Drone News Roundup: New Course Helps Drone Pilots Launch a Drone Business, DJI Air 3S Hits FCC Database, and More!
BY Zacc Dukowitz
26 September 2024This week we’re covering the launch of our new course, The Drone Business Blueprint, which gives commercial drone pilots step-by-step strategies for starting a successful business.
We’re also covering the DJI Air 3S hitting the FCC’s database, a look behind the scenes at Zipline, a drone tourism business that lets people fly drones remotely in exotic locales, and Hoverfly’s Green UAS certification for its Spectre drone.
Now on to the links!
UAV Coach Launches the Drone Business Blueprint
This week we launched a course focused on drone business fundamentals in partnership with Global Air University. Called The Drone Business Blueprint, the course gives certified drone pilots step-by-step strategies for starting a successful drone business.
After passing the FAA’s Part 107 test, some drone pilots are uncertain about what to do next to start making money with their drone. The Drone Business Blueprint gives these pilots a roadmap for success. Course instructor Eno Umoh is the co-founder of Global Air U, a company that provides education and training to drone business owners. He has taught over 18,000 students across 26 countries, as well as establishing a non-profit organization focused on drone STEM education called the Global Air Drone Academy.
The new course covers what drone pilots need to know to start and scale a drone business. Beginning with setting up your business, Umoh walks students through creating a business plan, making contracts, setting pricing, marketing, building a portfolio, and more.
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DJI Air 3S Hits FCC Database, Pricing Leaked
Hello #DJIAIR3S. The FCC reports have been filed today. Usually this sets a countdown of a month toward the ‘official teaser’. Launch early November? Cheers! pic.twitter.com/I7ORZ8ESZf
— Jasper Ellens | X27 (@JasperEllens) September 16, 2024
It looks like the DJI Air 3S is just about ready to launch. The Air 3S recently appeared on the FCC’s website under model number CZ3SCL, a step that usually happens shortly before a launch. Recent leaks have revealed that the Air 3S will probably come with new shooting modes and a camera with a larger 1″ sensor (the Air 3 has two cameras with 1/1.3″ sensors—it looks like the Air 3S will retain a 1/1.3″ sensor for one of its cameras, and upgrade the other). Pricing has also been leaked for the Air 3S—according to Jasper Ellens, the same industry insider whose post appears above, the Air 3S Fly More Combo with the RC-N3 controller will sell for about $1,300.
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Behind the Scenes with Zipline
Since becoming the fourth company to receive FAA approval for drone delivery in the U.S. Zipline has been steadily growing its market dominance. Although the company is known for its medical delivery networks, it has been making rapid inroads on the consumer drone delivery front. And, in some ways, Zipline is just getting started. This video showcases the company’s vision for the future not just of drone delivery, but of logistics in general, showcasing how its newest drone delivery system—called the Platform 2—works, and how it fits into the existing delivery ecosystem.
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Drone Tourism Company Lets You Fly Remotely in Exotic Destination
NatureEye may be the first company ever to offer drone tourism—the ability to fly a drone in another country, remotely. With locations around the world, including The Bahamas, Spain, Italy, and Aruba, NatureEye lets users fly in far flung locales, giving them the immersive—not to mention interactive—feeling of actually being there by letting them pilot a drone that is physically in these places, while they’re sitting at home. The company’s main clients are in education, with middle and high school teachers logging in to let their students visit exotic destinations from the comfort of the classroom. But the company also caters to virtual tourists who simply want to see and fly in another location.
According to NatureEye, using their services is simple. Here’s how it works: You buy a tour of a place far away and in a few days—and after a 10-minute training—you are piloting a drone, with the help of a local certified pilot, and taking pictures of your selected spot. Follow the link below to visit NatureEye’s website.
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Hoverfly’s Spectre Drone Gets Green UAS Certification
Hoverfly Technologies’ Spectre drone has received Green UAS certification from AUVSI. The Spectre is the first tethered drone to receive Green UAS certification, and only the second drone ever to receive it (the first was the Perimeter 8). Green UAS is an initiative between AUVSI and the DOD’s Defense Innovation Unit (DUI) to vet drones for commercial use, similar to the DUI’s Blue UAS for the federal government. Green UAS have to meet high standards for cybersecurity and comply with the NDAA’s supply chain requirements, which essentially means they can’t be made in or contain components from China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea. According to AUVSI, “The Green UAS certification process included a review of Spectre’s product security, including all components and subcomponents, remote operations security, supply chain risk management and a review of Hoverfly’s corporate cyber hygiene.” Green UAS is just getting started—within the next few years, we anticipate seeing many more drones added to the list.
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