Looking for an efficient way to charge drones out in the field? Pilots traveling between jobs might have to rely on weak car chargers or coffee shop pit stops to recharge. For pilots literally out in the field, there might be no way to recharge, period. That’s where portable power stations come in. Portable powerful stations have become easier to come buy, cheaper to buy, and, well, more powerful in recent years. Among the most notable picks you’ll find in this guide? Two products made from the world’s largest drone maker itself: DJI. That’s because, in April 2024, DJI just unveiled two impres ..read more

Congress is on the verge of taking down a giant in the drone industry, but the collateral damage could clip the wings of American hobbyists. And it’s not just that, but it could also pinch their wallets as taxpayers. Here’s what you need to know about what might happen if Congress bans DJI drones. Proposed legislation, called the Countering CCP Drones Act, takes aim largely at DJI, which has long been the world’s largest drone manufacturer. The Countering CCP Drones Act would place DJI on a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) blacklist, effectively blocking new DJI drones from accessing th ..read more

It’s only been on sale for a day, and it’s already Amazon’s No. 1 best-selling drone. That’s the DJI Mini 4K, and it’s a new release from DJI offering an update to the Mini 2 SE drone. The quiet release is fairly limited. The DJI Mini 4K (at least for now) is not even available on DJI’s site, though you can purchase it through third-party retailers like Amazon. And it’s unsurprisingly why this drone is already performing killer sales on Amazon — as it’s a fantastic entry-level drone that ticks all sorts of boxes including ability to shoot 4K video, sub-250 gram weight, ease of flight and appro ..read more

On the heels of news that some U.S. lawmakers want to ban DJI drones, there was no shortage of DJI drones in the air this weekend. That’s because Saturday, April 27 marked the sixth year in a row of Drone Safety Day 2024. The national ‘drone holiday’ of sorts is orchestrated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It’s all a way to encourage local drone pilots, businesses, first responders using drones, schools and more to come together and fly drones — all with safety in mind. Groups all around the country put on their own live events to localize the FAA’s promotional campaign. As for m ..read more

The team at DARTdrones is hosting a raffle for their online Part 107 test prep course (a $200 value!), exclusively for Drone Girl readers. The contest is underway, and readers must enter by May 14, 2024, for a chance to win. Use this link to enter and win a free online Part 107 test prep course. For anyone preparing to take the Federal Aviation Administration’s Aeronautical Knowledge Test, this raffle offers a chance to prepare for free with a respected program. After all, the DARTdrones course is included in Drone Girl’s list of the best online Part 107 test prep courses. On May 15, 2024, DAR ..read more

XPONENTIAL 2024, the massive drone conference for uncrewed systems and robotics, wraps up today in San Diego. This year’s conference, which is considered one of the biggest drone events in the world, ran from April 22 to 25, 2024 at the San Diego Convention Center. XPONENTIAL 2024 is put on by Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems (AUVSI), which is a massive lobbying group that advocates for the drone industry. With the conference came the big XPO Hall with tons of vendors (and free swag), plus keynotes, breakout sessions and workshops. Many tech companies use conferences like XPONENTIAL 20 ..read more

DJI makes two excellent drones for different purposes: the adrenaline-pumping Avata 2, an FPV (First-Person View) racing flyer, and the versatile Air 3, a high-quality (yet easy to fly) camera drone for stunning visuals. So between the DJI Avata 2 vs. Air 3, which one should you get? The answer isn’t as simple as you might think, so let’s break down which drone is right for you. How to decide between the Avata 2 vs. Air 3: DJI Avata 2 vs. Air 3: a comparison of price and specs DJI Avata 2 vs. Air 3 camera Avata 2 vs. Air 3: Comparing drone size (winner: Avata 2) DJI Avata 2 vs. Air 3: differe ..read more

In the slew of government programs designed to award technology companies with approvals on products that help supports the U.S. government’s efforts to fight terrorism comes another wild acronym. It’s called the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act, dubbed ‘SAFETY’ for short. The goal of the SAFETY Act? To incentivize private companies to develop and deploy anti-terrorism technologies. The SAFETY Act, which is conducted through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been around since 2002. Yet, it only just now has added a drone-related to company to its list ..read more

These days, all sorts of U.S. drone pilots are seeking American-made drones. Some of that stems from anti-Chinese sentiment. Other ‘buy American’ motivations come purely from the desire to stimulate the U.S. economy and build up the U.S. as a leader in drone manufacturing. That said, there are very few U.S. rules regulating where drones are made. If you’re flying your own drone for recreational reasons or for a private business, there is no federal requirement around where your drone was made. Individual clients might have a preference (say, an oil company might not want a Chinese-made drone i ..read more

Zipline, which is generally considered the world leader in drone deliveries, has achieved a historic milestone: completing one million commercial drone deliveries to customers. The million delivery milestone occurred at 10:18 a.m. local time in Ghana (that’s 3:18 a.m. PT for those on Drone Girl’s time zone). The drone at hand? A Zip carrying two bags of IV fluid from Zipline’s distribution center in Ghana’s Western North Region to a local health facility. It’s a huge leap for the drone delivery space, especially when you account for the company’s exponential growth in achieving the milestone ..read more