Featured News

Chris Fravel

21 June 2024
In this episode...
The Droning Company's <a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/news/categories/chris-fravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Fravel </a>and <a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/news/categories/sam-karp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sam Karp</a> take a deep dive on two leading action cameras for FPV pilots: the <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://amzn.to/3xqY9Os" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DJI Osmo Action 4</a> and the <a href="https://amzn.to/3xqDTMZ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoPro Hero 12 Black</a>. 
<h5>Watch</h5>
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New Episode of FPVlogs is Live!

Trending News

21 February 2024
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/AlWQtwlBgXSSU38W7fL2o2k5LQ7avKuzNgzmEMk4.png" alt="" width="112" height="112" />
By Chris Fravel,&nbsp;The Droning Company
You may be having some difficulty wrapping your head around what is going on with DJI, Autel, and other Chinese drone and drone part manufacturers as H.R. 2864 threatens to ban their products in the United States. 
The fact is&mdash;none of this is easy to navigate.&nbsp;
DJI accounts for nearly 77 percent of the drone market across consumer, prosumer, and enterprise verticals. DJI is also responsible for setting the standard for what pilots and end-users expect from a drone&mdash;from its materials, to the way it performs, to the software designed to fly it. 
Autel&mdash;widely regarded as a high-performance-level alternative to DJI&mdash;accounts for 15 percent of the drone market across those same verticals. 
The remaining 8 percent is everyone else scrapping for crumbs.
While the numbers might seem like they only reflect sales and drone ownership, they actually tell us a much more meaningful story: DJI and Autel have set the bar for the rest of the market.
The two Chinese drone manufacturers deliver a consistent, quality experience that allows users to be as efficient and effective as possible when integrating UAV technology into their workflow. These drones save lives, collect data, and allow us to view the world around us through a lens that no one else can offer. They are the best in the game.&nbsp;
Not that DJI's market share and excellence in quality, efficiency, manufacturing, and scaling have afforded the company much protection in the United States business and political arenas.
A Timeline of Anti-DJI Actions
Here are our own government&rsquo;s attempts at metaphorically knee-capping Chinese drone technology in the name of national security.
2019 
United States Congress banned the purchase and use of Chinese drone technology and drone components by the Pentagon.
2020
DJI formally included on the United States Department of Commerce&rsquo;s Entity List, which essentially places export restrictions on foreign parties listed.
2021
An executive order passed by the Trump Administration stated that foreign-made drones may allow sensitive data transferred out of the country. The order was followed by Federal lawmakers warning that Chinese drones are stealing American data.
2022
The United States Department of Defense formally blacklists DJI and identifies the drone manufacturer as a &ldquo;Chinese military company&rdquo; that poses a significant risk to national security.
2023
States such as Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee have banned Chinese drones for use in state and state-funded projects because of national security concerns.
Additionally, House Bill 2864 is brought to the congressional table for discussion and aims to ban the use of DJI drones in the United States outright&mdash;by both private interests and government entities. This would be accomplished by working through Federal Communications Commission (FCC) channels to ban the use of DJI communication systems on American soil.
The American Security Drone Act is also voted into law which bans the procurement and use of unmanned aircraft systems that are manufactured or assembled by certain foreign entities by Federal agencies and private interests working in conjunction with Federal agencies.&nbsp;
2024
The countdown begins for the enactment of the American Security Drone Act of 2023 and impacted agencies are put on notice to begin figuring out a plan for transitioning away from Chinese drones, which will become effectively bricked for them starting in 2026.
Meanwhile, the provisions of House Bill 2864 may threaten an outright ban of DJI systems blacklisted by the FCC&mdash;effectively bricking DJI drones for everyone on American soil.
<h5>Lobbying Efforts</h5>
Private interests lobbying for their benefit in U.S. politics is nothing new for average Americans to digest. But why would some companies lobby the United States government to remove the largest and most effective drone manufacturer from our markets? Who is influencing the government to make such a decision? 
Here is a list of three major American UAV-oriented entities that are injecting money into lobbying efforts.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Skydio | $560,000 (2023) <a style="color: #e03e2d;" href="https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/clients/summary?cycle=2022&amp;id=D000086902">(</a><a style="color: #e03e2d;" href="https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/clients/summary?cycle=2022&amp;id=D000086902">Click Here to Learn More)</a></li>
<li>BRINC | $240,000 (2023) <a style="color: #e03e2d;" href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/brinc-drones/lobbying?id=D000107542">(</a><a style="color: #e03e2d;" href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/brinc-drones/lobbying?id=D000107542">Click Here to Learn More)</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">AUVSI | $24,500 (2022 via PAC Donations to Federal Candidates) (<a style="color: #e03e2d;" href="https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/association-for-unmanned-vehicle-systems-intl/C00588509/summary/2022">Click Here to Learn More)</a></li>
</ul>
*All data on lobbying and PAC donations by above companies provided by <a style="color: #e03e2d;" href="https://www.opensecrets.org/">OpenSecrets</a> via the Senate Department of Public Record and/or the Federal Election Commission, respectively.
While we don't know precisely what the lobbying efforts of the above companies entail regarding DJI, Autel, and other Chinese drone makers, we can peek at their public business records.&nbsp;
Skydio effectively tapped-out of the consumer and prosumer space. The company's Skydio 2 drone fell further and further behind DJI and Autel innovation, while DJI produced a competitive drone with a near-equivalent autonomous flight system and a 4/3 CMOS sensor that produced best-in-class camera performance. Even DJI&rsquo;s entry-level drone&mdash;the Mini 4 Pro&mdash;s capable of producing imagery that, when paired with the right processing software, can generate maps and models nearly equivalent in quality to those delivered by Skydio 2. 
AUVSI&rsquo;s Exponential drone trade show <a href="https://dronexl.co/2023/05/10/dji-prohibited-auvsi-xponential-2023/">denied participation from DJI in any official capacity,</a> and the absence of the drone giant was the elephant in the showroom. (DJI counter-punched by co-sponsoring the booths of a handful of their partner companies, including Multicopter Warehouse, DSLR Pros, Drone Nerds, and others.&nbsp; 
BRINC Drones had largely been keeping its collective nose to the grindstone and working to perfect its LEMUR platform for use by emergency-response personnel around the world. BRINC entered the lobbyist circle in 2023, and according to Senate Office of Public Records data provided OpenSecrets, <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/brinc-drones/lobbying?id=D000107542">BRINC spent around $240,000 in government lobbying efforts last year</a>. This happened the year after DJI released the Matrice 30T&mdash;a drone offering public-safety features that overlapped with those included on the original LEMUR. 
<h5>Other Potential Actions Besides Bans and Lobbyists</h5>
In a perfect world, I would be elated to see American drone manufacturers kicking as much ass as Chinese drones. But we have to acknowledge we've lost the draw in the world of drones. But rather than ban Chinese drones, why not help&nbsp;bolster competitiveness from American and western-based drone manufacturers without taking the entire industry out at the knees?
For example...
&bull; Create a subsidization fund for American drone manufacturers to support not only the development of UAV platforms and products, but to help assist in the scaling process to ensure steady and comfortable growth. This will hopefully empower American companies to establish a level of consistency in their product offerings, as well as their availability to consumers, corporations, and government agencies.
 &bull; Rather than trying to pass a resolution as to whether DJI, Autel, and other Chinese manufacturers should be allowed to sell drones in the United States, why not launch an investigation to seek out tangible evidence that Chinese drones are sharing sensitive data with the Chinese government? Such an investigation might put to bed the entire debate, as well as allow us to move forward with clarity when it comes to the involvement of Chinese technology in our domestic affairs.
&bull; Establish a reverse-engineering program that allows DJI and Autel drones to be screened before being sold to American consumers, companies, and agencies. Such a program&mdash;while exposing Chinese IP to prying eyes&mdash;could bring peace-of-mind regarding national security.&nbsp;
Summing Up
I won&rsquo;t pretend that I know best. I&rsquo;m just a guy who loves drones and has exerted the blood, sweat, and tears to make them his livelihood. However, the anti-Chinese sentiment in the world of drones has me absolutely disgusted&mdash;not only with the lack of foresight on the part of our industry leaders, but the blatant disregard being shown by politicians for one of the fastest growing economies in our country&mdash;UAV technology.
Don't like what you're hearing? 
Click <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://droneadvocacyalliance.com/about/">here</a> to sign The Drone Advocacy Alliance petition to let your representative know how you feel.
Read <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/blog/opinion-the-argument-against-banning-chinese-drones" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OPINION: THE ARGUMENT AGAINST BANNING CHINESE DRONES </a>by The Droning Company CEO Stuart Smith.
The Droning Company&nbsp;has recognized the political threat brewing in the United States that is possibly going to disastrously effect over 90% of the drone pilots in the country unless it is stopped and it is based on misinformation, fear mongering, greed, ignorance, shady backroom deals, and outright lies.
It is for this reason that Jon McBride, Stuart Smith, and Chris Fravel from The Droning Company have joined forces with Greg Reverdiau of Pilot Institute, Vic Moss of the Drone Service Providers Alliance to bring you a series of articles within their respective disciplines to shine a light on the problem and to let you know what steps, you personally, can do to help avert it.
Join us in the coming days to see what each of these well-respected experts and leaders have to say about this issue.

