The BLU-Space project is developing a system for the management of unmanned drone traffic in Germany. Its purpose is to integrate air traffic data with data from various sources and platforms for the first time under real conditions to develop holistic blueprints. This is expected to make a significant contribution to safe and economical air […]
The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR) said Russians were among the major backers during a recent fundraiser to purchase reconnaissance drones for the agency. The donations largely came in during Russia’s presidential election on March 15-17 – in what was likely a way to voice discontent with the regime. The fundraiser, which was promoted on […]
Chinese scientists say they have developed a new type of war drone unlike any ever seen on the battlefield. At first glance, it resembles a consumer-grade Chinese DJI multirotor. However, once it reaches the target airspace it can split in the blink of an eye into two, three or even six smaller drones, depending on […]
Quickstep Holdings has announced a substantial follow-on order from its Australian partner and advanced drone development company, Carbonix. The urgent order encompasses 40 Volanti airframes and associated non-recurring engineering, marking this the largest order received from Carbonix for this drone type. Valued at $1.35 million, this order is scheduled to be fully delivered before June […]
Russia is producing more than 100 Iranian-designed drones a week for its ongoing war in Ukraine, a top U.S. military commander told Congress, providing a fresh example of how small drones are changing modern warfare across the globe. U.S. Central Command boss Army Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla said that Russia initially asked Iran for one-way […]
Looking to get an awesome gift for a child? Maybe you’re an educator looking to get a drone to facilitate a child’s learning about STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math).
Whether you’re looking into the best drones for kids for their education or for their entertainment (or ahem, both!), drones are a fantastic tool to enrich a kid’s life.
The best drone for kids by a long shot is Tello, a $159 kid-friendly drone that combines DJI flight technology and an Intel processor to create a budget camera drone that also can be used to teach newbies the basics of programming. It’s a great little drone for people looking for a low-cost introduction to stunt flying and shooting videos, as well as people looking to learn how to use drones and how to code, making it one of my favorite educational tools, too. The Tello drone, which weighs just 80 grams, can fly for 13 minutes and shoot 5-megapixel photos.
Now if that all sounds too good to be true, sadly it might be. It appears that Tello might be discontinued. As of mid-to-late 2024, the $99 Tello drone appears as sold out on DJI’s stop. Third parties such as Amazon still sell Tello. But even there, quantities are limited (mostly to used versions only).
The Drone Girl reached out to DJI for official comment and only got a vague answer.
“Currently, the Tello series is still being sold in the United States, and we will continue to provide technical and after-sales support to the customers,” a DJI spokesperson told The Drone Girl. “We have been working hard to provide global users with drone products that meet different needs. We will continue to launch new products that are accessible, easier to use, and meet entry-level or educational needs, so stay tuned.”
As for you, jump on this one now if you want a Tello drone. Otherwise, it’s potentially gone for good.
The best if you want to quickly get in the air and learn how to fly: Tomzon Mini Drone
The Tomzon Mini Drone ($32.99) is very similar. We’ve grouped them because they almost seem like the same drone. Go for the former as it’s typically cheaper. But if it’s sold out – or you find the latter on sale — which it frequently is — then it might end up working out.
Both are super simple to get flying. There’s no app to connect with or no fiddling with syncing it to your phone. But while that’s a blessing, it’s also a curse. With this drone, there’s no smartphone connection to see what the drone’s camera could be seeing. Well, this drone doesn’t even have a camera to begin with. These drones are strictly for flying (and are capable of some stunts like “3D rollover”). They have a few modes including high and low-speed modes or headless and compass modes. Thus both are great if your primary goal is learning how to fly.
This DIY Drone Build Kit comes with 159 easy-build pieces, so kids can build their drones and different styles and colors. The body is made out of Lego-like blocks for an easy build process for all ages.
Once flying, the drone has several features that make it easy to fly for kids and beginners like altitude hold and one key take off/land. Kids can learn the basics of building drones, while also having fun flying their custom-built drone.
This mini drone dinosaur toy comes with a simulated look and a pterodactyl shape. For $39.99, you can have a fun, easy to fly drone that is perfect for any dinosaur lover. The drone even roars like a dinosaur at the press of a button.
This drone comes equipped with many of the beginner toy drone features that make it ideal for kids and first-time flyers, like one key takeoff/landing, headless mode, speed setting and more.
Italy, 7,500 km of natural coast. 20% of the national surface. 70% of the low coasts are made up of sandy or pebbly beaches, for a length of 3,270 km and a surface area of 120 km2.
