Welcome to the Drone Rush Monthly, our roundup of the best drone news and posts from the last month in the industry. This post duplicates as a newsletter as well. We’ll cover the same content in both the post and the email newsletter, so you can choose how you want to consume it.
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As with most industries at the moment, the drone market is on a bit of a cool down. Make no mistake, there are plenty of companies and institutions that are using drones for good during these difficult times. There are drones out there delivering supplies, monitoring situations, and even spraying disinfectant, but the economic downturn hit hard and fast, consumer drone sales have slowed to a crawl. The up side, folks have more time on their hands to use their hobby drones. Don’t be surprised to see more flights taking off from your neighbor’s back yard.
Drone Remote ID was the talk of the industry last month, the comment period has closed for the FAA’s Remote ID of UAS proposed rule, but you can be sure we’ll be hearing more about this situation as soon the government is back in working order.
If you have extra time on your hands, maybe you’re finally able to dedicate some time to personal development, have you considered working toward your Part 107 certification?
✈ What’s overhead? You already know that you can see live flight data from within apps like Airmap while you are in an active operation. You can also see basic flight data from a few different apps, but our friend Gary, of Gary Explains, decided to build his very own ADS-B receiver for his house. Learn more here
???? Drones under $100 We all have to start somewhere, why not grab a drone under $100 to hone your skills. Don’t forget our lists of best nano drones and best drones for indoors as well. Drones under $100
???? Toy robots Don’t forget there are remote controlled machines out there that do not fly. This list of fun toy robots offers education and entertainment. Stick to the ground
???? Who are you, that do not know your history? Nothing too fancy here, just a list of the most iconic off-the-shelf drones that have made an impact in the last decade. Iconic drones
???? A little philosophy – Is your drone actually autonomous? This is a simple look at the distinction between autonomy and self-piloting, one is fun, the other is kinda scary. What are you talking about?
DJI Mavic Air revisited – still worth it?
| ???? Pros: | ???? Cons: |
| + Stable 4K camera
+ Fun flight features + Reliable + Easy to operate + Great value, if you find a sale |
– Over-priced at full retail price
– Older camera sensor – Not as convenient as the Mavic Mini, not as capable as the Mavic 2 series – Mavic Air 2 is rumored for 2020 launch |
Bottom Line:
The DJI Mavic Air was an instant hit, and for good reason. At launch, it offered a best-in-class camera sensor, and some of the very best flight features in the consumer drone market. The 4K camera was one of the first with 100Mbps data rate, which is credited for providing superior aerial imagery over the competition. Indeed, as a smaller machine with more features, a better camera, and a lower price tag, it was the beginning of the end for the DJI Mavic Pro, which was the king of the market at that time. Since launch, DJI has launched the DJI Mavic Mini, which offers basically the same camera, but at half the price, and the DJI Mavic 2 series, which are more expensive, but have vastly superior cameras. The Mavic Air holds a solid place in between those options, we are happy to recommend it to buyers in that price range, however, if the rumors are accurate and a Mavic Air 2 is coming this year, it would be smart to wait for that.
Revisit our DJI Mavic Air review here
4K over Italy – We all just need an hour of beautiful flight footage some times
???? The team at Nature Relaxation Films has a nearly hour long drone video clip of flights over Italy. Most of us can’t travel right now, some can’t even get outside to fly their drones, and we all are feeling the pressures of the world, toss this on and relax for a few minutes..
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