Background and Lobbying Efforts Against DJI

Product News

07 February 2024
On this episode of GEAR CHECK, we're checking recapping our month-long experience with the <a href="https://www.flir.com/products/siras/?vertical=suas&amp;segment=oem" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Teledyne FLIR SIRAS</a> thermal drone.
Touted as a premier search-and-rescue and thermographic inspection drone, the SIRAS comes into the spotlight with an impressive spec sheet and a ton of potential.
&nbsp;Will it live up to the hype? Or does it have some work to do before it takes the world by storm?
<h5 class="x_MsoNormal">Find Out on this Episode of GEAR CHECK</h5>
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GEAR CHECK: Teledyne FLIR SIRAS

02 January 2024
By Chris Fravel
On this episode of GEAR CHECK, we're digging into the <a href="https://thehover.com/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=US-Search-Brand&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiAhc-sBhCEARIsAOVwHuTOV1iYvTiduH5HmL60U_WGlguMPHGjCfxRpdjf5nXhdFS7ijSGSAMaAhLeEALw_wcB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HOVERAir X1</a> drone, which is billed as a fully-autonomous, flying selfie camera.
Capable of 2.7K video and a variety of intelligent flight modes, this little drone packs a powerful punch.
The question is&mdash;Does the HOVERAir X1 live up to its billing, or is it just another gimmick product taking advantage of venture capital to make a quick buck?
There&rsquo;s only one way to find out... GEAR CHECK!
<iframe style="width: 668px; height: 376px;" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BHTOQzdxKSE?si=ni4SZu3AfwpPaznC" width="668" height="376" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

GEAR CHECK: HOVERAir X1 Reviewed

16 November 2023
<a href="https://www.warren.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Warren County Community College</a> has one of the nation's leading unmanned systems curriculums in the form of its WarrenUAS program. Overseen by the brilliant mind of Dr. Will Austin, WarrenUAS is empowering drone pilots with new knowledge and skills to be utilized in the field and is also responsible for training the next generation of drone pilots.
On paper, WarrenUAS throws down with the best programs in the world, but does it really live up to the hype?&nbsp;
Let's find out on this episode of Drones on the Road.
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Drones on the Road: WarrenUAS

