Awesome Drones

DJI’s latest drone is simply tiny. It weighs about as much as a smartphone, is small enough to stash in a pocket, a backpack, or purse, but packs plenty of capability. It’s got a 3-axis gimbal, 2.7k video, and can fly up to 30 minutes using DJI’s smartphone app and remote controller. For more fly time and accessories, grab the Fly More combo.

During the opening ceremony for China’s 2019 Nanchang Flight Convention, a veritable army of 800 illuminated drones took to the sky, arranging themselves to conjure images of a propeller plane, a jumbo jet, and a fighter jet, among other images to kick off the air show.

Racing drone flyer Viggo Koch captured this epic aerial footage as he chased down the twisty and turny Helix roller coaster at Liseberg park in Gothenburg, Sweden. Note that the coaster was unoccupied at the time of the shoot for safety reasons. Check out more of Koch’s amazing drone vs. roller coaster footage here.

FPV drone pilot Mactac takes us on another epic flight, this time traversing the tops of a steep mountain range on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, as the UAV flies between the trees and craggy rocks, it comes across the glorious sight of Cobalt Lake. After a long hike up, it required patience between all the clouds that rolled in.

Photographer and FPV drone pilot Danny McGee takes us on a trip to some of the most scenic spots on the planet, as he zooms in and around massive rock formations, grass-covered volcanos, glacial ice, and crystal clear waterfalls on a dizzying flight.

A duo of Porsches takes to one of world’s best roads – Gotthard Pass in Switzerland, and DJI was on hand to capture the action with their Mavic 2 Pro drone, FPV system, and Osmo Action camera. Whether you’re into cars, cinematography, technology, or travel, there’s a little something for everyone in this brief clip. BTS here.

Skydio’s latest drone makes tracking subjects easier than ever. Its autonomous flying tech uses AI and six 4K cameras to map out the world around it, allowing it to avoid obstacles, and to track people and vehicles at speeds up to 36 mph. Captures video up to 4K 60 in HDR, flies for up to 23 minutes, with a 3.5km wireless range.

A group of engineers got together to launch this crazy looking thing we never thought would get off the ground. Using a similar construction to his Flex 9 plane, Ran D. St. Clair’s wacky flying machine takes off vertically like a drone. Its innaugural flight seemed to be more successful than flights 2 and 3 though. Videos by Wcolby1.

Simply put, Iceland is one of the most stunning, and unspoiled places on our planet. Filmmaker Vadim Sherbakov visited some of the country’s many beautiful landscapes with his DJI Mavic 2 Pro camera, and compiled the footage into this all-too-short film.

We’ve seen some pretty wild remote-controlled flying machines over the years, but this might just be our favorite so far. In this clip from RC Media World, flyer Graner Berg shows off his custom-built drone that looks like a full-size human wearing a jetpack. It’s impressively agile and stable in flight, given its awkward shape.

Visual artist Nick Cobby combined amazing top-down drone footage with abstract digital art to create the hypnotic video for Max Cooper’s Perpetual Motion, an audio-visual piece commissioned by London’s Barbican Centre. The work transforms the movements of people into ever-changing geometric patterns.

Drone pilot Shaggy FPV shows off just what kind of amazing photography can be produced with today’s technology as he flies perilously close to rocks and trees in a quest to capture incredible imagery of the Kjelfossen waterfall in Norway. He used ReelSteady GO software to help smooth out the final footage.

UAV flyer Mactac takes us on a beautiful and majestic ride through craggy rocks, tall trees, steep cliffs, and waterfalls in this buttery-smooth first-person flight. The nature sounds and soundtrack really help bring it all together. Original through-the-goggles recording here.

Ryze Robotics‘ bargain-priced compact flying machine uses tech from the drone experts at DJI. It’s super easy to fly with its toss-and-fly launches, and first-person view smartphone control. It can transmit and capture 720p video, shoots 5MP stills, and runs for up to 13 minutes per flight.

By duplicating and inverting aerial footage shot over New York City, filmmaker Humza Deas created a wild and wondrous new cityscape that’s grounded in reality but also completely surreal. The track is Periphescence by Glowworm.

BBC Earth captured this awe-inspiring footage of thousands of young athletes practicing Shaolin Kung Fu. While most of the shots here appear to have been captured by drone, they say their formations can also be seen on satellite imagery. From the series Earth from Space.

PowerUp’s R/C paper airplane kit lets you perform tricks. Use the Dart’s app to do a barrel roll, a loop, an Immelman turn and more. The motor can propel paper planes up to 25mph, and you can even attach landing gear. Save $10 in The Awesomer Shop.

DJI’s photo- and video-sharing website SkyPixel recently held a contest for drone photos and videos. The subjects included architecture, nature, people and sports. Visit the website to check out all the winners and other submissions.

The MetaFly is a winged remote-controlled toy that flies and glides like a bird. It’s agile and safe enough to use indoors. But it’s also flexible and tough enough to withstand the outdoors. It lasts up to 8 min per charge and goes up to 11 mph.

From Xiaomi’s Fimi brand comes an impressive foldable videography and photography drone. The X8 SE has a 12MP Sony sensor that shoots up to 4K/30fps video. It also has a 3-axis gimbal, tons of smart photo and video modes and a 33min flight time.

Maker Peter Sripol plans on participating in DroneClash – a sort of BattleBots for drones. In this clip, he shows off the design and work that went into his ultra-sturdy machine that looks more like flying pizza box than a drone, but should do a great job fending off enemies.

PowerUp FPV turns paper airplanes into drones. It can stream footage from its 640×480 camera to a mobile device up to 300ft. away, so you can see what it sees. It flies up to 20mph and lasts 10min on its hot swappable battery. Save over 40% in The Awesomer Shop.

Xerall’s X-Tankcopter drone weighs just 0.27 lb and has durable treads and arms. It’s equally agile on land and on air. You can make it drift, spin and climb small obstacles. It lasts up to 15 min per charge. It comes with a remote control and a smartphone headset attachment.