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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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FAA's Bold BVLOS Proposal: End Waivers, Ignite U.S. Drone Innovation Boom
DJI

Florida Faces Spike in Unauthorized Drone Flights

Florida is seeing a sharp rise in unauthorized drone flights as the holiday season pushes thousands of new drones into the hands of first time pilots, and aviation experts say many of these operators simply do not understand the rules before taking off, which is creating safety risks across the state, as My News 13…

Resonia and Amber Wings Push Heavy Lift Drone Tech Forward
Drone Delivery

Resonia and Amber Wings Push Heavy Lift Drone Tech Forward

Resonia, a major player in India’s power transmission sector, has formed a joint venture with Amber Wings, the drone manufacturing arm of Ubifly Technologies, and the agreement was announced during the Dubai Airshow 2025, as The Stat Times reports. The two companies want to bring next generation heavy lift drones into large transmission projects across…

NASA Tests Drones in Death Valley for Future Mars Flights
NASA

NASA Tests Drones in Death Valley for Future Mars Flights

NASA has been busy preparing the next generation of autonomous explorers, and this year that meant flying drones across the scorching dunes of Death Valley, a place so unforgiving that even your sunscreen wants sunscreen. The agency needed terrain as bland and empty as the Martian sand fields that once confused the Ingenuity helicopter, so…

CENTCOM Deploys New LUCAS "Suicide Drone" Force in the Middle East
Department of Defense

CENTCOM Deploys New LUCAS Drone Force in the Middle East

The United States has officially deployed its first line of Low Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System drones in the Middle East, marking a clear shift in how Washington plans to counter Iranian influence. The new formation, known as Task Force Scorpion Strike, was created only months after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered all branches…

How Drone Footage Helped Hugo Kurk Become a Microstock Standout
DJI

How Drone Footage Helped Hugo Kurk Become a Microstock Standout

Hugo entered microstock back in 2012 while studying, treating it as a side project and a way to make a bit of income online. He started with a Nikon D5100 and a mix of photos, illustrations, and even 3D renders. This interview did not take place on DroneXL. It was originally conducted by the team…

France Moves Closer to Fielding Drone Swarms by 2027
Ukraine

France Moves Closer to Fielding Drone Swarms by 2027

France says drone swarms are no longer a distant concept. According to officials from the French Army and Thales, military units are expected to start using operational drone swarms within the next two years, as Defense News reports. The announcement came during the Forum Innovation Défense in Paris, where leaders described a dramatic shift in…

General Cherry Unveils AIR Pro Interceptor Drone
Ukraine

General Cherry Unveils AIR Pro Interceptor Drone

General Cherry, a fast growing Ukrainian drone manufacturer, has introduced the AIR Pro interceptor drone, a compact but extremely fast platform built to hunt down enemy reconnaissance and attack UAVs across the front, as Militarnyi reports. The company says the AIR Pro has already been officially codified and approved for use throughout the Security and…

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