FAA’s Part 107 test.

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.

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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.drone-pilot-ground-school-answer-keyThe 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:

YouTube Video

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Drone News Roundup: Shooting Fireworks from Drones, Pro Wrestler Drone Shot Planned for Over a Year, and More! https://horizonap.com/drone-news-roundup-fireworks-from-drones/ Thu, 06 Jun 2024 12:00:03 +0000 https://horizonap.com/?p=41583 This week we’re covering a light show featuring drones with fireworks attached to them—with FAA approval, no less. We’re also covering a pro wrestling...

The post Drone News Roundup: Shooting Fireworks from Drones, Pro Wrestler Drone Shot Planned for Over a Year, and More! appeared first on UAV Coach.

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This week we’re covering a light show featuring drones with fireworks attached to them—with FAA approval, no less.

We’re also covering a pro wrestling drone shot that was over a year in the making, raffles for the Avata 2 and other drones happening right now, a firmware update that adds 4K/100fps slo-mo to the Avata 2, and the addition of the Skydio X10D to the Pentagon’s Blue UAS list.

Now on to the links!

Launching Fireworks from Drones

YouTube Video

Sky Elements has become the first U.S. drone light show company to get FAA approval to launch fireworks from drones. Didn’t know this was a thing? Neither did we until we saw this video. Watch the clip above to see 300 light show drones in flight over Sky Element’s test field, forming a bald eagle in red, white, and blue. Then, fireworks explode from the eagle’s wings in tandem. Sky Elements is calling this new phenomenon a “pyro drone show”—whatever you call it, it’s definitely a sight worth seeing.

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Pro Wrestler Drone Shot Was Over a Year in the Making

It might look simple, but pro wrestler Logan Paul says he’s been thinking of this short drone shot of him doing what those in the industry call a Frog Splash through a table for over a year. And he’s got receipts. Text messages, that is, showing him proposing the idea of getting this kind of shot, which he sent back in May of 2023. The drone shot was taken at WWE King and Queen of the Ring, where Logan Paul showed up to challenge fellow wrestler Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship.

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Want a Free Drone? Take the Drone Industry Insights Survey for a Chance to Win an Avata 2

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The Avata 2 | Credit: DJI

Want an Avata 2? How about a DJI Air 3 or a Teledyne FLIR SIRAS? All three are up for grabs right now via a contest and two different raffles—see the details below.

Quick callout: The DroneII survey is short and the data it provides is really helpful to all of us in the drone industry. If you can take just 10 minutes to fill it out, not only will you be entered to win an Avata 2—which alone makes it worth doing!—but you’ll also be participating in the creation of one of the most important barometers for the drone industry out there.

In addition to an Avata 2, survey respondents can win tickets to Commercial UAV Expo, Amsterdam Drone Week, and several other major drone events. And when you take the survey you’ll automatically get a free copy of the resulting report, which DroneII otherwise sells for thousands of dollars.

Here are three chances for you to win a free drone right now:

1. Drone Industry Insights (DroneII) 2024 Survey

  • Prize: DJI Avata 2, tickets to major drone events like Commercial UAV Expo + every survey respondent gets a free copy of DroneII’s 2024 Drone Industry Barometer Report
  • How to enter: Take the survey (8-15 minutes) and you’ll automatically be entered in the raffle
  • Deadline: No deadline posted, so we recommend taking the survey soon!

Learn more and enter here.

2. #DecadeWithDJI Contest

  • Prizes: DJI Air 3, DJI Mic 2, Osmo Mobile 6 (for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place) + DJI swag for places 4-10
  • How to enter: Either upload a video or photo with a caption directly on the campaign page (under 1 GB) or post your video on Instagram or TikTok with the hashtag #DecadeWithDJI and tag @djiglobal
  • Deadline: June 18, 2024

Learn more and enter here.

3. Teledyne FLIR’s SIRAS Giveaway

  • Prize: SIRAS standard bundle
  • How to enter: Fill out the short form on the page linked below and you’ll be entered in the raffle
  • Deadline: June 30, 2024

Learn more and enter here.

TAKE THE DRONEII SURVEY


4K/100fps Slo-Mo for DJI Avata 2 with Latest Firmware Update

YouTube Video

The latest firmware update for the DJI Avata 2 adds 4K/100fps Slo-Mo to the drone. Here’s what DJI has to say about the update: “4K UHD clarity captures vivid details, while the 100fps frame rate ensures a more delicate and smooth viewing experience . . . Use 10-bit D-Log M color mode to enhance the dynamic range of the video.”

The update also makes the Avata 2 compatible with the DJI Goggles 2, DJI Goggles Integra, and DJI FPV Remote Controller 2. In addition, updates for the DJI RC Motion 2 and DJI FPV Remote Controller 2 now allow them to support easy acrobatics on the Avata 2. Follow the link below for more on the Avata 2 firmware update.

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Skydio X10D Achieves Blue UAS Designation

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Credit: Skydio

Skydio’s X10D has been added to the Pentagon’s Blue UAS list. Skydio’s X2D is already on the list, so this is the second Skydio drone to be included in the elite group of drones approved for use by the federal government. Skydio’s X10D is a version of the X10, the company’s latest enterprise drone, which is made specifically for defense applications. It comes equipped for night operations, with a 48MP telephoto camera “capable of recognizing a person from 2,400 ft away and a vehicle from 6,500 ft away.” It’s also the first drone to carry the Teledyne FLIR Boson+ sensor, providing users with thermal data to further support night ops.

