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425 Drone Delivery Network

Posted by Dronerator

Alphabet’s Wing subsidiary wants a drone delivery network, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces consider using drones to intercept aircraft, DJI is reportedly dropping AeroScope, U.S. Senators want an assessment of DJI security risks, cardboard drones from Australia are going to Ukraine, the USAF has plans for 1,000 loyal wingmen drones, Zipline’s next-generation aircraft, and Russian Su-27 fighter jets intercept a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper.

UAV News

Google company unveils drone delivery-network ambition

Alphabet’s Wing subsidiary is delivering up to 1,000 packages a day in Australia, but to scale up to millions of deliveries daily, Wing says it needs to develop a network service. The Wing Delivery Network would enable the management of large numbers of drones. This would consist of three hardware elements:

  • The delivery drones.
  • Pads where drones take off, land, and recharge their batteries.
  • Autoloaders that allow companies to leave packages for collection.

Delivery drones would travel from pad to pad (or node to node) rather than use fixed routes that return to a “home base” after each delivery.

Video: The Wing Drone Delivery Network

Japan weighs using drones to chase away foreign aircraft

Chinese military flights in the East China Sea have increased and scrambling jets is expensive for Japan. So the Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JDSF) are thinking about using drones instead, either the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 or the MQ-9 Reaper. It’s estimated that scrambling manned jets costs 40 times more than sending drones. The JSDF will first train its forces to use drones to identify foreign warships. If that proves successful, drones would be used to identify fast-approaching aircraft.  Then if the threat is significant, the JSDF would send manned aircraft.

DJI quietly discontinues its drone-detecting AeroScope system

According to The Verge, the DJI AeroScope product page displays a pop-up that reads: “The Aeroscope is no longer in production. For the latest in DJI technology, please view our product recommendations below.” AeroScope is a drone detection platform that identifies UAV communication links and gathers information in real time like flight status, paths, and other information.

Senators Request Cyber Safety Analysis of Chinese-Owned DJI Drones

A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators is asking the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to conduct an investigation and evaluate potential risks associated with DJI drones. In its letter, the Senators say, “Identification of this relationship between DJI and the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] suggests a range of risks to U.S. operators of the technology, including that sensitive information or data could wind up in PLA hands.”

Paper Planes? Ukraine Gets Flat-Packed Cardboard Drones From Australia

SYPAQ announced it is shipping its Corvo drones to Ukraine. The drones come in flatpack form and the bodies are made of waxed cardboard. The autonomous Corvo PPDS has been shown to be simple to construct using only a glue gun, knife, pen, tape, and perhaps rubber bands. Only one tool is needed to attach the propeller. Corvo Autonomous Systems provides a family of autonomous systems for both military and commercial applications.

Corvo drone prototype in launch position.
Corvo drone prototype.

US Air Force eyes fleet of 1,000 drone wingmen as planning accelerates

The USAF has big plans for loyal wingmen drones – perhaps 1,000 of them. The Air Force plans to ask Congress for funding for the collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) program in the fiscal 2024 budget, as well as the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program. The Air Force estimates two CCAs for each of 200 NGAD platforms, and two CCAs for each of 300 F-35s.

Zipline unveils P2 delivery drones that dock and recharge autonomously

Zipline is showing their next-generation aircraft, called the Platform 2 or P2 Zip with an eight-pound payload and a ten-mile radius. It can land a package on a space as small as a table or doorstep. The original P1 Zip has a greater range but requires more space for takeoff, landing, and package delivery. The P2 has both lift and cruise propellers for quiet operation and better maneuverability. It can dock at a charging station and power up autonomously. Zipline says they’ve flown more than 38 million miles with its autonomous delivery drones.

Video shows moment Russian fighter jet hits US drone over Black Sea

Two Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jets intercepted a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper, dumped fuel on the drone, and struck and damaged the MQ-9s propeller.

423 Ameriflight Cargo Drones

Posted by Dronerator

Ameriflight plans to purchase cargo drones from Natilus and Saberwing, a plan for autonomous wind turbine inspections and repair, the American Security Drone Act, an arrest made for flying a drone at Dublin airport, a new hydrogen-powered octocopter drone, and Green and Blue UAS.

UAV News

Ameriflight adds 35 heavy-duty cargo drones to wish list

Ameriflight is a regional cargo airline (Part 135) that operates 156 turboprop twins for customers such as FedEx, UPS, and DHL. They recently signed a tentative agreement with Natilus for pilotless cargo planes. Now Ameriflight has signed a Letter of Intent to purchase 35 VTOL cargo drones from Sabrewing Aircraft Co.

