The Drone Radio Show is Back! In this episode: Bill Lakeland, CEO of Spexi, talks about the company’s network of drone pilots and the efforts to provide high-resolution imagery of urban areas. Listen here: Bill Lakeland is CEO of Spexi, the world’s largest decentralized drone imagery network. Spexi provides a scalable, sustainable, and cost-efficient alternative […]
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Remember when Black Friday actually happened on, you know, Friday? Those days are long gone. This year’s deals are dropping so early, I’m half-expecting Cyber Monday to arrive before Thanksgiving. But hey, I’m not complaining when the savings are this good.
If you’ve been eyeing new drone gear, online courses or creative learning opportunities, now’s the time to strike. Here are the standout deals launching November 20th:
MasterClass is running its pre-Black Friday sale with significant discounts on memberships. For drone photographers and aerial filmmakers, these two courses are particularly worth your time:
Jimmy Chin Teaches Adventure Photography – Learn from the guy who filmed Free Solo while hanging off a cliff. His insights on composition, lighting and capturing adventure translate directly to aerial cinematography (yes, they used drones in the filming process).
Werner Herzog Teaches Filmmaking – Herzog’s unconventional approach to storytelling will challenge how you think about drone footage. This isn’t just technical instruction; it’s about creating work that matters.
UAVCoach is running their biggest sale of the year with 50% discounts applied at checkout using code FLYDAY25. Note that in-person training isn’t included in this sale. And sorry, my usual promo code DRONEGIRL100 won’t work on this, but hey, use FLYDAY25 because it’s better! Seriously!
Here’s what you’ll pay:
If you’ve been putting off getting Part 107 certified or want to sharpen your commercial drone skills, this is your window.
HOVERAir is discounting their entire lineup with bonus free batteries on select purchases. These are solid options if you want something truly portable without registration headaches.
HOVERAir X1 – Starting at $249 The Freedom Fly More Combo weighs just 125 grams, making it exempt from FAA registration. It’s genuinely pocket-sized and dead simple to fly, though don’t expect professional-grade footage.
HOVERAir X1 PRO – Starting at $499 The PRO adds speed (up to 26 mph) and improved AI tracking. Better for outdoor action shots and sports, though still limited in wind.
HOVERAir X1 PROMAX – Starting at $599 This is where it gets interesting: 8K video, active collision detection, and intelligent follow modes, all while staying under 250g. The image quality is genuinely impressive for something this small.
Related read: HOVERAir X1 PROMAX packs an 8K video into a portable drone that competes with DJI
Skiing Combo – 20% Off + Free Extra Battery Designed specifically for winter sports with hands-free modes optimized for skiing and snowboarding. If you’re hitting the slopes this season, this package makes sense.
Related read: DJI Neo versus HOVERAir X1: which hand-launch drone is best?
These deals are legitimate, not the inflated “discount” nonsense some retailers pull. MasterClass and UAVCoach sales represent genuine learning value, while HOVERAir’s pricing makes their ultra-portable drones more accessible.
Just remember: the best deal is still the one on gear you’ll actually use. Don’t buy a course that’ll sit unwatched or a drone that’ll collect dust. Buy what fits your actual needs and skill level.
And yes, I’ll be back with more deals as we get closer to actual Black Friday. Because apparently, we’re doing this all month now.
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French startup plans real-time drone surveillance layer for borders and critical infrastructure Rift, a Paris-based deep-tech startup, has raised €4.6 million to build what it calls a global network for on-demand, real-time aerial intelligence. The seed round is led by U.S. firm AlleyCorp, with participation from OVNI Capital in France. The company plans to use […]
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Heavy lift drone competition to revolutionize vertical lift aviation, offer $6.5M in prizes As military missions become more complicated, warfighters need more capable drones to use across diverse scenarios. The same also applies to civilian applications, like infrastructure inspection, package delivery, and disaster response. Current multirotor drones, also known as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), provide […]
– Tawazun Council for Defence Enablement, EPI, an entity of EDGE Group and the cornerstone of precision engineering in the UAE’s aerospace, oil and gas, and defence industries, and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), a leader in advanced aerospace technology for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), have signed a framework agreement to manufacture Electronic Brake […]Generative AI-run systems point to the future of drone applications By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill Recent advances in the development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and pending new regulations regarding UAV operations are likely to pave the way for widespread industrial adoption of fully autonomous drones, according to a speaker at the Energy Drone/Robotics […]
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Abu Dhabi Airports has selected U.S.-based BETA Technologies to equip the Emirates’ first network of eVTOL charging infrastructure, advancing Emirati air mobility with proven, certified ground support at scale. BETA’s Charge Cube and Battery Thermal Management System will initially be installed at Al Bateen Executive Airport, with expansion to Zayed International Airport as Abu Dhabi […]
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Elistair has introduced a Dual Payload configuration for its Khronos tethered drone system, combining a Silvus StreamCaster 4200P tactical radio with a Nextvision DragonEye2 electro-optical camera. The setup transforms Khronos into a multi-mission aerial mast: the platform can act as both a communications relay and a persistent surveillance node by providing secure mesh networking […]
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Volocopter, a leader in urban air mobility (UAM), will launch Europe’s first eVTOL sandbox program in 2026, designed to accelerate the certification and operational readiness of its electric aircraft, VoloCity and VoloXPro, through near-commercial flight trials. The initiative will simulate real-world operations to support type certification, validate point-to-point missions, and advance the deployment of urban […]
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Elsight has been officially selected by the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to proceed to Phase 3 of Project G.I., Design Reference Mission 2 (DRM2) Prize Challenge, following strong performance in earlier evaluation rounds. The selection comes after Elsight demonstrated its HALO multi-link bonded connectivity platform as a mission-ready solution for uncrewed systems (UxS) operating […]
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