17 July 2023
By Chris &ldquo;<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheDroneGeek" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Drone Geek</a>&rdquo; Fravel
Here we are at roughly the mid-way point of 2023 and the number of drones being sold globally continues to climb at a rapid pace. People the world-over are taking more interest in remote aircraft and flying them for a variety of reasons, ranging from photography and video to mapping and thermography.
No matter what your&nbsp;why&nbsp;is though, we all start in one of two categories of drone pilots. We either start by flying GPS drones like those made famous by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dji.com/">DJI</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://shop.autelrobotics.com/?ref=TodAxbE3FiMGn">Autel</a>&nbsp;or we start by flying FPV drones. Whether or not those two worlds cross over in the future is entirely up to the journey of the individual pilot, but it is fair to say you either start as one or the other more often than not.
Today I am going to talk to those looking to start in the GPS category of drone pilots. We will cover great beginner options for FPV drones in an article to come in the near future.
By the end of this article though, I will have introduced you to a few GPS drone platforms on which a novice pilot may easily cut their teeth in 2023.
<h5>What Is a GPS Drone and What Does It Do?</h5>
A GPS drone is broadly defined as a drone that uses GPS positioning to hold its spot in its airspace in all three dimensions. Many of these drones also have the ability to return to its launch point when signal is lost between the operator and the drone or when the battery level becomes critically low.
While I do not like to over-generalize, GPS drones are more often better for beginners to learn on when it comes to minimizing crashes and out-of-pocket expense compared to FPV drones because of these positioning capabilities.
In theory (best not in practice) an operator can put their drone&rsquo;s controller down and walk away from it and the drone will hold its position in the air until it is time to land due to low battery.
All of this said, here are my top-5 choices for GPS drones for beginners in 2023:
<h5>#5 </h5>
<h5>DJI Mini 2 SE</h5>
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/oB2n7GNllxTsoFs5e0Gj6y8bGQ7AIVbt41gQ6cnn.png" alt="" width="456" height="184" />
<table style="height: 282px; width: 67.7148%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50.0078%;" width="312">
Camera Sensor: 1/2.3&Prime; CMOS | 12MP
&nbsp;
Max Video Resolution: 2.7K at 30fps
&nbsp;
Photo Formats: JPEG &amp; DNG (RAW)
</td>
<td style="width: 50.0078%;" width="312">
Video Bitrate: 40 Mbps
&nbsp;
Operating Range: 10 KM (6.2 Miles)
&nbsp;
Maximum Flight Time: 31 Minutes
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
When you are eyeing up options for your entry-level GPS drone, the&nbsp;<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://store.dji.com/product/dji-mini-2-se?site=brandsite&amp;from=landing_page&amp;vid=132621" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DJI MIni 2 SE</a>&nbsp;is a great compromise of capability and cost. While not the most advanced or high-performing drone on this list, it certainly is economical coming in at just $339 for the drone, the controller, one battery, and a handful of helpful basic accessories.
As the saying goes though, &ldquo;you get what you pay for,&rdquo; and it rings true in the case of the Mini 2 SE. It has the lowest video resolution of all the options on our list at 2.7K and also lacks an obstacle avoidance system outside of its downward landing sensors.
Aside from those two major drawbacks, the DJI Mini 2 SE has all of the same capabilities of its predecessor the DJI Mini 2. The Mini 2 SE was designed to cannibalize parts DJI had in-stock from the production of the Mini 2, but at a lower price-point for consumers.
Do not let the &ldquo;Frankendrone&rdquo; nature of the Mini 2 SE deter you from purchasing it! It&rsquo;s an impressive and capable little machine that will make for a great entry-level drone for any beginner of at any range of skill.
<h5>#4 </h5>
<h5>DJI Mini 2</h5>
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/b86fWNQAicyxGj5gHCOToS8OTWihvVukqLVezd41.png" alt="" width="457" height="179" />
<table style="height: 239px; width: 71.3532%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50.006%;" width="312">
Camera Sensor: 1/2.3&Prime; CMOS | 12MP
&nbsp;
Max Video Resolution: 4K at 30fps
&nbsp;
Photo Formats: JPEG &amp; DNG (RAW)
</td>
<td style="width: 50.006%;" width="312">
Video Bitrate: 100 Mbps
&nbsp;
Operating Range: 10 KM (6.2 Miles)
&nbsp;
Maximum Flight Time: 31 Minutes
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.dji.com/mini-2?site=brandsite&amp;from=landing_page" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The DJI Mini 2</a>&nbsp;is one of the best mini drone platforms on the market today and it has been out for years. When it first hit shelves, it was the drone everyone wanted the original Mavic Mini to be, touting a maximum video resolution of 4K and with the ability to shoot RAW photos.
The only place the Mini 2 falls short is in its less than spectacular sensor size (for today&rsquo;s market anyway), its lack of obstacle avoidance sensors, and its inability to shoot in D-Cinelike. It is rather rigid and inflexible in its camera capabilities as a whole, but hey, it still shoots 4K which will leave a lot of content creators and entry-level drone enthusiasts totally satisfied.
The DJI Mini 2 drone is no longer available on the DJI website, but if you dig enough you can still find them for sale on third-party sites for around $400. If you are comfortable purchasing drones second-hand, you could possibly find it for even less.
<h5>#3</h5>
<h5>Autel EVO Nano+</h5>
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/1yGzLfzVam85jSmn46IJFxuvamFUjPxJV70CNpV9.png" alt="" width="457" height="168" />
<table style="height: 255px; width: 68.9276%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50.006%;" width="312">
Camera Sensor: 1/1.8&Prime; CMOS | 50MP
&nbsp;
Max Video Resolution: 4K at 30fps
&nbsp;
Photo Formats: JPG &amp; DNG (RAW)
</td>
<td style="width: 50.006%;" width="312">
Video Bitrate: 100 Mbps
&nbsp;