A lot of people fly drones outside, but what about inside? Whether the weather is rough outside, or just the airspace is too chaotic to operate in, flying indoors is often a preferred solution. But drones don’t always perform well inside. Some drones are BETTER when flown indoors. So with that, here are the best indoor drones of 2024:
Many of the drones in this guide are on the cheaper end, which sadly means they don’t hold up well in the slightest breeze. But many also work great outside, providing you with the most options. Our top pick among the best indoor drones out there has an incredible Level 5 Wind resistance.
Camera? Yes; 1/1.7” CMOS sensor with 48 million effective pixels. Films at 4K/60fps and slow-motion footage at 2.7K/50/60/100/120fps.
DJI released its Avata drone in the summer of 2022 as a Cinewhoop-style FPV drone, made with indoor drone flights in mind. At just 180×180 mm in width and length, it’s ideal in tight spaces. Plus, it weighs just 405 grams. Built-in propeller guards eliminate the risk of scratching walls or other items inside, should you crash.
The Avata drone is a bit different from all the others in this list in that it’s an FPV drone (thus is designed to be flown with FPV goggles). It was also designed to be flown with what DJI calls a Motion Controller, differentiating itself from standard controllers with sticks. However, if you prefer flying line of sight and want to use a standard controller, you can do that too, by way of the DJI FPV Remote Controller 2, which you can buy for less than $230.
This drone wins as the best indoor drone not just for its ease of use, small size, and beginner-friendly modes, but comes out on top for its camera. Some DJI Avata camera specs:
1/1.7” CMOS sensor
48 million effective pixels
Films at 4K/60fps and slow-motion footage at 2.7K/50/60/100/120fps.
f/2.8 aperture
An ultra-wide-angle lens with a viewing angle of up to 155°
D-Cinelike color mode for a broader color palette that enables detailed chromatic adjustments
DJI Avata is the best indoor drone, but it also holds up incredibly well outside thanks to Level 5 max wind resistance. That means it can fly at wind speeds ranging from 19 to 24 miles per hour (which is about the equivalent of winds that generate moderate waves at the beach).
Avata is absolutely amazing for so many use cases, indoors and out. Here’s an example of how the Avata effortlessly executed an incredible real estate tour:
Camera? Yes; 5-megapixel camera and shoots 720p video
The Tello is an all-around awesome drone. It does it all, and it does it all well.
It’s great indoors, but it still flies well in most conditions outdoors. It’s got a camera that takes decently great photos. It can perform stunts like flips to make the act of flying a bit more fun. It can even teach you how to code.
While it’s technically made by a company called Ryze, the drone often gets put under the DJI umbrella of drones because it was built using DJI flight technology— and an Intel processor.
The drone doesn’t come with an RC transmitter. Instead, it’s controlled via a mobile app (or an external one can be purchased separately). You can also control it via hand gestures. Video quality is decent for a $159 drone, but it doesn’t compare to DJI’s camera drones like the Mavic 3 Pro, or even the $399 Mavic Mini.
One standout feature is how the Tello can teach you how to code, making it an excellent STEM drone. The drone pairs integrate with a programming language called Scratch. With it, you can program the drone to fly in certain directions based on the “code” you have written.
Now if that all sounds too good to be true, sadly it might be. It appears that Tello might be discontinued. As of mid-to-late 2024, the $99 Tello drone appears as sold out on DJI’s stop. Third-parties such as Amazon still sell Tello. But even there, quantities are limited (mostly to used versions only).
The Drone Girl reached out to DJI for official comment, and only got a vague answer.
“Currently, the Tello series is still being sold in the United States, and we will continue to provide technical and after-sales support to the customers,” a DJI spokesperson told The Drone Girl. “We have been working hard to provide global users with drone products that meet different needs. We will continue to launch new products that are accessible, easier to use and meet entry-level or educational needs, so stay tuned.”
As for you, jump on this one now if you want a Tello drone. Otherwise, it’s potentially gone for good.
The best indoor drone if you also want to fly outdoors: DJI Mini 4
Camera? Yes; 1/1.3-inch CMOS camera; shoots images at up to 48MP and video up to 4k/60fps
The DJI Mini 4 Pro is designed as an outdoor drone, and I recommend mostly using it for outdoor flying. However, it stands out for its omnidirectional obstacle avoidance. While DJI won’t outright call it crash-proof, this is pretty much as close as you can get.
Here are some DJI Mini 4 camera specs:
A 1/1.3-inch CMOS camera sensor with dual native ISO: This means footage from either camera can be packed with rich coloring and natural lighting transitions.
