Drone News Roundup: Shooting Fireworks from Drones, Pro Wrestler Drone Shot Planned for Over a Year, and More!
BY Zacc Dukowitz
6 June 2024This week we’re covering a light show featuring drones with fireworks attached to them—with FAA approval, no less.
We’re also covering a pro wrestling drone shot that was over a year in the making, raffles for the Avata 2 and other drones happening right now, a firmware update that adds 4K/100fps slo-mo to the Avata 2, and the addition of the Skydio X10D to the Pentagon’s Blue UAS list.
Now on to the links!
Launching Fireworks from Drones
Sky Elements has become the first U.S. drone light show company to get FAA approval to launch fireworks from drones. Didn’t know this was a thing? Neither did we until we saw this video. Watch the clip above to see 300 light show drones in flight over Sky Element’s test field, forming a bald eagle in red, white, and blue. Then, fireworks explode from the eagle’s wings in tandem. Sky Elements is calling this new phenomenon a “pyro drone show”—whatever you call it, it’s definitely a sight worth seeing.
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Pro Wrestler Drone Shot Was Over a Year in the Making
Look mom I can fly @WWE pic.twitter.com/vs6HdYhp6O
— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) May 25, 2024
It might look simple, but pro wrestler Logan Paul says he’s been thinking of this short drone shot of him doing what those in the industry call a Frog Splash through a table for over a year. And he’s got receipts. Text messages, that is, showing him proposing the idea of getting this kind of shot, which he sent back in May of 2023. The drone shot was taken at WWE King and Queen of the Ring, where Logan Paul showed up to challenge fellow wrestler Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
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Want a Free Drone? Take the Drone Industry Insights Survey for a Chance to Win an Avata 2
The Avata 2 | Credit: DJI
Want an Avata 2? How about a DJI Air 3 or a Teledyne FLIR SIRAS? All three are up for grabs right now via a contest and two different raffles—see the details below.
Quick callout: The DroneII survey is short and the data it provides is really helpful to all of us in the drone industry. If you can take just 10 minutes to fill it out, not only will you be entered to win an Avata 2—which alone makes it worth doing!—but you’ll also be participating in the creation of one of the most important barometers for the drone industry out there.
In addition to an Avata 2, survey respondents can win tickets to Commercial UAV Expo, Amsterdam Drone Week, and several other major drone events. And when you take the survey you’ll automatically get a free copy of the resulting report, which DroneII otherwise sells for thousands of dollars.
Here are three chances for you to win a free drone right now:
1. Drone Industry Insights (DroneII) 2024 Survey
- Prize: DJI Avata 2, tickets to major drone events like Commercial UAV Expo + every survey respondent gets a free copy of DroneII’s 2024 Drone Industry Barometer Report
- How to enter: Take the survey (8-15 minutes) and you’ll automatically be entered in the raffle
- Deadline: No deadline posted, so we recommend taking the survey soon!
2. #DecadeWithDJI Contest
- Prizes: DJI Air 3, DJI Mic 2, Osmo Mobile 6 (for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place) + DJI swag for places 4-10
- How to enter: Either upload a video or photo with a caption directly on the campaign page (under 1 GB) or post your video on Instagram or TikTok with the hashtag #DecadeWithDJI and tag @djiglobal
- Deadline: June 18, 2024
3. Teledyne FLIR’s SIRAS Giveaway
- Prize: SIRAS standard bundle
- How to enter: Fill out the short form on the page linked below and you’ll be entered in the raffle
- Deadline: June 30, 2024
TAKE THE DRONEII SURVEY
4K/100fps Slo-Mo for DJI Avata 2 with Latest Firmware Update
The latest firmware update for the DJI Avata 2 adds 4K/100fps Slo-Mo to the drone. Here’s what DJI has to say about the update: “4K UHD clarity captures vivid details, while the 100fps frame rate ensures a more delicate and smooth viewing experience . . . Use 10-bit D-Log M color mode to enhance the dynamic range of the video.”
The update also makes the Avata 2 compatible with the DJI Goggles 2, DJI Goggles Integra, and DJI FPV Remote Controller 2. In addition, updates for the DJI RC Motion 2 and DJI FPV Remote Controller 2 now allow them to support easy acrobatics on the Avata 2. Follow the link below for more on the Avata 2 firmware update.
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Skydio X10D Achieves Blue UAS Designation
Credit: Skydio
Skydio’s X10D has been added to the Pentagon’s Blue UAS list. Skydio’s X2D is already on the list, so this is the second Skydio drone to be included in the elite group of drones approved for use by the federal government. Skydio’s X10D is a version of the X10, the company’s latest enterprise drone, which is made specifically for defense applications. It comes equipped for night operations, with a 48MP telephoto camera “capable of recognizing a person from 2,400 ft away and a vehicle from 6,500 ft away.” It’s also the first drone to carry the Teledyne FLIR Boson+ sensor, providing users with thermal data to further support night ops.
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