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.
Yesterday
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.
DJI Spark
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
July 8
The Eachine Wizard has been around for a while, but this is an upgraded version. The Wizard x220S is an awesome quad. I finally got my hands on one and I was pleasantly surprised by its polish and how well it flies. You can pick one up as a stand-alone drone or opt for the all-in-one package if you don’t have a controller already. If you are looking for a 5-inch FPV drone and don’t want to build your own, this might just be the quad for you. If you are looking to get into FPV, then check this out. expand full story
June 26
The Mobula 7 HD ($157.99) is one of the more popular pint-sized drones in the fastly growing category of cinewhoops. A cinewhoop is a small drone that has an HD camera that will allow you to capture footage that would be impossible to get on a larger, traditional photography drone. This Mobula 7 HD weighs only 42 grams and will fit in the palm of your hand. expand full story
June 17
When Autel announced the folding Evo it looked like DJI was going to have some stiff competition. It took quite some time for Autel to actually launch after it was teased and early firmware glitches didn’t get the Evo off to a smooth start. DJI released the Mavic 2 lineup and people quickly forgot about the Evo. However, Autel has since addressed the firmware issues it carries a lower price tag than the Mavic lineup at $999. After spending some time with the Evo and comparing it to both the Mavic 2 Zoom ($1149) and Mavic 2 Pro ($1499) I have to say I’ve been impressed. expand full story
June 13
The UVify OOri is a unique quadcopter. It was built by a company that has its roots in FPV drone racing but was uniquely designed with a beginner pilot in mind. The OOri can be flown like a traditional FPV freestyle or race quad that tops out at 50 mph. However, it also has a beginner mode that utilizes vision positioning software to help make it incredibly stable. expand full story
June 12
Fat Shark is the undisputed leader in FPV goggles and headsets. Their top of the line HDO goggles are absolutely brilliant. The biggest problem is that buying a good pair of Fat Sharks HDOs will cost you upwards of $500 after you’ve purchased a receiver to go along with them. That is why Fat Shark created the Scout. The Scout ($199) is a top-end box style FPV headset that has some excellent features but at a fraction of the price of the HDO lineup. expand full story
June 11
It is no secret that I love my original Emax Tinyhawk, but the new Tinyhawk S takes it up a notch. The original is a great drone for flying both indoors and out. Emax did all the little things right when they made it. My only wish was that it could handle a 2S battery. Now it can and it is an absolute dream. This is the best beginner drone out there, but I wouldn’t stop there. If you fly FPV then you need this drone. Yes, it’s that good and it won’t break the bank starting at $99. expand full story
May 30
The URUAV UR85 HD Bushido($155) is a Cinewhoop that you can fly right out of the box. This one is basically a lighter version of the popular Beta 85x HD. Because it is roughly the same size, but substantially lighter (23 grams) it is a much more capable drone. While it still isn’t something I’d recommend for strictly flying freestyle it is a lot of fun to fly and can capture some pretty awesome cinematic HD footage that just isn’t possible with a larger drone. If you haven’t flown a Cinewhoop style drone then this is definitely something you’ll need to check out. They are a blast and will get you video footage that you can’t get with really any other style quad. expand full story
May 17
Are you looking for a real estate drone? Aerial real estate photography is becoming more popular all the time. In some markets, it is almost a requirement that a listing has photographs, and often video, taken from the air. Professional pilots today can earn fees starting at $200 for a 30-minute job. So what is the best drone for the job? And what do you need to know before you fly? We are here to help. expand full story
May 16
The BetaFPV Beta85x HD is a new drone in the growing class of Cinewhoops. Cinewhoops are small FPV style quadcopters that are capable of recording HD footage. While there are plenty of HD capable drones out there Cinewhoops make it possible to get HD footage from a palm-sized drone that pilots can fly in tight spaces that wouldn’t be possible with bigger drones. Not only can they fly in tight quarters, but they can fly acro style and are built to be able to withstand crashes. expand full story
