Want a job as a drone pilot in 2026? RobotTraining.jobs, which is a massive job board for all things robotics, autonomous vehicles and drones, has been tracking them.

The job platform runs on Founden.ai (so yes, it is AI-powered) and aggregates open roles, while also sharing information like pay rates.

And with that, we get some interesting info not just on open positions, but what they pay. Of the open listings, the median hourly wage for drone operators sits at $27 an hour.

Here is a breakdown of who is hiring drone pilots, what the top-tier roles pay plus why a new category of “AI training” pilot jobs is popping up across the industry.

Top top-paying jobs for drone pilots right now

If $27/hour doesn’t sound like a lot, that’s because it’s not. Assuming a standard, full-time schedule of 40 hours per week for 52 weeks a year, that’s about $56,000 per year, which is below the median full-time worker earnings of about $65,000 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That said, there is more money to be made as a drone pilot. In fact, specialized flight testing, defense integration and remote fleet management command significantly higher rates.

According to the AI-powered data provided by RobotTraining.jobs, here are some of the standout openings live across major employers, and how much they pay.

If you have maritime experience, there’s are some interesting gigs available now at Austin, Texas-based Saronic that pay more than $60 per hour (titled Mission Operations Specialist). You can browse all the available drone jobs on the RobotTraining.jobs website here.

A new type of job is emerging: “Drone Pilots for AI Training”

One of the most interesting trends I’m seeing emerge in 2026 is the rapid growth of flight roles dedicated to AI training and physical data collection.

Instead of flying traditional orthomosaic mapping grids or real estate photos, drone pilots are hired to fly specialized paths, capture edge-case obstacles and log sensor data designed specifically to train computer vision models for autonomous systems.

For example, companies like TSMG are listing dedicated roles for “Drone Pilots for AI Training and Data Collection” in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Skydio — which is also based in the Bay Area — hires flight test operators to feed machine-learning pipelines.

How to find a job in drones

Whether you are looking for a new gig as a drone pilot, you want to track hourly rates across drone pilot jobs or you’re simply curious about what else is out there, RobotTraining.jobs is a pretty compelling resource. Rather than relying on manual recruiter submissions as job boards typically have been pre-AI boom, their platform scrapes and re-reads the official career portals of robotics, autonomous vehicle and drone employers daily.

With it, you can filter specifically for drone operations, flight testing and teleoperation rather than weeding through traditional software engineering posts. Listings highlight posted hourly rates upfront so you aren’t surprised once you go through the whole hiring process. And the best part for you as a job seeker is that the platform is free to browse. RobotTraining.jobs says they make money for successful referrals to certain job postings.

Are you surprised by the average drone pilot pay? And has that shifted since you first got into the industry?

Meanwhile, have you found a gig that pays more than $60 per hour? Tell us in the comments!

The post Who is hiring drone pilots right now? (And what do they pay?) appeared first on The Drone Girl.

When defense drone manufacturer Powerus completed its Nasdaq listing merger ($PUSA) on October 1, it signaled a major milestone for domestic drone production. Operating out of its headquarters in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Powerus is attempting to tackle one of the most stubborn bottlenecks in American aviation: scaling NDAA-compliant, American-made drones in the tens of thousands without relying on foreign supply chains.

Between a $5 million component order with domestic parts manufacturer Unusual Machines (which is based in Florida) in April, a $30 million strategic investment from Unusual Machines in June, and a fresh $82 million U.S. government counter-drone order under its belt, Powerus is moving fast.

I caught up with Brett Velicovich, co-founder of Powerus and a former U.S. Army intelligence operator, to discuss component standardization, battery supply chains and why traditional defense acquisition mindsets fail frontline drone pilots.

The Drone Girl: You’ve partnered with Unusual Machines on U.S.-made, NDAA-compliant components. Given how much of the global drone supply chain runs through China, what are the biggest bottlenecks in producing domestic drones by the tens of thousands?

Brett Velicovich: Whoever owns the supply chain is going to own this sector. Motors and flight controllers come from a short list of manufacturers, and a lot of drone companies are buying from the same ones. Trace those parts back far enough and a lot of them still go back to China, right down to the mines.

TDG: Everything comes from China! All these tiny components come from China, so my impression is it’s hard to make a fully American-made drone.