Aperture: f/1.7, which is ideal for low-light and nighttime performance
High-quality capture: It shoots images at up to 48MP and video at up to 4k/60fps
Digital video zoom: It’s available up to 2x in 4k, up to 4x
HDR Video recording: Available in 4k/60fps
Night Shots video: Delivers clear, cleaner footage in low-light conditions
Additionally, the DJI Mini 4 Pro is under 249g, films high-quality photos and videos, and is the best drone option if you are looking for a drone that gives you the versatility of flying indoors and out.
Star Wars nerds! Whether you love Baby Yoda, Kylo Ren, Ewoks, or all of the above (that would be me!), the Propel Star Wars Battle Drones are incredible. No other drones in this guide have the combination of aesthetically stunning AND truly fun to fly.
They’re hand-painted and highly realistic drones, arriving in all sorts of various designs like a tie fighter, speeder bike, or X-Wing. Not only do the Propel drones fly, but they can also actually battle. That’s possible due to eye-safe lasers that can be fired at other Star Wars drones. You can pair drones together to turn them into a battle game, where the drone wobbles and the controller vibrates in your hand if hit. After three hits, the drone will crash land.
Also, you can either play with a buddy. Or, if you’re truly in single isolation, you can battle against others via a system that records, combines, and compares your performance against virtual players in the world.
Now at $140, this one is not cheap. Consider it more of a collector’s item or an amazing gift for a diehard Star Wars fan. It’s listed at $140, though you can often find it for far less. Set a price alert or browse many websites for the best deal.
Fat Shark’s FPV (first-person view) headsets are the gold standard among drone racing pros. But even if you’re not a pro, there’s great news. Also, Fat Shark makes a kit with everything you need to get started drone racing.
However, with the Fat Shark 101 Training system, you get a radio, goggles and tiny quadcopter all in one kit. The RC transmitter has two modes for beginners and more advanced pilots, giving you an opportunity to improve your skills as you’re at home self-quarantining.
I love how easy this kit is to upgrade. While the quality of each individual piece is good, should you decide to step it up, you can swap out individual pieces (ie. just the goggles, or just the drone) and incorporate them into the kit.
Now for the bad news. As of publication, this drone is out of stock. However, GetFPV’s product page allows you to subscribe to alerts where the company will notify you when the product is back in stock, which you can do via this webpage.
This one stands out as an especially great indoor drone for its 4″ size, enabling it to better fit through tight spaces. Plus, that help it makes a lot less noise than a 6-7″ drone.
This drone is best when used in tandem with the the Flywoo Naked GoPro 10 Action Camera w/ Touchscreen + Filter Set, which is effectively a GoPro Hero 10. Flywoo took it and stripped out all the unnecessary features beyond what you need for FPV flying to make it weigh just 44 grams (critical in your FPV flight).
The best indoor drone if you want to record sound: HoverAir X1
Price: $439 (frequently on sale for $399)
Flight Time: 11 minutes per battery
Camera? Yes; 12-megapixel camera and shoots 2.7k video
The HoverAir X1 does not come with a controller. Instead, it flies with a selection of pre-programmed paths, including Hover, Follow, Zoom Out, Orbit, and Bird’s Eye. If flying indoors, I recommend flying with manual control mode ensuring total control.
The stand-out feature of the HoverAir X1 is its ability to record sound. The drone records sound from your phone (the controller). While the sound quality itself is pretty solid, the sound does not always match up to the video recording. HoverAir X1 recommends downloading a third-party app to edit the sound to fix this issue.
The HoverAir X1 can do all the same features outdoors, has a level 4 wind resistance, and reaches a maximum height of 15m. You can read an in-depth review of the HoverAir X1 here.
Flight time: 31 minutes per battery (or about 20 with the propeller guards)
Camera? Yes; 5-megapixel camera and shoots 720p video
The DJI Mini 2 was designed for outdoor flight, and should primarily be flown outdoors. That said, it’s surprisingly well-suited for indoor flying. Given that it’s just 11.3 inches wide when unfolded (including the propellers) and the average interior doorway is about 30 inches, it has more than enough clearance to fly through doorways. The Mini 2 also comes with lightweight propeller guards to keep your walls and indoor objects safe. Plus, it made the list of the best DJI drones under $500.
With the Mini 2, you will lose out on video and photo quality compared to the Mini 4 Pro, but you will certainly save in price.
How many female drone pilots are out there in the United States in 2024?