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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: Shooting Fireworks from Drones, Pro Wrestler Drone Shot Planned for Over a Year, and More! appeared first on UAV Coach.

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Drone News Roundup: Leaked DJI Air 3S, How Anzu Robotics’ Mavic 3 Licensing Agreement Works, and More! https://horizonap.com/drone-news-roundup-leaked-air-3s/ Thu, 30 May 2024 12:00:38 +0000 https://horizonap.com/?p=41542 This week we’re covering a recent leak of the DJI Air 3S, which seems sketchy at best. We’re also covering the details of Anzu...

The post Drone News Roundup: Leaked DJI Air 3S, How Anzu Robotics’ Mavic 3 Licensing Agreement Works, and More! appeared first on UAV Coach.

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This week we’re covering a recent leak of the DJI Air 3S, which seems sketchy at best.

We’re also covering the details of Anzu Robotics’ licensing deal with DJI, a video featuring insanely fast white-knuckle FPV flying, an unofficial—but extremely impressive—record for fastest drone in the world, and the NYPD’s new DFR (Drone as First Responder) program to respond to gunshots and other types of crime by drone.

Now let’s get to those links!

Leaked DJI Air 3S?

The drone industry thrives on DJI leaks. There’s a group of insiders who post reliable leaks ahead of any DJI launch—so reliable that we’ve come to expect pictures, videos, and even full specs well ahead of any official launch. But this one for the Air 3S, which shows it carrying a payload similar to the one on the Mavic 3 Pro, seems to be bogus.

The pictures above came from a Chinese account called SBDJI, and another tweet that came out around the same time claimed to show batteries from the Mavic 4, Air 4, and Air 3S. But none of these drones seem to be actually in the works. The good news? All those leakers we’ve come to rely on quickly rallied to call these out as fake. Based on this pressure test, it seems reasonable to think we can continue relying on our DJI leak machine.

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How Anzu Robotics’ DJI Mavic 3 Licensing Agreement Works

anzu-robotics-licensing-agreement
Credit: Anzu Robotics

Since launching its first drone about a month ago, Anzu Robotics has been generating a ton of buzz in the drone industry. The company’s flagship drone is the Raptor, which is basically a DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise built outside of China, using non-Chinese components. (The Raptor also has a thermal version, the Raptor T.)

To be clear, we’re not saying the Raptor is made to compete with the Mavic 3—but that it’s almost an exact clone of the Mavic 3. This is possible because Anzu Robotics has a licensing agreement with DJI. A recent article from Anzu Robotics explains that the licensing agreement allows the company to leverage DJI’s drone technology expertise in a way that’s free from the supply chain concerns that surround DJI drones themselves. Specifically, Anzu’s drones and components are made in Malaysia, not China, and their data is secured by U.S.-based Aloft. Read the article linked below for more on how Anzu Robotics has threaded the supply chain needle to make what is essentially an NDAA-compliant DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise.

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Insanely Skilled High-Speed FPV Flying

YouTube Video

Goodness gracious! The speed, the precision—not to mention the guts—that this kind of flying requires is truly impressive. This short video shared by the Drone Racing League featuring insanely fast FPV flying has racked up over 7,500 comments so far on YouTube. Take a moment to watch it all the way through and you’ll see why.

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The Unofficial Fastest Drone in the World

YouTube Video

The official Guinness World Record for fastest drone in the world comes in at 224 mph. But this video featuring a drone made by YouTuber Luke Maximo Bell shows him flying up to 298.47 mph, with the drone reaching an incredible 317 mph at its fastest—much faster than the Red Bull drone made to fly alongside F1 race cars (that drone goes up to about 185 mph).

Bell has made a name for himself by tinkering with drones and cameras to create new, brilliant creations, and this isn’t his first foray into making super-fast drones—he’s actually been building them for a while now. Watch the video to see how his high speed drone works, including footage of Bell’s record-breaking flight. (Note: To receive a Guinness World Record you have to have a Guinness official present, which Bell didn’t—but Bell’s achievement here is very impressive nonetheless.)

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NYPD Announces New DFR (Drone as First Responder) Program

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Credit: NYPD

The NYPD is launching a DFR (Drone as First Responder) program that will deploy drones automatically to the scene of shootings and other types of 911 calls. The drones will also go to any location where gunshots are detected by a system called ShotSpotter, which uses audio from microphones mounted throughout an area to identify shootings as they’re happening. In DFR programs, drones fly immediately to emergency scenes, providing first responders en route with crucial data about what’s happening there so they can do things like avoid being ambushed, follow suspects, and make determinations about whether an officer is needed at the scene at all.

For now, the NYPD DFR program will extend to five precincts—three in Brooklyn, one in the Bronx, and one that covers Central Park. Two drones will be located on the roofs of each precinct station house, with the pilot located remotely at the NYPD Joint Operations Center at NYPD headquarters in lower Manhattan.

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