Rafael Suárez

Rafael Suárez is a drone pilot and commercial videographer with more than 20 years behind the lens, flying and filming with drones since 2016. He wrote for DroneXL on drone news, hardware, and developments shaping the industry. Rafa is based in Quito, Ecuador.

1,179

Articles

144

Beats covered

2025

Writing since

Aug 18

Latest story

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

NASA

Leaptic Cube Brings 8K Madness to a Thumb-Sized Camera

t the center of the LEAPTIC Cube is a bold decision that immediately separates it from most tiny action cameras. Dreame went with a 1 over 1.3 inch

Rafael SuárezJan 8

Police

Bridgeport Launches Drone as First Responder Program

Bridgeport, Connecticut, has officially joined the growing list of U.S. cities adopting a Drone as First Responder program, marking a major shift in how police, fire, and EMS respond to emergencies, as reported by ABC7 NY. City officials say the goal is simple. Get eyes on a scene faster, make better decisions sooner, and send…

Rafael SuárezJan 8

China

Is DJI Teasing a New Power Play Again?

DJI has posted a teaser in China, the internet has collectively squinted at it, and now we are all pretending to be product detectives with very strong opinions based on one single image. Classic DJI launch season energy. A poster shared on Weibo and reposted by Digital Camera World shows what appears to be a…

Rafael SuárezJan 8

Ukraine

Ukraine’s New Drone Is Basically an Aerial Interceptor on Energy Drinks

A new high speed drone interceptor is now actively hunting enemy UAVs over Ukraine, and it does so at a pace that would leave most quadcopters gasping for air. The system is called AIR SPEED, and it represents the latest evolution in Ukraine’s rapidly maturing counter drone ecosystem, where speed, simplicity, and frontline practicality matter…

Rafael SuárezJan 7

DJI

Runaway Retriever vs the Turnpike, Drones Win

An escaped Golden Retriever mix is back in safe hands after a dramatic weekend chase that involved highways, thermal drones, and a search team

Rafael SuárezJan 7

DJI

SmallRig S70: The Wireless Mic Getting Dangerously Small

SmallRig’s new S70 wireless microphone, priced at $89, enters this shrinking battlefield aiming straight at compact rivals like the DJI Mic Mini and

Rafael SuárezJan 7

Skydio

Gilbert Tests Various Drones as First Responders

The Town of Gilbert, Arizona is quietly building one of the more serious Drone as First Responder programs in the Southwest, with its Police and Fire departments jointly testing autonomous drone deployments to improve emergency response times, as reported by The Gilbert Sun News. At a recent town council retreat, Assistant Police Chief Jim Bisceglie…

Rafael SuárezJan 7

DJI Matrice 4TD drone from the DJI Dock 3 autonomous system.

DJI

Jersey Shore’s ‘Drone Ranger’ Has Saved 122 Missing Pets

These drones really are the cat’s meow, and occasionally the cow’s moo. Along the Jersey Shore, while most people worry about beach traffic and seagulls stealing fries, Michael Parziale is launching drones to bring missing pets home. Parziale, 64, a restaurant owner and FAA licensed drone pilot, has built an 18 drone rescue fleet through…

Rafael SuárezJan 6

Rafael Suárez

The drone industry moves fast. Stay ahead of it.