Drone News Roundup: DJI May Have Already Leaked the Mavic 3 Enterprise, A Ropes Course by FPV Drone, and More!
BY Zacc Dukowitz
28 April 2022This week we’re covering a possible leak of the DJI Mavic Enterprise by DJI itself in an April Fool’s video it released earlier this month.
We’re also covering a fun cinewhoop-style drone tour of a ropes course, an artistic tour of Tuscany, DJI’s first ever microphone offering, and a survey that shows 95% of Florida public safety agencies think that the state’s new drone ban will hurt their drone programs.
Now on to the links!
Did DJI Leak the Mavic 3 Enterprise?
DJI is excited to announce our innovative new airbag solution that will be included in all newly released drones this year. Simply triple-tap the shutter button on your remote to activate the omnidirectional airbags for worry-free flight. pic.twitter.com/5L2TL760oi
— DJI Enterprise (@DJIEnterprise) April 1, 2022
Most of the leaks we see for DJI products come from industry insiders—people close to DJI employees, who get early access to prototypes and launch information, then share it. But this video that DJI put out as an April Fool’s joke on Twitter may contain a leak from the company itself. According to YouTuber Billy Kyle, if you look closely at the Mavic 3 featured in the video you’ll see that the drone isn’t carrying the dual camera you’d expect it to have, but some new Zenmuse camera. And it’s the new camera that’s driving speculation that DJI may be teasing the Mavic 3 Enterprise itself, albeit in a very subtle way. We reported in early April on a leaked photo of the Mavic 3 Enterprise—between that leak and this teaser from DJI, it seems safe to say that it’s probably in the works.
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Check Out This FPV Drone Tour of a Ropes Course in British Columbia
We really enjoyed this cinewhoop-style tour of a ropes course, which takes you right through the action as people climb, repel, and walk on tightropes high in the green trees of Victoria, British Columbia. The video was made by Lumera Productions Aerial, a B.C.-based drone services company. Check it out for a fun, expertly-piloted aerial journey through an outdoor adventure in a beautiful forest.
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Tuscany through Art
This video made by YouTube creator Sergio Mota won the grand prize in SkyPixel’s first ever Creative Video Contest. Creators were not confined solely to drone shots for their submissions, and Sergio used both a Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and a Mavic 2 Pro in making this. In the description, Sergio explains that the video “takes viewers on a journey across the masterpieces from Friedrich, Dalí, and Van Gogh.” Watch the video to see how he intricately wove real shots with artistic elements to create a unique tour through this iconic Italian region.
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DJI Mic, First Microphone from Drone Giant
The release of the DJI Mic is yet another signal that DJI intends to establish itself not just as the world’s biggest drone maker, but also as a maker of equipment for videography and cinematography. According to DJI, the DJI Mic allows you to “easily record audio that matches the quality of your videos.” DJI’s Osmo series, its Zenmuse cameras, and its new Ronin 4D cinematography solution have all established it as a force to be reckoned with on this front, across a range of price points. This may be the first microphone DJI puts out, but we’re guessing it won’t be the last.
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95% of Florida’s Public Safety Agencies Believe the State’s Drone Ban Will Hurt Their Drone Programs
Credit: AIRT
In January of this year we reported on a list of “approved drones” issued by Florida’s Department of Management Services that contained the drones approved for use by governmental agencies in the state, which was issued in compliance with a new Florida law. The list of drones exactly matches the drones approved for federal use by the Pentagon in the first version of its Blue UAS program—Skydio, Parrot, Altavian, Teal Drones, and Vantage Robotics. At the time of the list’s release, there was concern among public safety agencies in Florida that the new requirement would have a severely negative impact on their drone programs, because it would force them to drop drones made by DJI and other unapproved companies from its fleet. And this concern has not gone away. According to a new survey conducted by the Airborne International Response Team (AIRT), home to the DRONERESPONDERS program, an overwhelming majority of public safety agencies in Florida fear that the new requirement will have an extremely negative impact on their drone programs.
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