Drone News Roundup: FPV Drone Tour of Malta, How to Make Your Drone Photos Look Cinematic, and More!

This week we’re covering a drone tour of Malta shot with a mix of FPV and cinewhoop drones, including the DJI Avata 2.

We’re also covering tips for making your drone photos look cinematic, the launch of ModalAI’s Stinger Vision FPV drone, the rise of the Potensic Atom 2 as a competitor to the DJI Mini 4K, and Grand Sky’s 10th anniversary as a pioneering testing hub for commercial drone operations.

Now let’s get to those links!

Malta by FPV Drone

This FPV drone tour of Malta from Danny McGee gives us a fun, fast, cleanly edited tour of the island country. The  video covers all the iconic areas of the island, which is located in Southern Europe between Italy and North Africa, including its rugged coastlines, historic fortifications, and vibrant harbors. McGee shot the video using four drones: the DJI Avata 2, the Moz 7 Long Range FPV, the Chimera 7, and the Nazgul 5, highlighting the versatility of both cinewhoop and long-range FPV platforms.

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How to Make Your Drone Photos Look Cinematic

Drone photos feel flat? Watch our video for a simple fix: the tone curve. This editing tool—available in Lightroom, Snapseed, and Photopea—lets you shape shadows, midtones, and highlights for instant depth and cinematic contrast. By tweaking the RGB channels, you can fine-tune color balance and set the mood, whether you want warmer sunsets or cooler shadows. Small adjustments go a long way, making your aerial images pop with professional polish. Watch the video for a quick walkthrough of how to use this tool to make your drone photos more cinematic.

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ModalAI Launches the Stinger Vision FPV

ModalAI’s new Stinger Vision FPV is purpose-built for flying indoors and in GPS-denied environments, addressing the steep learning curve that’s long limited FPV drone adoption. With a compact, caged design and onboard autonomy—including computer vision, thermal sensors, and “backtrack” mode for signal loss recovery—the Stinger Vision FPV makes precise indoor navigation accessible for both new and experienced drone pilots. And it’s not just a hobby drone. Secure, low-latency HD streaming and NDAA compliance position the Stinger Vision as a competitive tool for industrial inspection, tactical ISR, and other commercial drone work.

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New Potensic Atom 2 Emerges as Strong DJI Mini 4K Alternative

The Potensic Atom 2

Looking for a good starter drone? If you’re a beginner or on a budget, check out the Potensic Atom 2. Since its recent launch, the Atom 2 has been gaining attention as a solid alternative to the DJI Mini 4K—also a solid beginner drone—for budget-conscious drone pilots. With 4K/30fps HDR video, 48MP stills, and advanced AI tracking, the Atom 2 matches or surpasses the Mini 4K in key features while remaining under 250 grams (that’s the FAA’s threshold for having to register your drone—all the drones in DJI’s Mini series are sub-250g). One thing to note—like the Mini 4K, the Atom 2 is made in China, which means its pricing could eventually be impacted by tariffs.

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North Dakota’s Grand Sky Drone Park Celebrates 10 Years of Industry Firsts

Grand Sky in North Dakota is celebrating its 10th anniversary as the nation’s first commercial UAS park, marking a decade of leadership in advancing drone technology and airspace integration. Located at Grand Forks Air Force Base, Grand Sky is renowned for pioneering beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations with its advanced ground-based sense and avoid system. Since opening, Grand Sky has attracted major industry players like Northrop Grumman, NASA, and General Atomics. The park’s unique public-private partnership model and access to over 11,000 square miles of BVLOS airspace have enabled significant breakthroughs in drone testing and research—including Project ULTRA—driving over $169 million in investment and positioning North Dakota as a national hub for UAS innovation and workforce development.

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