Saberwing Rhaegal VTOL UAV on the ground.
Saberwing Rhaegal

Ameriflight has 15 bases across the Western Hemisphere with 200 service destinations throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as the Caribbean and South America. They typically experience over 1,500 weekly departures.

The Natilus agreement to purchase is for the Kona aircraft, a 3.8-ton payload, short-haul feeder uncrewed aerial vehicle. Nautilus says the Kona planes will be operated by remote control and have the ability to be fully autonomous at some point in the future. 

Project Using Automated Drones for Offshore Wind O&M Aims for Reducing Downtime and CO2 Emissions

The Flexible Offshore Drone for Wind (FOD4Wind) project envisions a system that can conduct autonomous wind turbine inspections and repair as well as package deliveries from service operation vessels to offshore turbines.

FOD4Wind illustration, courtesy University of Southern Denmark.
FOD4Wind illustration, courtesy University of Southern Denmark.

Drones would take off from service operation vessels and carry gear and tools to the nacelles of Siemens offshore wind turbines. The Upteko partner says “If we can replace sailing with drone flights from larger ships, then many of the trips around the wind farm will be saved. There is great potential in that – both in terms of time and CO2 emissions.”

The project, which runs until the end of 2024, is first working with payloads of 12 kilograms, with a long-term goal for the drones to be able to carry a cargo of up to 100 kilograms.

The FOD4Wind project is being undertaken by Siemens Gamesa (produces wind turbines), ESVAGT (operates the service operation vessels), Upteko (developer of the automated UAS), and the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) with Energy Cluster Denmark managing FOD4Wind.

Warner, Scott Introduce Legislation to Ban Purchase of Drones Manufactured in Countries Identified as National Security Threats

The American Security Drone Act of 2023 was introduced by U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Rick Scott (R-FL)

Senator Warner: “…the purchase of drones from foreign countries, especially those that have been deemed a national security threat, is dangerous. I am glad to introduce legislation that takes logical steps to protect our data from foreign adversaries and meanwhile supports American manufacturers.”

Senator Scott: “I’ve been clear for years: the United States should never spend taxpayer dollars on anything made in Communist China, especially drones which pose a significant threat to our national security. Xi and the Communist Party of China are on a quest for global domination and whether it’s with spy balloons, TikTok or drones, they will stop at nothing to infiltrate our society and steal our data.”

The American Security Drone Act:

  • Prohibits federal departments and agencies from procuring certain foreign commercial off-the-shelf drones or covered unmanned aircraft systems manufactured or assembled in countries identified as national security threats, and provides a timeline to end the current use of these drones.
  • Prohibits the use of federal funds awarded… to state or local governments from being used to purchase [these drones].
  • Requires the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report to Congress detailing the amount of foreign commercial off-the-shelf drones and covered unmanned aircraft systems procured by federal departments and agencies from countries identified as national security threats.

The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Josh Hawley (R-MO).

Man accused of flying drone at critical area of Dublin Airport

They charged the man under section 43 of the Air Navigation and Transport Act, 1988. He is accused of knowingly flying a drone into the critical area of Dublin Airport which interfered with the operation of an aerodrome on July 2nd, 2022. The 41-year-old was remanded on bail to appear again on March 21, 2023. Meantime, he’s banned from flying drones and going within two kilometers of the airport.

Commercial and military hydrogen drone unveiled by Heven Drones

Israel-based Heven Drones unveiled its H2D55 hydrogen octocopter drone. It can fly for over 90 minutes with a 15-pound payload. This is the first in a series of hydrogen-fueled drones to be released. The others will have longer flight times and greater payload. The drones are built to spec and take two-three months to complete. The price is not announced

The drones are built in-house, in a 20,000 sq. ft. production facility adjacent to R&D and administrative offices in the North of Israel. Up to 200 fully customizable drones per month can be built at the current capacity.

AUVSI Green UAS: Expanding the Pool of Trusted Drone Options

Green UAS is part of AUVSI’s Trusted Cyber Program, which seeks to verify a greater number of commercial UAS in line with the highest levels of cybersecurity and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) supply chain requirements.

AUVSI launched the Trusted Cyber Program in August 2022 in collaboration with cybersecurity firm Fortress Information Security.

Green UAS is an industry-standard assessment process that mirrors the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)’s Blue UAS certification program. It is administered by AUVSI to vet drones that are seeking Green UAS certification. Green-compliant drones that have a DoD customer/sponsor willing to sponsor and fund a DoD Authority to Operate (ATO) will have the opportunity to transition from the Green UAS cleared list to Blue UAS cleared list. 

Green UAS builds on the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)’s Blue UAS certification program, an approach to rapidly prototyping and scaling commercial UAS technology for the DoD. Green UAS is meant for customers without an immediate need for Department of Defense (DoD) authority to operate and provides a​ more straightforward ​pathway to the Blue UAS 2.0 cleared list.

