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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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Drone Finds Couple After Ice Rescue on Saginaw Bay
DJI

DJI Drone Finds Couple After Ice Rescue on Saginaw Bay

A DJI Matrice 400 drone equipped with a dual payload played a decisive role in rescuing two people who fell through the ice on Saginaw Bay Wednesday evening, after their snowmobile broke through more than a mile from shore, as reported by ABC12. Emergency crews from the Standish Area Fire Authority were dispatched to the…

Drones to Deliver Blood in Wales Life Saving Trial
Zipline

Drones to Deliver Blood in Wales Life Saving Trial

Wales is preparing to test a drone delivery system that could quietly change how blood reaches patients in emergencies. The Dragon’s Heart project will use specially commissioned aircraft to transport blood donations by air, replacing road journeys that currently take hours, as the BBC reports. Today, donated blood is processed in south Wales and moved…

RQ-170 Sentinel Drone Watched Maduro’s Fall
Lockheed Martin

RQ-170 Sentinel Drone Watched Maduro’s Fall In Venezuela

Some drones announce themselves with noise, blinking lights, and shaky cellphone footage, others arrive like a thought you did not know you were having, quiet, inevitable, already there before you noticed. Saturday night over Venezuela, the RQ-170 Sentinel belonged firmly to the second category. At least one, and possibly two, of the U.S. Air Force’s…

DJI Matrice Drone Used in Campbellsville Missing Person Search
Search & Rescue

DJI Matrice Drone Used in Campbellsville Missing Person Search

A missing man in Campbellsville, Kentucky, was located safely Thursday night after a coordinated multi agency search that included UAV drone operations, ground teams, and emergency alerts. Campbellsville Fire Rescue confirmed the subject was found less than a quarter mile from his last known location and transported for medical evaluation with non life threatening injuries,…

Meet the UAVs Used at the US Department of War’s “Drone School”
DJI

Meet the UAVs Used at the US Department of War’s “Drone School”

When people hear “drone school,” they often imagine a room full of soldiers flying quadcopters into walls like it’s their first time with a PlayStation controller. The reality is far more serious, far more technical, and considerably more expensive. The US Department of War runs the Joint Counter Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems University at Fort…

Wichita Police Drone Tracks Circle K Robbery Suspect
Skydio

Wichita Police Drone Tracks Circle K Robbery Suspect

Wichita police arrested a 46 year old man early Friday morning after an armed robbery at a Circle K convenience store, with a Skydio X10 police drone playing a decisive role in locating and capturing the suspect, as reported by KWCH 12 News. Officers were dispatched at 5:20 a.m. to the Circle K located at…

Police Test Autonomous DFR Drones in Grand Chute
Police

Police Test Autonomous DFR Drones in Grand Chute

Autonomous drones are no longer a future promise for law enforcement. In Grand Chute, Wisconsin, police are already letting software and sensors arrive before squad cars. Since April 2025, the Grand Chute Police Department has been running a pilot drone as a first responder program, collecting real world data on how autonomous aircraft can support…

Walmart’s Drones Are Eyeing Tampa Backyards Next
Walmart

Walmart’s Drones Are Eyeing Tampa Backyards Next

Walmart is quietly turning Tampa Bay into a test runway, and this time the landing zone might be your lawn, as reported by Bizjournals. The retail giant has filed plans with Hillsborough County to roll out drone delivery operations at up to seven Walmart stores across the Tampa area, partnering once again with Alphabet owned…

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8,400+
Articles published
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Beats & desks
2020
Covering drones since
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