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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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Japan Is Quietly Doing What Many Countries Only Talk About With Medical Drones
Zipline

Japan Is Doing What Countries Only Talk About With Medical Drones

Medical drones are often discussed in glossy presentations and optimistic press releases, but Japan is one of the few countries where the conversation has moved past theory and reportedly into daily operations. While the global medical drone market is projected to grow from roughly 787 million dollars in 2024 to nearly 2.8 billion by 2032,…

drone spray pasture weed uas uav agras dji
Colombia

Colombia Turns to Drones to Fight Cocaine Boom

Colombia is reopening a chapter it thought it had closed a decade ago, but this time the crop dusters have rotors instead of wings. After banning aerial fumigation in 2015 due to health and environmental concerns tied to glyphosate, the Colombian government has approved a new plan to spray coca crops using drones, a move…

Drone Delivers Phone and Blanket in Phoenix Mountain Rescue
DJI

DJI Drone Delivers Phone and Blanket in Phoenix Mountain Rescue

When a hiker found himself injured and stuck overnight on Camelback Mountain near Phoenix, help arrived from above, but not in the way most people expect. Instead of a dramatic night hoist, the Phoenix Fire Department sent a DJI drone carrying a small survival kit that made a long, cold night far more manageable, as…

Drone Finds Missing Man After 29 Hours in Freezing Cold
DJI

Drone Finds Missing Man After 29 Hours in Freezing Cold

A routine afternoon walk in LaGrange, Kentucky turned into a 29 hour fight for survival, and a drone roughly the size of a pizza box ended up being the difference between a recovery and a rescue. On December 20, Oldham County search and rescue teams were alerted that a local man had gone missing. He…

Drones Prove Deer Hunt Was Needed at Quabbin Park
FAA

Drones Prove Deer Hunt Was Needed at Quabbin Park

When Massachusetts officials told residents a deer hunt was necessary at Quabbin Park, some locals were not convinced, as reported by the Boston Herald. They questioned the headcount, the math, and possibly the eyesight of whoever was doing the counting. So the state brought in an impartial referee that does not argue on Facebook. A…

Drones Race to Beat Wildfires Before They Explode
Wildfire

Drones Race to Beat Wildfires Before They Explode

From a distance, the scene looked almost relaxed. A large black drone rested on grass. A small fire crackled on stacked pallets. Hanging underneath the drone was a red balloon filled with water, looking less like cutting edge technology and more like something borrowed from a very nervous birthday party. But appearances lie. The drone…

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