Comment on Waterproof Drones – Get a Look Under the Water by Daniël

Posted by Dronerator

It wouldn’t be too much of trouble to equip the cheaper variants with GPS?
Because that wouldn’t be the cost for the manufacturer.
One thing I hate about RTH function with GPS drones.
They return to take-off point. I use to walk with the controller in my hand, which easily can be one or two kilometres from take-off point.
I want it to return to where the controller is, so it comes back to where I AM when the geo-fencing for low battery/no wifi range kicks in. Otherwise I have to walk two kilometers back, which gives bad people plenty of time to steal it.

Take Amazing Photos with Any Drone! Brand-new Course Now Available

Posted by Dronerator

My brand new online course is finally available. This time, I will explain drone photography to you – in detail! You can thank me later.

You will get to know and learn all tricks and techniques that it takes to create outstanding photos with your drone. Photos that will inspire your audience – and that you can take with (almost) any drone.

Sign up today and use the coupon code “COUPON2022”. Available for a limited time only.

Why a course about drone photography?

After I created my first online course (“Filming with Drones“), which generated plenty of professional drone filmmakers, I received more and more requests from interested fellows asking me to create a course about drone photography next.

So I sat down – and started researching.

It seems to be a mystery how to take engaging drone photographs to plenty. General knowledge about photography and specific knowledge on how to make use of the aerial perspective seem to be missing. Not always, but often.

Many put a lot of money into purchasing one new and “better” drone model after another.

Yet, that doesn’t really seem to make a change.

And I get it: it’s frustrating when ones aerial shots don’t evoke much emotion from viewers and when likes fail to turn up. Especially when you’ve put a lot of money and time into your hobby.

Being in the professional drone industry myself for years and having grown up with cameras (both videography and photography), I thought I’d finally pack my knowledge into a compact online course!

Next to showing you how to create incredible videos with a drone, I will now also teach you how to take amazing photographs with your drone.

And just half a year after I had decided to go for the course, it is finally ready to enroll.

About the new drone course

My brand new online course teaches you everything you need to know about taking photographs with your drone to capture compelling images.

Whether you’re a complete beginner or already an experienced drone operator, my course will show you everything you need to know about photography from above – from the ground up.

Several hours of exciting video lessons cover all critical topics, some of which include:

  • Buying a fitting drone (hint: it doesn’t always have to be the newest and most expensive model)
  • Preparing for a drone shoot
  • How to find exciting locations
  • Basic technical knowledge
  • Basics about weather conditions, as well as times of day and seasons
  • Composition techniques
  • Aerial architecture photography
  • Post-processing on the computer (beginner-friendly, don’t worry)

Get started with your drone today and begin to take professional photos yourself – my course will provide you with the required knowledge.

Click here and enroll today. You won’t regret it, and your followers and audience will thank you!

Got more ideas for online drone courses? Give them to me. Just send me an email, and I’ll see what I can do: [email protected].

Let’s talk about the DJI Mini 3 Pro Drone

Posted by Dronerator

Alright. Another day, another drone. But this time, we’re talking big news. In the following article, I will go through the major pros and cons of the new DJI Mini 3 Pro drone. The tiny drone that feels much larger inside. I will unveil who should (and who shouldn’t) buy this new piece of electronics.

DJI Mini 3 Pro drone in flight

Overview

The new miniature drone weighs less than 250 grams. That’s not only nice because it means that you can relax your muscles and won’t have to carry a lot, but it’s especially relevant, as having drones weighing less than 250 grams means getting around certain regulatory limitations (f.e. a drone license in Europe).

Well, the Mini 3 Pro drone by DJI isn’t the first drone to weigh less than 250 grams. There are plenty of cheap 30$ drones that are also lightweight (spoiler alert: they crash into the walls faster than you can replace them).

But how about the unofficial predecessor model, the DJI Mini 2 drone? It has the same weight and almost similar dimensions.

Major upgrades

Okay, let’s start with the big news, the major upgrades that make the DJI Mini 3 Pro drone the first miniature drone to deserve the term “Pro.”

It is major news that a miniature drone features a functional obstacle avoidance system. The system (camera-based) makes sure the drone doesn’t bump into walls, trees, et cetera. It scans the surroundings and does a neat job. It “looks” to the front, the bottom, and backward.

Especially for those relying on the tracking mode of the drone (people running in the woods, surfing, riding their bicycle), the obstacle avoidance system comes in handy: it makes sure the drone stays safe.

Because, yes, plenty of drones can track an object in motion, but none (of the small drones) can detect and avoid obstacles. Even when flying backward.

DJI Mini 3 Pro drone

Let’s talk about flight specs.