BV: That’s why we started with components. Unusual Machines makes NDAA-compliant drone components here in the U.S. In April, we placed an order of more than $5 million with them for core components that go into both our counter-UAS interceptors and our 10-inch class drones—a purchase, not revenue for us. In June, they made a $30 million strategic equity investment in Powerus, deepening a relationship that already existed.

TDG: What components are you looking to get “made in America” next?

BV: Batteries are the next pain point. Congress has already moved to cut the Pentagon off from batteries tied to foreign entities of concern. Every year that gets tighter, as it should…it forces the industry to build the domestic base now.

People are a constraint too. Experienced engineers and advanced manufacturing technicians are scarce across the whole defense industrial base. We train internally so new hires get productive quickly.

TDG: Just to clarify, your drones are built and tested in South Carolina, no?

BV: Our headquarters moved to Rock Hill, South Carolina after our merger closed on October 1. The drones are built there and flight-tested before delivery.

We don’t rely on a single site, though. A network of partner businesses, manufacturers,and developers supports production to shared specifications so a disruption in one region doesn’t halt national output. Systems for U.S. customers are built with NDAA-compliant components.

TDG: Many U.S. drone makers struggle with sourcing parts at a competitive price point. How are you tackling component standardization so you can ramp up volume without production delays?

BV: Every Powerus airframe runs the same guidance, the same ground station and the same operator pipeline—from a 3-inch quad that fits in a cargo pocket to a heavy-lifter in the 1,000-pound payload class.

TDG: What are the differences for you then in building those little quads versus something bigger?

BV: The bill of materials follows the same logic. The core components we buy from Unusual Machines go into both our counter-UAS interceptors and our 10-inch class drones. A common core means larger buys of fewer part numbers, which is how you bring unit cost down and make lead times predictable.

TDG: Ah I see. Well, I like lower costs.

BV: Batteries, nose cones, and sensors swap out in the field with no tools. Control and payload interfaces are shared across the family, meaning fewer unique parts to stock, qualify, and test.

TDG: You recently landed an $82 million U.S. government contract. From a manufacturing standpoint, how do you prep your supply chain for such a massive purchase order?

BV: Our $82 million order for counter-unmanned aerial systems came under an existing U.S. government IDIQ contract, and it was the second order under that contract.

TDG: Can you explain what that is and why it’s useful?

BV: IDIQ gives visibility into what the customer may need before an order lands, allowing long-lead parts to be qualified and sourced ahead of time. Components get locked in early. That’s the point of our Unusual Machines relationship — ordering domestic, NDAA-compliant parts from a supplier that’s also an investor. Volume goes across our facilities and partner network, building to shared specifications instead of piling onto one line.

TDG: Having relied on drones as a U.S. Army intelligence operator in the field, what is the biggest disconnect you see between traditional defense acquisition mindsets and what frontline operators actually need on the battlefield today?

Brett Velicovich: We’ve traditionally thought about acquiring a drone as buying a piece of equipment instead of expendable ammunition.

TDG: Interesting perspective. I guess I never want to think about a drone as expendable, but you’re right. It is for this use case.

BV: The operator thinks about it as a capability that has to work immediately, in the real world, under pressure. Back when I served, drones were scarce and precious. The technology changed., but the mindset didn’t.

TDG: Okay, maybe I’m just behind then in thinking of drones as scare and precious.

BV: A member of our team saw that firsthand in 2022. The team was issued a drone, but only one person received roughly three days of training. The rest weren’t trained to operate it, and they were essentially told not to break it — on an item that was meant to be broken in the first place. So the drone sat in the box. You had the technology, but you didn’t actually have a usable capability.

TDG: That’s the disconnect!

BV: The frontline operator doesn’t need a beautiful acquisition program or a piece of technology that looks impressive on a briefing slide. They need something they can take out of the box, understand quickly, operate safely and legally, and immediately integrate into the mission.

The post Powerus cofounder shares ambitions to scale U.S.-made drones in the tens of thousands appeared first on The Drone Girl.

If there is one thing federal agencies excel at, it is discovering brand-new frontiers to secure against theoretical threats! Even better when it’s behind closed doors, uses non-disclosure agreements and requires special government security clearances.