Operating Range: 10 KM (6.2 Miles)
&nbsp;
Maximum Flight Time: 28 Minutes
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
The only drone&nbsp;NOT&nbsp;made by DJI on our list, the&nbsp;<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.autelpilot.com/products/autel-robotics-evo-nano-plus-drone-premium-bundle?ref=TodAxbE3FiMGn&amp;variant=39550210703406" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Autel EVO Nano+</a>&nbsp;is a hearty little mini drone that packs a ton of punch. I actually had the privilege of conducting a full-scale review on this drone on my YouTube channel, you can check it out by clicking here.
The only place the Nano+ falls short compared to the number 4 and 5 drones on our list is in flight time. The marketed flight time is just 28 minutes, which really translates to 20 to 24 minutes in real world conditions.
Overall the Nano+ is an extremely capable drone with a larger sensor than the first two entries on our list, which allows for more detailed and sharp images off the camera as well as fantastic performance in low-light conditions for a drone of this size.
Not to mention it is the first drone on this list that offers tri-directional obstacle avoidance sensors (front, back, and bottom). This obstacle avoidance system will help to prevent crashes in some of the tightest airspaces you can imagine.
<h5>#2</h5>
<h5>DJI Mini 3 Pro</h5>
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/WOPmoVCZhqNyGjNCNAK8kE9H83OFEztFMj2gYc9y.png" alt="" width="463" height="304" />
<table style="height: 237px; width: 68.2201%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50.006%;" width="312">
Camera Sensor: 1/1.3&Prime; CMOS | 48MP
&nbsp;
Max Video Resolution: 4K at 60fps
&nbsp;
Photo Formats: JPG &amp; DNG (RAW)
</td>
<td style="width: 50.006%;" width="312">
Video Bitrate: 150 Mbps
&nbsp;
Operating Range: 12 KM (7.4 Miles)
&nbsp;
Maximum Flight Time: 34 or 47 Minutes
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Talk about a&nbsp;game changer&nbsp;for the mini drone market.&nbsp;<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://store.dji.com/product/dji-mini-3-pro?vid=113961" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The DJI Mini 3 Pro</a>&nbsp;packs a TON into a very small package. Capable of 4K video at 60fps, RAW photos, and an increased sensor size of 1/1.3&Prime;, this thing absolutely&nbsp;BANGS. Plus the added feature of true portrait mode shooting makes it the perfect aerial imaging solution for content creators that focus mainly in the realms of TikTok and Instagram Reels.
It also comes with a tri-directional obstacle avoidance system that makes everything else in this category pale in comparison. Throw in a flight time of 34 minutes with the base batteries or up to 47 minutes with the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus and you have a mini drone that can keep you creating for longer than ever.
The best part about this drone is its performance-versus-price-point. You can purchase the DJI Mini 3 Pro with the DJI RC (smart controller) for just $909. If you can live without the smart controller, you can also purchase this powerful little package with the DJI RC-N1 (basic controller) for $759 &mdash; an incredible amount of power for a pretty low price.
<h5>#1</h5>
<h5>DJI Mini 4 (Pro)</h5>
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/TES9dMfA4xpKDma3X3K11RHXsxIHKq7EF5qlNBko.png" alt="" width="463" height="304" />
&nbsp;Note: Speculated Specifications
<table style="height: 243px; width: 68.6244%;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 50.006%;" width="312">
Camera Sensor: 1/1.2&Prime; CMOS | 48MP
&nbsp;
Max Video Resolution: 5.1K at 30fps
&nbsp;
Photo Formats: JPG &amp; DNG (RAW)
</td>
<td style="width: 50.006%;" width="312">
Video Bitrate: 200 Mbps
&nbsp;
Operating Range: 12 KM (7.4 Miles)
&nbsp;
Maximum Flight Time: 45 or 57 Minutes
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
The relative unknown of the list also happens to come out at the top of the list. Recently images of what appears to be the&nbsp;<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://youtu.be/NYvRgxtKfMs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DJI Mini 4 leaked</a>&nbsp;and it all but ensures we are going to see a new version of the DJI Mini drone again this year. While we do not have any concrete information regarding a potential Mini 4&rsquo;s specifications, I did my best to reasonably predict what we might see from it.
I believe we will see a slight increase in quality and performance across the board on this drone. It will maintain its ability to shoot true portrait mode with its 90-degree gimbal rotation function, will include a slightly larger sensor for even crisper and more-detailed images and videos, a max video resolution of 5.3K at 30fps, a maximum range of 12 KM, and an improved flight time from 34 minutes with the standard battery and 47 minutes with the Battery Plus to 45 minutes with the standard battery and 57 minutes with the Battery Plus.
The DJI Mini drone series has had very little to criticize since the release of the DJI Mini 2 and I believe that will continue to be true moving forward. The only place DJI could improve on the Mini series of drones is by continuing to work to build up wind resistance for the drones, which are prone to getting pushed around in high winds.
<h5>Closing Thoughts</h5>
Getting your very first drone is always exciting. The idea that these machines are capable of opening up a whole new perspective for us is magical. It can be as wonderous as giving you views of a mountain range or ocean from a bird&rsquo;s-eye-view to as simple as eliminating the need to ask somebody to take a photo of you or your family on vacation.
No matter how you intend to use them, drones are powerful tools for anyone looking for a new way to look at the world.
If you choose to purchase a drone from this list, it is my professional opinion that you will not be disappointed in any of the options. They all have their own strengths and weaknesses at the end of the day, but they are all extremely capable UAV platforms that will leave you wanting to fly more and more.
<h5>Learn More: Best Beginner Drones for 2023</h5>
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Best GPS Drones for Beginners in 2023 