The Federal Aviation Administration in March 2024 updated its U.S. Civil Airmen Statistics report. The FAA updates the report annually with detailed airmen statistics not published in other FAA reports. And the data provides some pretty interesting insight about the number of female drone pilots in the U.S. It also sheds light on the number of female commercial and air transport pilots, too).
This fresh batch of data released on March 7, 2024 shows that there were 30,935 female pilots in the U.S. in 2023 (which is the most recent set of data). That’s a huge increase from the figure reported in 2023. Then, the FAA said there were 24,293 female drone pilots in the U.S. as of 2022.
And the share of female, remote pilots is increasing, too. According to the 2023 data, women made up 7.9% of all certified remote pilots. But as of the new 2024 data, they make up 8.39%.
The statistics that show how many female drone pilots exist come from broader data about airmen (both pilot and non-pilot). The FAA obtained the data through official airmen certification records maintained at FAA’s Aeronautical Center, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Then another group Women and Drones, which is an online drone community and support network, analyzed the data. Women and Drones also runs the annual Women in Emerging Aviation Technologies Awards, a related Hall of Fame, an annual in-person summit and its own drone diversity study, among other projects.
Women and Drones compiled a neat graphic visualizing the data. (Graphic courtesy of Women and Drones)
Women and Drones did all sorts of number crunching to better dig into what the female drone pilot area looks like. The study also showed where within the U.S. most women drone pilots are located.
Where do female drone pilots live?
The Women and Drones analysis broke out number of female drone pilots by state. It turns out that California (which is where I live!) is home to the most female drone pilots of any U.S. state. These three states have the most female drone pilots, according to the Women and Drones analysis of FAA data:
California: 3,128
Texas: 2,651
Florida: 2,559
Meanwhile, these three U.S. states have the fewest female drone pilots, according to the Women and Drones analysis of FAA data:
Of course, note that the figures analyzing how many female drone pilots by state do somewhat represent a population map. Given that, California at No. 1 shouldn’t be all that surprising. After all, California is the most populous state, followed by Texas at No. 2 and Florida at No. 3. That’s the exact same ranking in terms of female drone pilots. That said, the least-populated states don’t necessarily have the fewest drone pilots. Wyoming is the least-populated state, but still has 108 female drone pilots. Then comes Vermont, which unsurprisingly has few drone pilots. But the third least-populated state, Alaska, has surprisingly many female drone pilots — 333 to be exact.
The rate of female drone pilots is increasing
(Graphic courtesy of Women and Drones)
Women and Drones also broke out the average age of female drone pilots. Despite the stereotype that tech is for the youths, the average female drone pilot is aged 38.
There are also more female drone pilots than the number of female commercial pilots and air transport pilots combined.
Again, this metric might be perhaps unsurprising as the barrier to entry to become a drone pilot is far lower. Experts describe the Part 107 test to earn your Remote Pilot Certificate as a pared-down version of the written test pilots must take to be able to fly piloted aircraft. There’s also a practical component to fly piloted aircraft in the U.S. That’s not the case for drone pilots (though other countries such as Canada do have a practical component for drone pilots, too).
Another encouraging metric? The number of female drone pilots in the U.S. is growing.
Year
Number of female drone pilots
Overall number of drone pilots
% of female drone pilots
2016
793
20,362
3.9%
2017
3,462
69,166
5%
2018
6,188
106,321
5.8%
2019
10,818
160,302
6.7%
2020
14,882
206,322
7.2%
2021
19,366
254,587
7.6%
2022
24,293
304,256
7.9%
2023
30,935
368,633
8.39%
While women drone pilots are still a small minority at just 8.4%, that number has increased every single year since the data has been tracked. In 2016, just 3.9% of all drone pilots are women, but that number is growing.
On a percentage basis, the rate of all drone pilots who are women has doubled. And on a numbers basis, it has increased by about 30x. The rate of overall drone pilots has increased by a still-impressive, but not nearly as high 15x.
In short, female drone pilots are joining in the industry at a far faster rate than men these days.
Don’t miss For the Win Robotics on the Drone Radio Show as Rob Harvey, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder talks with host Randy Goers about the company’s Hopper Drone, and how new drone technology is enhancing STEM Education. Listen here: Drone Radio Show · Innovating Education with New Generation Drones: Rob Harvey, Exe Chairman and Co-Founder […]
The BLU-Space project is developing a system for the management of unmanned drone traffic in Germany. Its purpose is to integrate air traffic data with data from various sources and platforms for the first time under real conditions to develop holistic blueprints. This is expected to make a significant contribution to safe and economical air […]
