Jack loves to fly all drones, from FPV racers to the Mavic 2 Pro he flies them all. When he isn’t flying he is teaching, coaching or hanging out with his wife and three children.
October 16
The Cinewhoop is an awesome style of drone that can capture crisp HD footage that a machine like the DJI Mavic 2 just wouldn’t be capable of producing. They are small, stable, and safer than your typical FPV drone, and you can capture some pretty amazing cinematic footage. There are some small inexpensive options out there like the Eachine Cinecan, but those little drones can’t carry a GoPro or Osmo Action camera. The best ready-made option might be the iFlight Megabee, but it is $285. I figured I could do it for less and I was right. I’ll show you how to get it done for about $150. expand full story
October 7
The new Emax Babyhawk R Pro 4″ drone is one of a few new products Emax has been working on. The company has been busy lately producing quality drones at seemingly every niche of the FPV market. Their Tinyhawk and Tinyhawk 2S are absolutely the best indoor FPV drones you can buy. The Tinyhawk Freestyle is one of the best toothpick style drones on the market. Now they have released a 4″ capable of competing with larger 5″ quads. And just for good measure, they decided to release two new 5″ drones. Let’s take a closer look at my new favorite FPV drone, the $179 Emax Babyhawk R Pro 4″. expand full story
September 23
The Happymodel Larva X is another fun little toothpick drone. Like most toothpick quads, it is a small but powerful little quad capable of acrobatic moves and FPV racing. It won’t compete with the big 5-inch race quads, but it can do a lot of what they can do, just on a smaller scale. I personally prefer flying these small little FPV quads to their bigger counterparts for a handful of different reasons. They are easier to pack and go, they typically withstand crashes better, and they don’t draw attention when you are flying. Let’s take a look a the Lava X and see if this quad is worth your hard-earned $97. expand full story
September 22
The Visuo Zen K1 is a foldable drone with a 4K camera that was built to look like a DJI Mavic. It has GPS and a handful of intelligent flight modes and can be purchased starting at just $169.99. Typically drones in the sub-$200 price range have had their issues. What about this one? Is it finally the answer or is it too good to be true? expand full story
September 16
The new Diatone GTB229 is an excellent toothpick-style drone. This is a 2s version with 2.5-inch props and was a collaboration with KababFPV, aka the inventor of the toothpick class. The carbon fiber frame is a box-style frame and is surprisingly rigid. The components inside are top-notch. This little quad is a micro FPV beast. At $129.99, is it worth it over the Emax Freestyle? Let’s take a closer look. expand full story
September 10
The Eachine Tyro69 is a low-cost brushless toothpick-style quadcopter. It comes as kit that is fairly simple and is nearly plug-and-play. If you haven’t built a drone before, the Tyro series are probably the easiest to learn on. While the Tyro 69 is typically a low $69, right now it is on sale for just $60. Is that too good to be true? expand full story
September 3
The new Yuneec Mantis G is a small, foldable drone with a 4K camera. It seems to be a nearly identical drone to the Mantis Q but with a few very important upgrades. The Mantis G will have a 4K camera on a two-axis gimbal that will also be stabilized electronically. Boasting a flight time of up to 33 minutes and a range of 2000 meters the Mantis G is an impressive little drone. expand full story
September 1
The Makerfire Armor 85 HD is a brushless FPV quadcopter with an HD camera. It is sleek looking and doesn’t look anything like a typical whoop. This is not built for racing or outdoor acro, but for capturing cinematic aerial footage. It may not be capable of capturing the same quality as a GoPro or Runcam but the quality is good and it can fit in places that larger drones can’t. At $129.99 it is a lower cost option if you are looking to try out a cinewhoop drone. expand full story
August 27
It is no secret that Skydio is getting ready to release a new drone this year. The Skydio 2 looks to be an incredibly impressive drone. Known for its ability to fly autonomously, the Skydio 2 looks to build on that with a mode that allows the pilot to fly freely in difficult situations without having to worry about crashing. The new Skydio 2 video shows the drone flying backward at full speed through various obstacles. It is an impressive video you will definitely want to check out. expand full story
August 25
The new Fat Shark Attitude V5 FPV goggles might just be the best set you can pick up for less than $300. FPV goggles are an important investment and you want to get it right the first time. They offer a handful of important features and best of all have excellent OLED screens. Fat Shark is #1 when it comes to FPV for a reason and the new Attitude V5’s at $299 are a solid option. expand full story
August 24
A lot of people want to know what the best drone is, but that is actually a very difficult question. My favorite drone is the Mavic 2 Zoom, but I wouldn’t recommend that drone to everyone. I don’t think the best drones of 2019 are here yet as Skydio and DJI have some drones in the works. There are still some excellent options out there, though.