30 June 2023
By Chris &ldquo;<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheDroneGeek/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Drone Geek</a>&rdquo; Fravel
I had the opportunity to travel to the Boston, Massachusetts area to visit our friends at <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://ascentaerosystems.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ascent Aerosystems</a>. During that time, I was given a complete tour of their headquarters and manufacturing facility and to meet some integral members of their team.
Ascent Aerosystems Marketing Manager, Katie Glennon, was my liaison throughout the duration of my time and did a great job ensuring I had what I needed to fully grasp who they were as a company and what they were setting out to accomplish in the industry.
<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-donofrio/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Donofrio, Ascent&rsquo;s Technical Operations Lead</a>, was my encyclopedia when it came to all things Spirit. This guy is the heart-and-soul of Ascent&rsquo;s production line and is personally responsible for the quality of each drone they manufacture. Needless to say anything more, this guy was the best resource I could have asked for when exploring the capabilities of this drone.
Before we dive into my time working with Matt, Katie, and the entire Ascent Aerosystems team, let&rsquo;s take a look at what the Spirit UAV has to offer on paper:
<ul>
<li>Utilizes a Coaxial Design, nothing else like it in the drone industry.</li>
<li>Supports dual payloads and a wide variety of payload types.</li>
<li>Utilizes 2x Brushless Motors</li>
<li>Capable of flight times up to 53 minutes without payload and 32 minutes with payload.</li>
<li>Maximum Operable Altitude of 14,600 feet (5,000 meters).</li>
<li>Maximum Speed is 60mph (100kph) in Manual Mode and 40mph (65kph) in Auto Mode.</li>
<li>It is IP56 Rated, completely resistant to rain, sleet, snow, and any other precipitation.</li>
<li>Capable operating temperature range of -40 to 130F (-40 to 54C)</li>
<li>Carries a Class 8 Wind Resistance, capable of withstanding winds up to 40mph (65kph)</li>
</ul>
After getting that breakdown from Ascent, it&rsquo;s safe to say I was more than excited about getting to look at this beast first-hand. When I arrived at the Ascent Aerosystems Facility in Wilmington, Massachusetts, the first thing we did was tour the production facility and let me tell you, it&rsquo;s impressive. All the manufacturing done by Ascent takes place in Massachusetts. These drones are built from bottom-up in the USA, which is extremely important as Blue UAS initiatives continue to take hold of the country&rsquo;s commercial and enterprise drone sector.
What I really liked about the Spirit and the components within it is just how compact and portable they were. While your standard set-up comes with a Pelican case and custom-cut foam insert for the Spirit package of your choosing, it was also demonstrated off-camera to be able to fit in a backpack. This is one of the few commercial UAV platforms that is not only versatile, but also extremely compact and easy to tote around.
Seriously, this thing is excellent when it comes to transport, setup, and breakdown. You are going to be hard-pressed to find a drone this capable in terms of application as well as this easy to setup. An important part of the setup process is understanding the payloads and how the Spirit can be utilized in the field. Ascent has ensured versatility with the Spirit by making a wide range of payload attachments compatible with the drone as well as an attachment that creates even more flexibility for your pre-existing payloads.
The Ascent Aerosystems Payload Development Kit (PDK) takes the guesswork out of the equation for you when considering a commercial-grade UAV for your projects. Another element I fell in love with regarding the Spirit was just how rangy it is when it comes to use cases. In one conversation I had with Matt, he had mentioned that Ascent had assisted the Boston Police Department with several operations using a variety of attachments on the Spirit including the <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/interchangeable-lens-cameras/c/all-interchangeable-lens-cameras" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RGB Sony Camera</a> on <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://gremsy.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a Gremsy gimbal</a>, thermal attachments, and more. This drone can be used for just about anything you can think. And with innovation at the forefront of Ascent&rsquo;s business model, there quite literally is nothing they cannot design or develop.
Regarding the company, one of my favorite parts of the visit to Ascent was seeing their waterjet cutter in action. When I say Ascent&rsquo;s operation is completely based in the USA, I mean it. Everything you see included on the Spirit and any UAV platform that Ascent Manufacturers is designed, cut, printed, and produced in-house. Combine that with their Blue UAS ground stations and payload attachments and this drone makes total sense for use commercially in the USA as we continue to see states blacklisting foreign-made drones.
But the question is&hellip;how does it fly? Well, as per usual, there is only one way to find out and I was fortunate enough to get behind the sticks of the Spirit by Ascent Aerosystems.
Let me tell you&hellip;getting this thing in the air was incredibly rewarding because just about everything about this drone was a joy to experience while flying. The coaxial design might seem intimidating to those of us that have only ever flown quadcopters and fixed-wing systems before but take it from me&hellip;it&rsquo;s a seamless transition.
The only thing I did not care for in the design of the Spirit was the way the camera system operated through the ground station. When using my camera feed to pilot the drone, I noticed that the landing gear or &ldquo;legs&rdquo; were constantly in the camera&rsquo;s view and that stabilization was lacking.
However, as annoying as this might have been for me in my first few flights with the Spirit, operationally neither factor poses a problem &ndash; the data collection conducted by the Spirit is largely unaffected by the presence of the landing gear in frame and some of the payload attachments can&rsquo;t even see it in the first place. Stabilization is also largely not an issue relating to the actual data collected as mapping is conducted with a Gremsy gimbal and <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://electronics.sony.com/imaging/interchangeable-lens-cameras/full-frame/p/ilce7rm5-b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sony a7 camera</a> and the other payloads being used don&rsquo;t necessarily require stabilization at a high level to be effective. This is more just a personal pilot gripe than anything.
But enough about the negative&hellip;let&rsquo;s talk about the positives! The Spirit drone is fast, maneuverable, and a fun fly &ndash; even during the dullest of missions. Part of the speed and maneuverability is thanks to the coaxial design. When you consider this design vs. that of a traditional quadcopter, think about the way the propulsion systems work to gain momentum and speed.
When flying a quadcopter, pitching forward or backward, and rolling left or right are the methods for gaining momentum in any given direction. As you pitch or roll in any of those directions, you are taking your drone and increasing the amount of drag created by increasing the amount of resisting surface area from the device. Heck, think about throttling up to gain altitude, in that case you have 100% drag from the body of the aircraft as it moves in its desired direction.
When using a coaxial design like that of the Spirit, you are doing the opposite. Pitching and rolling in any direction decreases drag by eliminating resisting surface area from the device and streamlining the aerodynamics. Also, in our throttle up scenario, the smallest amount of surface area possible is creating drag during the movement upward to gain altitude. That means the Spirit is more efficient when attempting to gain momentum during flight than that of a traditional quadcopter design.
That&rsquo;s ingenuity at its finest. Rather than going with the status-quo and designing another quadcopter, Ascent Aerosystems went out on a limb and blazed their own trail with this unique layout for their UAV. Not only was this bold, but it was also innovative and more efficient when it comes to battery life, operation, and overall flight.
A-freaking-plus from me on this one.
And as far as ease-of-use goes, this drone has everything you could ever want. It has altitude hold, GPS-positioning, multiple flight modes, an intuitive ground station with RTH functionality when signal is lost or battery is low, and a variety of ways to collect and transfer data. It is a true commercial UAV tool as it is perfectly safe for pilots of any experience or skill level to operate.
Now, as far as pricing is concerned, Ascent Aerosystems does not have a list price on this drone &ndash; but for an understandable reason. Ascent develops Spirit packages to fit the needs of the clients they serve. Therefore, they do not have a flat consistent price they can advertise. Instead, I&rsquo;d recommend you contact Ascent Aerosystems with any questions you have about the platform and for pricing on a configuration that would suit you and your operation. Just visit ascentaerosystems.com to get started.
Overall, I loved the Spirit by Ascent Aerosystems. It embodies innovation, efficiency, and versatility in a way that nobody else in the industry has duplicated. The coaxial design of the Spirit drone is unique and more aerodynamic when in flight than any other enterprise and commercial UAV solution. Bravo to Ascent Aerosystems for not only putting together a wonderful drone platform, but for having a company that is clearly on the right path when it comes to growing and succeeding.
<h5>Learn More</h5>
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Drones on the Road: Ascent Aerosystems Spirit

