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Rafael Suárez

Rafael Suárez

Rafael Suárez is a drone journalist and content creator with more than 20 years behind the lens. He began in film photography in 1998, moved to digital in 2005, and has been flying and filming with drones since 2016. As a commercial videographer he has produced work for premium brands including BMW, Porsche, and MINI, and his documentary work champions a #flysafe mentality across the industry. Based in Quito, Ecuador, he covers drone news, hardware, and the policy and business shaping the industry for DroneXL, and shares reviews and cinematic flight on his YouTube channel. A dad and a lifelong aviation nerd, he's happiest when something is in the air.

1,178
Articles
144
Beats covered
2025
Writing since
Aug 13
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China Unveils 55-Pound Laser That Burns Drones in 4 Seconds
Ukraine

China Unveils 55-Pound Laser That Burns Drones in 4 Seconds

China just put a counter-drone laser on a soldier’s back. At the Defence Information Equipment & Technology Exhibition that opened June 16 in Beijing, the state-linked contractor Harbin Xinguang Optic-Electronics Technology rolled out two man-portable laser weapons, the Lijian II and Lijian III. They were designed to let a single soldier shoot down drones at…

TCSO Drones Will Answer 911 Calls Before Deputies Do
Brinc

TCSO Drones Will Answer 911 Calls Before Deputies Do

The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office is about to get its own fleet of 911 response drones. The county is finalizing a deal with Motorola Solutions to run a Drone as First Responder program built on BRINC hardware, the same setup the Porterville City Council already approved for its police department. The Tulare County Board of…

Boynton Beach OKs $90K Axon Drone Over Budget Fears
Skydio

Boynton Beach OKs $90K Axon Drone Over Budget Fears

Boynton Beach is getting a police drone first responder program, but not without a fight over the bill. On June 16 the city commission approved an Axon drone package in a 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Aimee Kelley the lone no after she questioned the timing of the purchase during early budget talks. The drones will…

Fire Point Turns a Moscow Strike Into a Trade Show Ad
Ukraine

Fire Point Turns a Moscow Strike Into a Trade Show Ad

Fire Point ran Thursday’s combat footage from a Moscow oil refinery strike as floor entertainment at its own booth in Paris. The Ukrainian drone and missile maker ran the raw video on a screen at Eurosatory 2026 hours after its FP-1 and FP-2 strike drones hit the Kapotnya refinery, turning a live war into the…

Newport News Sends Drones to 911 Calls in 90 Seconds
Police

Newport News Sends Drones to 911 Calls in 90 Seconds

Newport News, Virginia is about to start sending drones to 911 calls before officers or firefighters arrive, with some aircraft reaching a scene in under 90 seconds. The city has eight drones staged at four launch sites, ready to lift off after high-priority calls like a homicide, a shooting, a missing person, or a medical…

Mexico Downs Drone Over Korea's World Cup Training
Mexico

Mexico Downs Drone Over Korea’s World Cup Training

A drone flew over South Korea’s closed World Cup training session in Guadalajara on June 17, and Mexican forces brought it down before the team ran its tactical drills. Coach Hong Myung-bo confirmed the sighting a day later and called it unfortunate, two days before his side faced co-host Mexico. Whether the drone was spying…

Drone Pilot's Motor Trick Warns Surfer of Circling Shark
Search & Rescue

Drone Pilot’s Motor Trick Warns Surfer of Circling Shark

A drone pilot in Northern California spotted a shark circling a surfer on June 10, then used the aircraft itself to push the man out of the water before anything happened. Nick Bertocchini was flying over Seascape Beach in Aptos when the shark moved in behind a surfer named Rex and began to circle. Instead…

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8,400+
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340+
Beats & desks
2020
Covering drones since
100%
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