Your purpose and budget are two hugely important factors when looking for a drone. If your goal is to have fun, then I would recommend one of the inexpensive drones on my list. If aerial photography is your focus, then the best beginner drone has been the DJI Spark, but it isn’t one I’d recommend to professional or semi-professional pilots. I’ll take a look at the entry-level competition as well as some of the higher-performing birds, like the Mavic 2 Pro.
August 15
We have flown a handful of different cinewhoop style drones. The Eachine Cinecam stands apart from the Beta85x HD, Mobula HD, and the iFlight Cinebee. It uses a similarly small and compact form but packs both a 4K camera and a dedicated FPV camera. It is most definitely the top dog when it comes to tiny little cinematic whoop style drones. expand full story
August 12
Emax makes some of the best FPV drones on the market today. The Emax Tinyhawk Freestyle is no exception. It is a smaller, toothpick style drone with some serious power. If you are looking for a fun drone to practice freestyle or racing skills but don’t like the crowds that show up when you break out the big and loud standard 5″ quad then you should take a look at the Emax Tinyhawk Freestyle. expand full story
August 8
If you have seen drone racing on tv it was likely the DRL. The Drone Racing League (DRL) is the premier racing league for FPV pilots and now they are looking to release the same drone that the pros fly to the public. The drone these professional pilots fly can hit 90 mph in a split second. This beast of a drone could be yours if the Kickstarter campaign they started is funded by October 5th.
August 7
The Eachine Tyro 129 is a low-cost, do it yourself GPS drone kit. This 7″ quadcopter is easy to put together and ideal for anyone that is looking to try their hand at drone building. The Tyro 129 is $129 and comes with all the components you need to put it together. You’ll have to add a battery, receiver, and use your remote to get it off the ground. I found it to be a smooth flyer and swapped out the camera for a RunCam Split 3 to capture smooth HD video. expand full story
August 6
The Eachine Red Devil is a fun drone for beginners and experts alike. It is a toothpick style drone which is gaining popularity quickly. They are small, ultra-lightweight drones that fly a lot like a full-blown 5″ freestyle quad. You can do flips and rolls with a toothpick like the Red Devil but because it is smaller and quieter it won’t draw a crowd. If you are looking for a fun drone that won’t break the bank then you will want to take a look at the $93 Eachine Red Devil. expand full story
August 2
Fat Shark wasn’t about to be outdone by DJI. Fat Shark has announced on their Facebook page that they will be releasing a similar HD FPV system in the near future. This Fat Shark system dubbed Byte Frost will transmit clear 720p video to your existing Fat Shark goggles. expand full story
July 29
With the recent FCC filing for a pair of FPV goggles, remote, and a new drone it is pretty apparent that DJI is going to be releasing an FPV drone in the near future. However, diving deep into the FCC filing points to DJI not releasing a drone, but rather an ‘Air Unit’ that will possibly enhance current and future race drones. But this FCC filing doesn’t tell the whole story. DJI would be foolish NOT to release a drone alongside this new DJI Air Unit. And I think they will, but what kind of drone will it be? I have some theories. expand full story
July 18
The UVify Draco is a slightly different take on FPV race quads. UVify is a company with deep roots in racing, and they know the frustrations that come with flying (and crashing) FPV drones. Breaking into the FPV hobby isn’t always easy. A lot of people get into the hobby with high hopes but are often let down by either faulty components or the tedious nature of repairs. On top of that, the build and setup process can be confusing and tiresome. UVify has looked to address all of these issues with their top-of-the-line Draco FPV race drone. Think of the Draco as the big brother of the OOri. expand full story
July 17
The FT Aviator is a joystick that was designed by NASA astronaut Scott Parazynski. He believed that there was a better and easier way to fly than the traditional two-joystick controller. This unique remote will connect to most DJI drones and gives the pilot a whole new experience in flying. I was incredibly skeptical, but after I got my hands on one, I understood exactly why Parazynski developed it. Keep reading to learn more about this one-of-a-kind $349 remote control. expand full story
