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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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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…

Drones vs Spoiled Vaccines: Rwanda Finds a Fix
Zipline

Drones vs Spoiled Vaccines: Rwanda Finds a Fix

In many rural parts of Africa, vaccines face an enemy more dangerous than misinformation or logistics, heat. Nearly one in four doses are thrown away simply because they fall outside the narrow temperature range they need to stay effective, a quiet tragedy when every vial represents protection that never reached an arm. Now Rwanda is…

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

Hong Kong may get passenger drones by 2027, keep arms inside the aircraft

Hong Kong has been easing into the drone era politely. First medical deliveries. Then a few food runs. Very civilized. No airborne chaos. No dystopian sky traffic jams yet but the city is clearly done with baby steps. At the Airspace Asia Pacific 2025 event at AsiaWorld Expo, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Transport and Logistics,…

Oklahoma Prisons Step Up Drone Defenses After 6,000 Phones Smuggled In
Oklahoma

Oklahoma Prisons Step Up Drone Defenses After 6,000 Phones Smuggled In

Drones have become a serious and persistent security threat inside Oklahoma state prisons, fundamentally changing how contraband enters correctional facilities, as Koko 5 ABC reports. According to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, drones have been used to deliver illegal items into prisons for at least the past four to five years, steadily replacing older smuggling…

Drone Helps Rescue Lost Hiker in Oregon Woods
Search & Rescue

Drone Helps Rescue Lost Hiker in Oregon Woods

A lost hiker was safely rescued in the McKenzie Bridge area of Oregon on December 26 thanks to a coordinated search effort that included drone technology, infrared imaging, and ground crews navigating difficult terrain. The operation highlights how unmanned aircraft systems are becoming a standard tool in modern search and rescue missions, especially in rugged…

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