So when the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) published a notice in the Federal Register soliciting industry representatives for a series of “technical roundtables” in last month, I was curious. The agency’s stated goal with these roundtables is to establish “model language” for TSA-approved security programs governing commercial drones operating Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS).

Now here’s the kicker: The roundtables are strictly closed to the public. To get in the room, participants must be vetted by the TSA, obtain clearance to handle “Sensitive Security Information” (SSI) and sign a non-disclosure agreement promising never to speak of what transpires inside.

For commercial drone operators who have spent years watching routine BVLOS permissions stall (keep in mind it’s been more than a year since the proposed BVLOS rule was published), the TSA’s eager entry into drones — beyond regulating what you can pack onto a commercial aircraft — should set off alarm bells.

What is the point of TSA anyway?

The TSA was established in the frantic aftermath of September 11, 2001. Since then, the TSA has spent a quarter-century perfecting top-down risk management on the ground. It’s best known for requiring footwear removal at airport checkpoints (happily it did finally due away with that rule last year), as well as enforcing arbitrary liquid limits that don’t do a whole lot except throw away perfectly good toothpaste and suncscreen.

Now, as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) works toward finalizing 14 CFR Part 108 — the long-awaited regulatory framework intended to normalize routine commercial BVLOS flights — the TSA is continuing to add its own flavor of bureaucracy into how you fly drones.

Under the joint notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published alongside the FAA, the TSA has proposed a security apparatus, which rests on two primary pillars:

• Mandatory vetting of personnel: This would extending federal background checks and clearance requirements to commercial drone pilots, ground crews and software developers.
• TSA-approved Sscurity programs: This would require that commercial drone service providers (DSPs) and enterprise fleets maintain formal, agency-dictated security protocols.

Why drone pilots should be skeptical here

One reason to be dubious of what’s going on here is purely the closed doors this is happening under. In its Federal Register notice, the TSA explicitly states that these technical roundtables will not seek “consensus recommendations” or operate under standard public advisory rules. Instead, the agency is restricting attendance to a select group of pre-approved corporate representatives and legacy trade associations.

By classifying the proceedings under “Sensitive Security Information” (SSI), which a legal designation under 49 U.S.C. 114(r) that shields materials from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) disclosures without requiring formal military classification, the TSA effectively ensures that independent developers, small business operators and civil liberties advocates are not able to have a voice.

And then you have to dig into broader questions: do commercial drone flights really need TSA oversight?

A 10-pound delivery quadcopter dropping off groceries or a mapping drone inspecting a agricultural fence line does not carry the same risk profile as a 100,000-pound commercial airliner carrying 200 passengers. Yet here we are, in a position where administrative agencies routinely stretch the definition of “transportation security” to justify expanding oversight across emerging technologies like drones — regardless of scale.

This could hurt small businesses, who don’t have the resources to comply with complicated legal hurdles. And even for bigger businesses — who might actually have the resources — the cost of compliance has to come from somewhere. That somewhere is very likely costs passed on to consumers.

As the FAA and TSA moves toward finalizing Part 108 (something that is expected to happen all too soon), the commercial drone industry shouldn’t just ask when BVLOS flights will finally be legal. It should ask how much red tape operators will have to clear just to take off. If the TSA’s closed-door roundtables are any indicator, the cost of launching is about to get a lot higher.

The post Should the TSA’s move into drone regulation worry you? appeared first on The Drone Girl.

When the Antigravity A1 first launched, it carved out a totally distinct space in the consumer market as an 8K 360-degree camera drone. That setup was unlike anything else — and downright fantastic for pilots who wanted an immersive cockpit feel. But for some, there were drawbacks. Flying required either Vision goggles or a dedicated dual-stick grip controller. It wasn’t really built as an automated “follow-me” action drone, since wearing FPV goggles while riding a bicycle or snowboarding is a recipe for disaster.

The new Antigravity A1 Follow Me Bundle completely changes that equation.

By introducing two new wearable controllers—the Watch Remote and the Ring Remote—Antigravity allows users to ditch goggles and handheld joysticks entirely. Instead, you get hands-free, automated 360-degree tracking that keeps the camera focused on you while your eyes and hands stay on your activity.

Whether you’re road cycling, trail running, hiking, or managing a busy family outing, it transforms how the A1 fits into active adventures.