Or rather not.

Drone specs are always over-exaggerated. When a manufacturer tells you the drone can fly for 6 miles, it can probably flies half of the distance under realistic (and not ideal) conditions. When it comes to the flight time, you can usually cut the official time by a third.

The drone stays airborne for roundabout 25 minutes. That’s definitely a reasonable flight time, but not a new record. No drone I have flown actually beats the half-hour mark (though many models advertise superb flight times). Getting yourself a pack of spare batteries is never wrong. By the way, when ordering the fly more kit, you get not only two extra batteries but also the multiple charger. It allows you to charge your battery on the go using a standard power bank.

The flight time – I know. It’s a hot topic. Though I never understood why. Flying out of sight is not only illegal in most places but also not helpful for creating amazing aerials. Therefore, I didn’t go for an extreme range test. Instead, I tested the drone under normal circumstances. And yes, the signal is super strong. I received glitches only rarely, and the screen never fully blacked out.

I am thrilled with the signal strength of the new drone.

Fun fact: the sometimes annoying remote controller antenna has magically disappeared. Take a look.

DJI Mini 3 Pro Remote Controller with builtin display

Unfortunately, I can’t provide you with a photo of the front of the controller (though you can check it out in-depth in my video review on YouTube; See the link at the bottom of the article). But let me tell you that the screen rocks: not having to attach a smartphone is so very comfortable. No more forgetting about or bringing cables, no more dying smartphone batteries, no more mindless social media distractions.

The display is bright, though not as bright as the display that you find in some of the more expensive controllers for the high-end drones. But even in bright sunlight, I never had any trouble seeing the screen and setting things up properly.

The Camera

Okay, I know why you’re here. You want to learn more about the miniature drone’s camera. Let me enlighten you quickly.

In three simple words: the camera rocks.

I know that some will now be crying out loud, “Oh, he’s a fanboy. He’s only promoting the drone because they pay him.” Well, to be honest, I wish they were. Unfortunately, they’re not.

If you want to support my work, you can purchase your new gear through my links (if you feel like buying the new DJI Mini 3 Pro drone, feel free to buy it right here).

But seriously, why shouldn’t I be a fan of something that impresses me? I don’t care about loyalty (when it comes to technology); in this regard, I only care about usefulness.

And when I come across a tool that helps me get the job done efficiently, I will promote it. And let me spoiler you again: I really like the new DJI Mini 3 Pro drone.

To me, it’s by far the best miniature drone there is in 2022.

And whatever you might feel right now, whether you feel like biting into your desk or throwing a unicorn pillow: I don’t care. Call me a fanboy? Do you really think that offends me?

Alright, the social media debate about free speech shouldn’t influence this harmless tech article of mine. At least not all of it. Enough is enough. Back to the topic.

Now, the miniature camera of the DJI Mini 3 Pro drone records crisp and clean 4K at up to 60fps.

And the bitrate is also impressive: up to 150 mbit/s save tons of details that would otherwise be lost. It is also big news that the DJI Mini 3 Pro drone is the first-in-class drone to feature a professional color profile (D-Cinelike). Feel free to use your magic fingers to color correct and not write senseless, mean (but actually irrelevant) comments on social media (I’m so sorry if you’re not one of these trolls that I feel like talking to at the moment, I’ll try to change tone now).

Also, when it comes to taking photos, the drone is miles ahead of its competition. Let me mention one fact only: 48MP photos. RAW 48MP photos. Let’s take a look at a few of the images I recorded with the small 24mm camera.

The tiny miniature camera does indeed take great photos. I didn’t expect the images to be that reach in detail when I first opened the box.

The downsides

Obviously, everything also has a downside. In this case, I can list three cons that I ran into while testing the new drone.

1) The remote controller doesn’t feature an HDMI output. To some users, this might be an issue.

2) To check the battery level of the batteries, you need to either insert them into the drone or into the multiple charger – the batteries themselves don’t have any buttons or LEDs to display the voltage level.

3) The drone’s low weight also has its downside: the drone’s body feels less sturdy than the larger models – but obviously, this is how the manufacturer (DJI) made the drone stay below 250 grams.

Gimme more

Alright, I will. How about watching my review on YouTube? It’s worth it for sure.

https://youtu.be/_rmpksTLzUs

Or the unboxing video. In case you feel like buying the new DJI Mini 3 Pro drone.

https://youtu.be/dfyWRLfkS9k

If you want to learn how to take outstanding aerials (videos and photos) with your drone, enroll in one of my online courses. I’ll teach you everything that you need to know. That way, you can combine both: great tech (your drone) with creative skills. Click here to take a look at the courses.

Want to buy the drone? Click here and get airborne.