15 June 2023
By Chris &ldquo;The Drone Geek&rdquo; Fravel
For this edition of Gear Check, we&rsquo;re turning our attention away from UAVs, and taking a look at a piece of equipment that could be beneficial to any drone operator or mission. The folks over at <a href="https://4patriots.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">4Patriots</a> sent us the <a href="https://4patriots.com/products/patriot-power-generator-1800" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Patriot Power Generator 1800</a> to put to the test and use in the field to see just how capable this machine really is. Before we get into my experience with the Patriot Power Generator 1800, let&rsquo;s look at the specs it boasts:
2x 120-volt AC Outlets
4x USB Outlets
1x 12-Volt Solar Extension Cable Outlet
1x 12-Volt DC Outlet
At face value, the Patriot Power Generator 1800 has a true plug-and-play design. It truly is as simple as setting up the panels, plugging the cord into the generator, and watching the magic happen. On top of that, you can get a full charge to this generator&rsquo;s battery in a hurry. Charging from 0% to 100% takes about 3.5 hours via the included AC cord or 10 hours when using the solar panels.
It&rsquo;s got an incredible lifespan for an electric generator with a battery that is rated to last 2,500+ lifecycles. That&rsquo;s 6.8 years of daily use. The Patriot Power Generator holds a full charge for up to 1 year, but it is recommended to charge the unit every 3-6 months.
When you pair the generator with its solar panel it becomes an energy source that is as green as it gets. No carbon footprint, no greenhouse gases or other emissions&mdash;this thing is totally safe for the environment while in use.
Within its power class, it&rsquo;s lightweight and portable. This generator weighs only 40lbs, making it half the weight and delivering more power than competing products. And the cost is economically sound as well. For the power you get from this unit, the total overall cost is reasonable at just $2,500 USD. That&rsquo;s just a dollar per battery cycle! What I found interesting though were the potential use cases for the generator and how long the battery would power some commonly-used equipment and devices &ndash; here are just a few examples:
USB Lamp - 193 Hours
Phone Charger - 153.6 Hours
Mini Fridge - 106 Hours
Fridge/Freezer - 19.2 Hours
Aquarium Heater - 5.1 Hours
CPAP Machine - 15.4 Hours
Portable Stove - 38 Minutes
Microwave - 51 Minutes
Now, while the general specs on the Patriot Power Generator 1800 are impressive, how does this powerful little machine rate when it comes to use by drone pilots? Let&rsquo;s take a look at the pros and cons I found with it when using it for drone ops:
<h5>Learn More</h5>
<iframe style="width: 667px; height: 375px;" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4OffCs4dW6c" width="667" height="375" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
&nbsp;
<h5>Pros</h5>
+ Extreme Power for equipment, batteries, and accessories of any size or demand.
+ Powered all my charging and chargeable equipment and accessories.
+ Powered Colorado Drone Chargers case.
+ Super easy plug-n-play setup. Takes less than 5 minutes to get charging with solar panels. Even less than that when using AC cord.
+ Solar Powered when out in the field &ndash; pipeline inspections, remote settings, etc.
+ Fully Portable while in-use. Internal battery continues to operate even on-the-go.
+ Easy to use and quick-learn instructions make it perfect for anyone to use.
+ Perfect power solution to larger commercial and enterprise drone operations that need a lot of power no matter where they are located.
<h5>Cons</h5>
- Despite being sleek for its class, it&rsquo;s heavy overall. It&rsquo;s lighter than most other generators in its class, but it&rsquo;s still a whopping 40lbs. While it is technically portable, it&rsquo;s not necessarily easy to move around. Not ideal for projects that require air-travel or for smaller set-ups and vehicles.
- Set-up is easy overall, but the solar panels in-particular are kind of hard to handle solo and some of the outlet placement is mildly confusing at first glance.
- No sun and no access to a power outlet means no charging.
- Expensive. Yes, it may only be $1 per charging cycle, but it&rsquo;s still $2,500. Unless you&rsquo;re a larger operation or are dealing with projects that pay you thousands of dollars per day, this may not be the best investment for you for a mobile power solution.
<h5>Ratings&nbsp;</h5>
General: 8.6 out of 10
Drone Operation: 6.9 out of 10
In conclusion, I was really pleased with the power this generator provided. It is reliable and easy to use overall. I could see this being a lifesaver for a production team out in the field if they needed a power source that could handle a heavy lift type of demand. This thing can, quite literally, power the basic operations of a house (fridge, microwave, stovetop, space heater, fans, etc.), so handling a handful of charging stations and devices for a drone pilot is nothing.
All that said, I&rsquo;m going to go ahead and say that it&rsquo;s not the right solution for solo-operator missions and companies like my own. While I cannot discount the utility of this device, I also cannot name any instances out in the field where something like this would have saved a job for me or made my life easier. I have smaller devices that allow me to turn my Jeep&rsquo;s battery into a power source for most of my equipment and I don&rsquo;t often find myself in such a remote location that I would need to lean on this to recharge my equipment. Between the size and price plus the solar panels used to power the generator, I just don&rsquo;t see this as something that makes sense for smaller operations and solo operators.
Don&rsquo;t get me wrong, I love the product and I want to sincerely thank 4Patriots for sending this out to me to review. It&rsquo;s a GREAT product and if you&rsquo;re a drone pilot who also likes to have options (aka you&rsquo;re a &ldquo;prepper&rdquo;) when the brown stuff hits the fan, I&rsquo;d highly recommend the Patriot Power Generator 1800 to you.
As this is not a drone, we cannot accurately determine categories for scoring, I&rsquo;m going to give it two overall scores &ndash; one for general use of the product and the other for drone operations.