• Buy the Antigravity A1 drone with Follow Me bundle now directly from Antigravity.
• Buy the Antigravity A1 drone with Follow Me bundle now from Amazon.
• Buy the Antigravity A1 drone with Follow Me bundle now from B&H Photo.

What’s included in the new Follow Me bundle (and pricing)

The Follow Me Bundle is available as a complete drone package ($799, including the drone itself) or as a standalone Accessory Kit ($339) for existing A1 owners.

The complete bundle, which retails for $799, includes:

• Antigravity A1 Drone
• Watch Remote
• Ring Remote
• Full-Coverage Propeller Guards
• High-Capacity Flight Battery (4345 mAh)
• Lens Guards & Spare Propellers
• USB-C Charging Cable & Crossbody Bag

Antigravity sent me an early demo of the products so I could test them out ahead of the launch, though opinions are my own.

The Watch Remote

Weighing just 44.7 grams (1.6 oz), the Watch Remote feels as light as a standard fitness tracker on your wrist. It features a bright 1.72-inch LCD screen (550 nits, 356×400 resolution) that remains easy to read even in direct sunlight while cycling.

The display provides live telemetry, battery levels, tracking status, and touchscreen sliders:

• Left Slider: Controls forward and backward repositioning.
• Right Slider: Manages vertical ascent and descent.

To arm tracking, you simply tap “Wave to Track” on the wrist interface and raise a hand above your head within a 1-to-5-meter distance. The drone locks its tracking box onto you instantly without needing a smartphone app.

The Watch Remote supports tracking speeds up to 10 m/s (22.4 mph), making it highly effective for road cycling, gravel riding, and running. Because the A1 records in full 8K 360 (7680×3840 @ 30fps) or 5.2K @ 60fps, you don’t have to worry about whether you’re perfectly centered in the frame while moving—you can reframe the shot on your phone or desktop during post-processing.

2. The Ring Remote

The Ring Remote weighs 8.2 grams (0.3 oz) and fits fingers sized 46–70 mm. It has no screen — just a single tactile button designed to be pressed blindly while moving.

The standout feature here is called Drag-to-Fly. Here’s how it works:

1. While the drone follows you, press and hold the Ring button.
2. Move your arm left, right, upward, or downward.
3. The drone dynamically matches your hand movement in real time.

It is remarkably intuitive — even my kids picked it up with almost no instruction. By default, the drone locks its minimum height to 20 feet for safety. Rotating your wrist inward draws the drone closer, while rotating outward pushes it back into a wide scenic view.

Both the Watch Remote and Ring Remote feature IP67 water resistance and offer >5 hours of tracking battery life, easily outlasting multiple drone flight sessions.

Key hardware specifications

New safety features

Tracking closely at low elevations introduces flight risks, but the A1 incorporates forward and downward vision positioning Follow-me drones in general — particular those flying this close to ground level — present real flight risks. But Antigravity introduced mitigations such as Full-Coverage Propeller Guards, Omnidirectional Obstacle Avoidance, and an Ultra-Low Altitude Mode which is a flight locked at 1-meter follow elevation.

Tracking at waist height creates a grounded sensation of speed. The system handles these low elevations with steady stability. I tried to move the drone into a chainlink baseball backstop and a pine tree, both times the obstacle avoidance stopped the drone and it didn’t get near the obstacles. I was a little nervous flying a drone with what felt like so little control but overall it was an easy and intuitive system. Landing on a low battery was a little tricky and if you wait too long it will simply sit down wherever it is. I would recommend planning out a landing plan long before you need to, as the new controls will make it difficult to simply take control of the drone. 

The propeller guards

Another component of the bundle is Full-Coverage Propeller Guards, which really just serve as a safety feature. With them installed, the total takeoff weight becomes 351 grams, which places the craft above the 249-gram threshold. That means you’re past the standard FAA registration tier for outdoor operations in the United States (aka you will have to register the drone if you go this route).

When installed,I found flight times to be less than the normal 20 minutes that I was getting previously. It seems the full coverage propeller guards add enough weight and drag to make a difference. 

My take? I do appreciate the safety feature, and if you’re fine sacrificing a few minutes of flight — and you don’t mind registering your drone — then I do love this option.

