DJI Airbag, Rickrolling drone QR code, DRL cologne: Best April Fools’ Day 2022 pranks from drone companies

So, it’s that time of the year again when pretty much all your favorite brands are out to get you. Drone companies are no different, and they’ve prepared a diverse array of refreshing gags to give us a laugh today. Head below to see our roundup of the best April Fools’ Day 2022 pranks from drone brands.

DJI develops an airbag for drones

The world’s biggest drone manufacturer takes its April Fools’ pranks pretty seriously. And more often than not, leaves us wishing that the news was real.

Last year, DJI said it was putting together a dedicated film crew that would undertake on-demand aerial photography and videography projects. This time, the company has decided to tackle every pilot’s biggest worry, aka, a drone crash.

DJI says it would implement an additional safety feature in all new drones the company would release. The omnidirectional DJI Airbag would engulf the different components of the drone to reduce the effect of impact.

“Simply triple-tap the shutter button on your remote to activate the omnidirectional airbags for worry-free flight,” the drone maker says in a post shared on social media today.

Interestingly enough, a patent for drone airbags actually exists and is owned by Disney Enterprises, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company.  

Downtown Dallas gets ‘Rick-Rolled’ with a drone QR code

Drone light show company Sky Elements has pulled off an elaborate gag in Dallas for April Fools’ Day 2022. The company flew 300 drones over the downtown Dallas skyline to form a QR code. Hovering 400 feet in the night sky and sparking curiosity from people for miles in every direction, the drone QR code could be scanned easily from a smartphone’s camera.

And when the viewers below followed the scanned link, they were treated to a classic Rick-Roll – a term used when someone is pranked into an unexpected appearance of the music video for Rick Astley’s popular song. Check it out:

Sky Elements’ chief pilot Preston Ward, who was part of this light-hearted joke said, “After seeing how much of a hit our last QR code at South by Southwest was, we couldn’t let the opportunity pass to prank the entire city of Dallas with a mysterious QR code.”

Drone Racing League drops NFT

If you’re a fan of drone racing, you’re gonna like this next prank.

The Drone Racing League (DRL), the world’s premiere, professional drone racing property, announced today it was dropping NFT: New Fragrance Tech, an Anchorman-inspired cologne.

Here’s DRL telling you why you need to get your hands on a bottle ASAP:

It’s illegal in nine countries, and it’s made with bits of real racing drones, so you know it’s good.

It’s quite pungent. It’s a formidable scent, powered by blockchain in the cloud. A subtle tap of the thumb lifts the drone as it throttles through the air, from the flask to your face, spritzing autonomously via AI.

It stings the nostrils in a disruptive way; it smells like pure innovation.

We’ve done studies, you know: 60% of the time, it works, every time.

Sold only with crypto in Web3. Super exclusive. Available while non-existent supplies last.

Have you seen any other April Fools’ jokes from drone companies? Share them with us in the comments below!

Read more: How the new DJI M30 drone helped save a life even before launch