GEAR CHECK: 4Patriots Patriot Power Generator 1800

Prosumer Drones

By Chris &ldquo;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheDroneGeek">The Drone Geek</a>&rdquo; Fravel
DJI is arguably the most popular consumer/prosumer drone manufacturer in the world. It doesn&rsquo;t matter who one might ask, most people will either cite DJI specifically or describe one of DJI&rsquo;s UAV platforms when asked to talk about drones and drone technology. And rightfully so. DJI has been setting the bar for everyone else in the consumer and prosumer spaces for a long time, constantly innovating and making their drones better and better.
Recently the drone-tech giant has been setting the market on fire with releases of the DJI Integra FPV Goggles, the Inspire 3, and now the Mavic 3 Pro. In this article though we will be honing in on the Mavic 3 series of drones and, more specifically, the tone they are setting for DJI and future manufacturing expectations as it relates to the consumer.
I&rsquo;ll say it: I have mixed feelings about how the Mavic 3 was &ldquo;handled&rdquo; by DJI. On November 5, 2021, the Mavic 3 was officially released touting a brand-new look, an impressive 4/3 sensor, and an interesting addition of a &frac12;&rdquo; digital zoom camera atop the front of the gimbal payload. All-in-all, most everyone was excited about the potential of this new drone &ndash; myself included. I immediately rushed to find a buyer for my Mavic 2 Pro (she served me well) and as soon as it was &ldquo;rehomed&rdquo; I rushed to the internet to place an order for the Mavic 3 Fly More Combo.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/p8aYgj183Obi6ycCBFn4e5s2A6skCpzGJPASGrQe.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="288" />
Do I regret the drone itself? No. The Mavic 3 is best-in-class for photo and video drones. Period. It is my main workhorse and performs at every level I need it to and thensome.
Do I regret not waiting to buy the drone? Yes. Here&rsquo;s why&hellip;
While I love the &ldquo;OG&rdquo; Mavic 3 and its performance capabilities, I was less than pleased with the quality of the &frac12;&rdquo; zoom camera it featured and its application for professional level imaging. Beyond 7x zoom, the photo and video resolution from the zoom lens was absolute flaming-hot garbage. It&rsquo;s grainy, pixelated, and has no flexibility in post. It just can&rsquo;t be used in most professional photo and video projects beyond a certain point &ndash; some of the most interesting points at that. Why DJI didn&rsquo;t take the time to just configure that &frac12;&rdquo; sensor to function the same as the camera on the Mavic 2 Zoom was beyond me (gosh I loved the Mavic 2 Zoom&hellip;I mourn the decision to do away with it sometimes). The only reason I could think of would be because engineering an optical zoom lens into a gimbal payload that already had a 4/3 sensor in it would be a logistical nightmare.
That is&hellip;I thought that until October of 2022.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/Y1PyRMTRkogdEXCm5sX6uy66Y3TBAgwbwY8ASdKF.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" />
At that time, DJI had announced that a new version of the Mavic 3 would be released. This version would be called the &ldquo;Mavic 3 Classic&rdquo; and would retail for approximately $800 less than the original Mavic 3. What was the main difference between the two drones? An absence of the &frac12;&rdquo; zoom camera.
I remember being absolutely irate over the announcement. I was so disappointed with the &frac12;&rdquo; zoom camera and its quality and now they are releasing a version of the drone that did not have it and was significantly less expensive? Wild. On top of that, because the new release was technically a &ldquo;downgrade&rdquo; from the original Mavic 3, I was upside-down in the whole deal and there was no way to recoup the money I unwisely put into the original Mavic 3. After some time and self-soothing, I got over the whole thing and just appreciated that my Mavic 3 was a fine piece of equipment that did everything I needed it to do.
And I maintained that contentment&hellip;until April 25, 2023.
DJI broke open the emotional scab that I had formed from the whole &ldquo;OM3&rdquo; vs. &ldquo;M3C&rdquo; debacle by announcing the release of the new Mavic 3 Pro. This new model featured 3 different lenses, all capable of different types of shots &ndash; a perfect tool in the toolbelt of any cinematographer with an eye for drones. On top of its already existing 20MP wide-angle 4/3 CMOS sensor, the drone also has a 70mm 48MP 3x zoom medium telephoto lens and a 166mm 12MP 7x zoom telephoto lens.
The kicker? Its retail is less, comparatively speaking, than the original Mavic 3. While the Mavic 3 Pro is slightly more expensive at face-value, the standard package includes the <a href="https://www.dji.com/rc">DJI RC Remote</a> (as opposed to the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/RotorLogic-Controller-Control-Sticks-Exclude/dp/B09MJQ29Z8/ref=asc_df_B09MJQ29Z8/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=618089590519&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=6952623587217671569&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9006822&amp;hvtargid=pla-1732557629675&amp;psc=1">DJI RC-N1</a>, which is what the original Mavic 3 comes with by default) &ndash; a $309 value added to the Mavic 3 Pro packages for almost nothing. And if somebody WERE still interested in the original Mavic 3? Well, it is no longer listed on DJI&rsquo;s main website for purchase. It can still be purchased on third-party sites <a href="https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1665138-REG/dji_cp_ma_00000439_01_mavic_3.html">such as B&amp;H Photo</a>, but otherwise the drone giant has installed the Classic and Pro as the new &ldquo;flagship&rdquo; models.
If I could do the whole &ldquo;Mavic 3&rdquo; debacle over again, I would have waited until the Mavic 3 Pro was released and purchased it with the DJI RC Remote/Fly More combo instead. But, the saying goes, &ldquo;hindsight is 20-20.&rdquo;
Needless to say, I&rsquo;m still licking my wounds with this one and find myself wrestling with the frustration I feel about the whole ordeal. However, when I separate my own personal strife from the subject at-large, I can see what is happening with DJI and how they intend on manufacturing their drones in the future. Gone are the days of having a variety of different models, all capable of a variety of different types of missions and operations. DJI is beginning to follow the lead of Autel by providing multi-faceted drones with different &ldquo;versions&rdquo; to choose from for consumers.
<img style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/EswXY16dmaKd7IKhZUQeh2ICgJYectAR5qwfLZWg.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" />
And the reason I say DJI is following Autel&rsquo;s lead on this one is because they were doing it first. Just take a look at this line-up of Autel EVO drone versions:
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.autelrobotics.com/productdetail/evo-ii-drones.html">Autel EVO II 8K</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.autelrobotics.com/productdetail/evo-2-pro-v2-drones.html">Autel EVO II 6K</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.autelpilot.com/collections/autel-evo-ii-v3/products/autel-robotics-evo-ii-pro-6k-v3">Autel EVO II Pro 6K</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.autelpilot.com/collections/autel-evo-ii-v3/products/evo-ii-enterprise-v3">Autel EVO II Pro 6K Enterprise</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.autelpilot.com/collections/autel-evo-ii-v3/products/autel-robotics-evo-ii-dual-640t-rtk-v3-enterprise-bundle">Autel EVO II Dual 640T RTK</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.autelpilot.com/collections/autel-evo-ii-v3/products/evo-ii-dual-640t-rugged-bundle-v3">Autel EVO II 640T</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.autelpilot.com/collections/autel-evo-ii-v3/products/autel-evo-ii-pro-rtk-v3">Autel EVO II Pro RTK</a>
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Now, take a look at the latest line of Mavic drone versions:
&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.dji.com/mavic-3?site=brandsite&amp;from=landing_page">DJI Mavic 3</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.dji.com/mavic-3?site=brandsite&amp;from=landing_page">DJI Mavic 3 Cine</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://store.dji.com/product/dji-mavic-3-classic?site=brandsite&amp;from=landing_page&amp;vid=125091">DJI Mavic 3 Classic</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://store.dji.com/product/dji-mavic-3-pro?site=brandsite&amp;from=landing_page&amp;vid=137691">DJI Mavic 3 Pro</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://store.dji.com/product/dji-mavic-3-pro?site=brandsite&amp;from=landing_page&amp;vid=137781">DJI Mavic 3 Pro Cine</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://store.dji.com/product/dji-mavic-3e-and-dji-care-enterprise-basic?vid=120111">DJI Mavic 3(E) Enterprise</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://ag.dji.com/mavic-3-m?site=enterprise&amp;from=nav">DJI Mavic 3 (M) Multispectral</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://store.dji.com/product/dji-mavic-3e-and-dji-care-enterprise-basic?vid=120171">DJI Mavic 3(T) Thermal</a>
</li>
</ul>
It was becoming clear that DJI was moving away from the Phantom model after the Phantom 4 V2 Pro was released. This is evidenced by the way they handled the Mini and Air models &ndash; removing the &ldquo;Mavic&rdquo; moniker and instead letting the &ldquo;Mini&rdquo; and &ldquo;Air&rdquo; names stand on their own as independent platforms. That combined with the fact that the Phantom build is largely obsolete when it comes to storage and transportation as well as overall aerodynamics. In fact, the Phantom series is also no longer listed on DJI&rsquo;s main website, so it&rsquo;s safe to assume that line is officially dead.
All this said, the drone world should prepare to see more of this type of development and manufacturing of drone technology in the future. As we move forward we will see fewer and fewer unique design concepts with regard to the body of the drones and a collective streamlining geared towards what is most efficient and practical. We&rsquo;re even seeing it in our enterprise drones with DJI&rsquo;s Matrice lineup beginning to take after the design concepts of the Mavic series.
As for the way things rolled out with DJI and the Mavic 3 lineup, with DJI seemingly releasing their middle-of-the-road drone first, followed by their entry-level drone, and finally their top-tier drone? I&rsquo;ll chalk it up to a potential lack of direction in terms of development and planning. Most ideas need to be fleshed out over time and according to feedback from a focus or test group. In this case, real-life consumers were the group providing the feedback after they had already invested between $2,000 and $3,000 in the original Mavic 3. I hope beginning with the Air 3 or the Mavic 4 that DJI releases all of the versions at once or in order from least-expensive to most expensive at the bare minimum. Until that process is seen carried out by DJI, may the buyer beware&hellip;hold onto your money a while longer after the next release. It may save you a lot of heartache and get you the &ldquo;best bang for your buck,&rdquo; when it comes to price-versus-performance.

