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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
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144
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2025
Writing since
Aug 18
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DJI Firmware Roulette: One Controller, Two Drones, Zero Sanity
DJI

DJI Firmware Roulette: One Controller, Two Drones, Zero Sanity

Hello dear readers. It’s Rafael again, reporting from the front lines of daily drone flying, where batteries are always charging, SD cards are always full, and firmware updates are always waiting like unpaid parking tickets. As you know, I fly almost every single day. Not metaphorically. Literally. If a drone has propellers and DJI’s logo…

Northrop’s AiON Enters the Counter-Drone Arena
Counter-Drone

Northrop’s AiON Enters the Counter-Drone Arena

Let’s set the stage properly. This is all based on official statements, demos, and testing info shared by Northrop Grumman, and yes, the tone is serious because the problem is serious. Rogue drones are no longer a future headache. They are already buzzing overhead, sometimes in swarms, sometimes cheap, sometimes disposable, and sometimes very unfriendly.…

DJI Osmo Mobile 8P rumors spark 2026 gimbal hype
DJI

DJI Osmo Mobile 8P rumors spark 2026 gimbal hype

Before anyone starts clearing desk space or refreshing the DJI store at midnight, let’s get this out of the way first. Everything you are about to read is DJI rumors, leak, educated guesswork, and FCC tea leaf reading. DJI has not officially announced the Osmo Mobile 8P, confirmed its specs, or whispered its price into…

DJI Osmo Pocket 4 FCC Leak Reveals the Hard Numbers
DJI

DJI Osmo Pocket 4 FCC Leak Reveals the Hard Numbers

From the very first line, let’s be painfully clear. Nothing in this article is official. DJI has said absolutely nothing. What follows comes from FCC filings, leaked documents, regulatory paperwork, and the kind of number soup that only exists when a product is very real but very unannounced. No marketing slides. No teaser videos. Just…

China’s CH-7 Stealth Drone Completes First Flight
China

China’s CH-7 Stealth Drone Completes First Flight

China’s high altitude stealth drone known as the CH-7 has officially left the runway and returned in one piece, which in the world of advanced flying wing aircraft is no small achievement and usually a reason for quiet celebrations and strong coffee. Also called the Caihong-7 or Rainbow-7, the large unmanned aircraft completed its maiden…

Rapid NATO Counter-Drone System Shines at Bold Machina
China

Rapid NATO Counter-Drone System Shines at Bold Machina

If there is one thing modern conflicts have made painfully clear, it is that small drones punch far above their weight. Cheap, fast, and everywhere, they have become the airborne equivalent of mosquitoes with cameras, explosives, or both. At NATO’s Bold Machina exercise in the Netherlands this September, a rapidly developed counter drone prototype showed…

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