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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.

1,179
Articles
144
Beats covered
2025
Writing since
Aug 18
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Overhead black-and-white view of a DJI Phantom quadcopter surrounded by folding DJI Mavic drones and other multirotors arranged on a white surface
Colorado

Colorado Springs Drones First on Scene 61% of Calls

The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) is telling the full story of what seven drones stationed across the city are actually doing, and the numbers are hard to argue with. In an interview with KKTV published April 6, 2026, CSPD Sgt. Jeff Edmonds said the drones, part of the department’s Real Time Crime Center Unit,…

US Army Grenadier System Adds Counter-Drone Ammo After 18 Years
US Army

US Army Grenadier System Adds Counter-Drone Ammo After 18 Years

The U.S. Army is finally moving past two decades of failed grenade launcher programs, and this time it’s baking counter-drone capability directly into the weapon from the start. A new solicitation published April 6, 2026, asks defense contractors to submit prototypes for the Precision Grenadier System (PGS), a man-portable weapon that will replace the aging…

Skydio X10 drones hovering around a Skydio dock in front of a wall of mapping monitors.
Skydio

Drone Catches Fleeing Driver in Beaverton Backyards

A hit-and-run suspect who crashed into two cars and ran through residential yards in Beaverton, Oregon, didn’t get far. Washington County’s new Drone as First Responder program tracked him from above and guided deputies straight to him. The arrest on April 2 gave the six-week-old trial program one of its most visible results yet, as…

Overhead black-and-white view of a DJI Phantom quadcopter surrounded by folding DJI Mavic drones and other multirotors arranged on a white surface
DJI

First DJI Pocket 4 Unboxing Points to April 16 Launch

The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 just went from packaging leaks to hands-on video. The first unboxing footage of the upcoming gimbal camera has surfaced on YouTube, and it includes a specific claim: the official launch date is April 16, 2026. If that holds, DJI’s most anticipated camera of the year arrives sooner than most of…

No Pilot Required: Skyports and HOCHTIEF Are Surveying a German Bridge From Spain
DJI

No Pilot Required: Skyports and HOCHTIEF Are Surveying a German Bridge From Spain

Somewhere in Germany, a massive bridge is being built. Somewhere in Spain, a drone pilot is watching it happen in real time — without leaving the office. That’s not science fiction. That’s the DJI Dock 2 doing its thing, as Heliguy reported. Skyports Drone Services has partnered with construction giant HOCHTIEF to deploy a fully-automated…

DJI Avata 360 Firmware Update: This Is the Unlock You've Been Waiting For
DJI

DJI Avata 360 Firmware Update: This Is the Unlock You’ve Been Waiting For

The DJI Avata 360 just got a firmware update that changes the conversation. If you’ve been on the fence about pulling the trigger, this might be the moment. Let’s get into what’s new — and why it actually matters for real flying. Update, April 7, 2026: Since this article was published, it’s become clear that…

Mystery Drones Over Barksdale AFB: What We Actually Know
Skydio

Mystery Drones Over Barksdale AFB: What We Actually Know

Here’s what we know for certain: someone flew drones over one of America’s most sensitive military installations, and the Air Force still doesn’t know who. What we don’t know yet will shape the conversation around airspace security, operator intent, and what this means for other bases nationwide, as reported by Newsweek. Lawmakers in Louisiana are…

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