DJI is Evolving the Way it Makes Drones

18 April 2023
By Chris &ldquo;<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheDroneGeek/featured" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Drone Geek</a>&rdquo; Fravel
When you think of a commercial drone, what comes to mind? Do you envision a giant drone capable of carrying large shipments and packages? Or do you picture something out of an action-movie that is spec&rsquo;d out with thermal attachments and LiDAR sensors perfect for surveying large swaths of land?
There are many kinds of drones for many different types of work, but what if I told you there might be one drone that was capable of it all?
The <a href="https://draganfly.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Draganfly</a> <a href="https://draganfly.com/commander-3-xl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commander 3 XL</a>&nbsp;is marketed as &ldquo;the Swiss Army knife&rdquo; of drones. The question is, does it live up to its billing?
The only way to find out was to fly out to Draganfly's facility in Blanco, Texas, to see the Commander 3 XL in action and learn a little bit more about what the drone has to offer its potential users.
I flew into San Antonio and split my time between there and Austin, making the hour-ish long trek to Blanco each day. My liaison and point of contact for the trip was Draganfly&rsquo;s Program Manager for UAS Programs Aviation, <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach--rolfe/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zach Rolfe</a>. Rolfe wasn&rsquo;t just the guy who made sure I had what I needed to get around central Texas, he was also my expert reference regarding all things Commander 3 XL.
The Commander 3 XL is 64&rdquo; x 36&rdquo; x 12&rdquo; when fully assembled with propellers attached. It weighs 33 lbs. when not sporting a payload, and it can carry up to 22 lbs. for a maximum take-off weight of 55 lbs. In short, the Commander 3 XL is an absolute tank capable of a variety of different flight operations. And while that is all impressive, it&rsquo;s just scraping the surface of the impressive specifications on this drone.
Let&rsquo;s talk about what this drone can carry&mdash;and I don&rsquo;t just mean weight. As of right now there are five attachments that can be equipped to the Draganfly Commander 3 XL to conduct a variety of UAV missions:
&bull; <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.flir.com/support/products/duo-pro-r/#Overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FLIR DuoPro-R</a> Camera
&bull; 24MP RGB Photography Camera
&bull; 10x Zoom RGB Camera
&bull; 24MP RGB Mapping Camera
&bull; <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://support.micasense.com/hc/en-us/articles/360011389334-RedEdge-MX-Integration-Guide" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RedEdge MX</a> Mapping Camera
Perhaps one of the most interesting things about the Commander 3 XL is its modularity. In a conversation with Rolfe, he mentioned how intentional the modular components are on the drone. The idea being, with a variety of operations that will be conducted with the Commander 3 XL, it&rsquo;s crucial that pilots and asset managers can swap out and repair damaged or worn-out parts in the field. This saves time and money, and makes it extremely easy to recover the drone from an accident, and get it back up in the air&mdash;potentially within minutes (depending upon how many parts need to be replaced).
Rolfe took me through the initial set-up of the drone to give me a visual example of how easy parts are to assemble and disassemble. We will have a &ldquo;how-to&rdquo; video for set-up of the Commander 3 XL coming to our YouTube channel and website soon.&nbsp;
And if all of that wasn&rsquo;t enough, the Commander 3 XL has a variety of features that make it easy to learn for pilots of all skill and experience levels. It has an altitude hold and GPS-positioning feature that makes it an extremely reliable and sturdy piece of UAV equipment. Its folding landing gear allows for an unobstructed 360-degree view of your surroundings through camera payloads. It even has color-coded &ldquo;highlight points&rdquo; where pilots and asset managers should pay attention when assembling and disassembling the drone.
Draganfly, Inc. has outdone itself with the Commander 3 XL. Whether you&rsquo;re a data collector, or need to move goods and products via drone delivery, the Commander 3 XL will certainly meet your needs. If it doesn&rsquo;t, Draganfly&rsquo;s development and customer success teams will help you customize a solution until it does.
<h5>Watch Chris on the Road at Draganfly</h5>
<iframe style="width: 674px; height: 379px;" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XlqoAG_ZiDc" width="674" height="379" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
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