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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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Senator John Hoeven Announces $100 Million UAS Investment in Grand Forks
Department of Defense

Senator John Hoeven Announces $100 Million UAS Investment in Grand Forks

More than $100 million in federal funding is headed to Grand Forks, North Dakota, reinforcing the region’s growing role as a national hub for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), space, and defense technology, as the Grand Forks Herald reports. Speaking at the HIVE innovation center, U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) detailed a sweeping investment package that…

Kevin Durant Drone Claims Under Fire
Skydio

Kevin Durant Skydio Drone Claims Under Fire

Kevin Durant was logging his 16th NBA All Star appearance while the internet was busy staging a different kind of contest. This one involved alleged burner accounts, leaked screenshots, and an unexpected subplot about drones and Yahoo! Sports reported about it. The Houston Rockets forward suddenly found himself at the center of accusations that he…

Ireland Boosts Counter Drone Defenses Ahead of EU Presidency
Ireland

Ireland Boosts Counter Drone Defenses Ahead of EU Presidency

Ireland is tightening its digital airspace as it prepares to host Europe’s political elite. When Council of the European Union presidency rotates to Dublin on July 1, Ireland will become the diplomatic living room of Europe for six months. Prime ministers, presidents, defense chiefs, and policy heavyweights will pass through the capital. That spotlight brings…

JIATF 401's counter-UAS marketplace is now live, and the Pentagon's 'Amazon for drone defense' is open for orders - U.S. Army Tests TRV-150 Heavy Lift Drone
Drone Delivery

U.S. Army Tests TRV-150 Heavy Lift Drone

The U.S. Army is quietly experimenting with a future where supply convoys hum through the sky instead of rumbling down dusty roads. On February 12, 2026, soldiers conducted training with the TRV-150 unmanned aerial vehicle at Fort Stewart in Georgia, evaluating the heavy lift logistics drone during an exercise focused on performance and operator readiness,…

Brooklyn Navy Yard Evicts Easy Aerial
Easy Aerial

Brooklyn Navy Yard Evicts Easy Aerial

A political storm is circling one of New York City’s most historic industrial campuses, and at the center of it is a drone manufacturer. The city owned Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp. will not renew its lease with Easy Aerial, a New York based drone company, according to statements made by local officials and later…

Kansas City Police Could Down Drones for World Cup
Department of Justice

Kansas City Police Could Down Drones for World Cup

Kansas City may soon get something it has never had before, local police with the legal authority to knock a drone out of the sky, as KCTV5 reports. A new bill introduced by Eric Burlison would temporarily give state and local law enforcement the power to intercept and disable unmanned aircraft during the 2026 FIFA…

Musk’s xAI Plant Caught Running Unpermitted Gas Turbines
Thermal Drone

Musk’s xAI Plant Caught Running Unpermitted Gas Turbines

Thermal drone footage has added fuel to a growing controversy in Southaven, Mississippi, where Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI is accused of operating unpermitted gas turbines to power its expanding datacenter footprint, as reported by The Guardian. An investigation by Floodlight newsroom used aerial thermal imaging (yep, the same that we write a lot…

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