Drone News Roundup: DJI Air 3S Tour of Malta, How to Find a Drone Job Fast, and More!

This week we’re covering a drone tour of Malta shot on DJI’s newest prosumer drone, the Air 3S.

We’re also covering tips on how to find work as a drone pilot, U.S. customs blocking the import of DJI drones, an impressive demo of DJI’s new Smart RTH system, and university students beating Boeing in a competition to develop anti-drone technology.

Now on to the links!

Drone Tour of Malta with the DJI Air 3S

Equipped with a LiDAR sensor and Smart RTH feature that helps you fly in the dark, DJI’s new Air 3S is one of the best drones for shooting in low light conditions. But it’s also great for shooting during the day, as we can see in this new video from YouTuber Andras Ra shot entirely on the Air 3S. The video is full of cinematic shots of Malta, a beautiful country on the Mediterranean known for its stunning coastal views and rich historical landmarks. Featuring dramatic footage of the Dingli Cliffs, the ancient fortified city of Mdina, and other local architecture and natural beauty, this aerial tour does a great job showcasing both Malta and the abilities of DJI’s latest prosumer drone.

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How to Find a Drone Job—Fast

Looking for drone work? This video we made recently walks you through the best ways to find drone jobs in 2024. In it, we cover popular avenues for finding work as a commercial drone pilot, sharing some of the most useful drone job apps and Facebook groups. We also cover strategies for growing your drone business, from building credibility to securing higher-paying opportunities, with a highlight of our new Drone Business Blueprint course made to help drone pilots level up their businesses. Watch the video for tips on finding drone work, and look for links in the video’s description to Facebook groups and other resources to help you in your job search.

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U.S. Customs Is Blocking DJI Drone Imports

The DJI Air 3S

Having trouble getting a DJI Air 3S? That’s because DJI is having trouble bringing them into the country. According to DJI, the Department of Homeland Security is stopping the import of some DJI drones—including the new Air 3S. In a recent letter to distributors, DJI wrote that the reason for the blocked imports has to do with a mistaken application of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). The UFLPA makes it hard for any goods made in the Chinese region of Xinjiang to be imported to the U.S., because of the forced labor practices there. But DJI claims that it doesn’t manufacture anything in the Xinjiang region—all of its technology is made in Shenzhen or Malaysia—and that the block is just a misunderstanding that will be cleared up soon. Given the pressure mounting in D.C. to ban DJI, it’s hard not to see this action from the DHS as one more part of a larger pressure campaign to push DJI out of the U.S.

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Impressive Demo of New DJI Air 3S Smart RTH

Can your drone’s Return to Home do this? Probably not. One of the biggest features DJI is calling out on the new Air 3S is the drone’s Smart RTH. The Smart RTH is pretty futuristic, using LiDAR data to build a real-time map of the environment during flight, which allows the drone to evaluate multiple flight paths and navigate complex obstacles so it can safely return home on its own. Smart RTH works without GPS and also helps during nighttime flying, giving the Air 3S a true leg up for low light shooting. In this video, we see a drone pilot in China put Smart RTH to the test, using it to fly a long way back to its destination after navigating a tricky path from an apartment window and around several high rises.

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University Students Beat Boeing in Anti-Drone Competition

A conventional drone jammer aims at a drone

Think all the good ideas are taken? Think again! Four engineering students from the University of Toronto recently beat Boeing in a competition aimed at developing anti-drone technology. The system the students made uses sound waves to disrupt drone navigation systems from a distance, sending targeted drones off course and crashing to the ground. The students created a viable prototype of their CUAS (Counter-UAS) device with a personal investment of $17,000. Although their speaker-like system didn’t win the competition, it did take second place out of 15 entries, beating out much bigger, better-funded competitors like Boeing.

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