Antigravity vs Avata 360

Most people like to compare the Antigravity A1 vs the DJI Avata 360, and I’ve done that too. But with this new Follow Me Bundle, it’s becoming less of an apples to apples comparison since the approach to flying and utilizing each drone is fundamentally different.

• Purchase the DJI Avata 360 now from Amazon.
• Purchase the DJI Avata 360 now from B&H Photo.
• Purchase the DJI Avata 360 now from GetFPV.

Who is the new Antigravity Follow Me bundle for?

For those who are active on social media, looking to collect videos of themselves on active adventures and are looking to be able to collect excellent video with minimal flying experience, it’s worth going for this bundle. I would also recommend to those who are curious about experiencing the newest technology on the market, because this is certainly a new direction. If you love the process of flying the drones and framing the perspective to get that perfect shot, then I would look at other drones on the market that have covered that ground for years.

The key here is that this bundle keeps the attention on you, the user. For better or for worse, that means generally all your videos and photos will have you as the subject. Content creators or people who generally want to document their activities would find value in this — as well as people who want visuals of themselves with epic backdrops. 

• Buy the Antigravity A1 drone with Follow Me bundle now directly from Antigravity.
• Buy the Antigravity A1 drone with Follow Me bundle now from Amazon.
• Buy the Antigravity A1 drone with Follow Me bundle now from B&H Photo.

The post Antigravity A1 Follow Me bundle review: A new way to fly appeared first on The Drone Girl.

Research firm Drone Industry Insights (DII) just released its 9th annual Global State of Drones 2026 white paper, offering a look at where the commercial drone market stands today.

The report drawing from a two-month survey which ran earlier this summer and ended up netting 548 industry professionals across 61 countries. With those responses clocked, the 2026 report tracks how hardware manufacturers, software developers and drone service providers (DSPs) are handling everthing from resource allocation to coping with regulations to navigating client acquisition.

Here are the five biggest takeaways from the 2026 Global State of Drones report.

1. Expectations are better aligning with reality

One of the most interesting metrics DII tracks is the gap between “Expectations” (how companies thought the market would develop) and “Reality” (how their sales actually performed over the past 12 months), rated on a scale from 0 to 10.

Historically, drone industry expectations have vastly outpaced actual market performance. But in 2026, the gap between foresight and hindsight narrowed to just 0.5 points (6.7 expectations vs. 6.2 reality). Interestingly, that’s the closest convergence DII has ever recorded.

Don’t take this as a bad thing, or a sign of giving up. DII instead refers to this as a reflection of a maturing industry. The companies that have survived the drone industry since the mega hype wave from a decade ago are setting more pragmatic, grounded business targets rather than relying on hyper-inflated hype cycles.

Here’s DII’s breakdown of expectation scores versus reality scores by individual sector:

2. Regulation remains both the #1 challenge and #1 market driver

Ah, the classic “can’t get things done because of a government hangup.” And for the ninth consecutive year, regulatory obstacles (such as certification processes or the ongoing BVLOS flight restrictions) ranked as the single biggest challenge facing drone businesses, surging by 1.1 points compared to 2025.

In fact, the FAA published its long-awaited Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations — known as Part 108 — in August 2025. As is standard, there was a public comment period on this draft rule, wich ran 60 days. From there, a final rule was set to drop. But it’s been over a year now — and no final rule.

At the same time, survey respondents identified rule-making authorities like the FAA, EASA (Europe’s equivalent), and JCAB (Japan’s equivalent) as the top market-driving actors in the industry (58%). That’s ahead of hardware manufacturers (50%) and service providers (41%).

It’s no secret that the speed at which aviation authorities implement workable operational rules — such as the long-anticipated FAA Part 108 framework for Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations — dictate how quickly commercial drone operations can scale. And right now, that slow speed has made scaling tough.

3. Client acquisition is hard, but domestic politics is rising fast

While regulation sits at the top, the rest of the industry’s biggest friction points shifted in 2026:

1. Regulatory obstacles: This is up 1.1%, though it consistently remains the top challenge.
2. Client acquisition: Finding clients and closing contracts remains a major hurdle, explaining why these days, drone service providers allocate 33% of their resources to Marketing & Sales.
3. Domestic politics: Import/export restrictions, tariffs, and government bans jumped into third place, displacing funding acquisition.
4. Acquiring additional funding: This one is actually down 0.5% from last year. While 2025 marked an all-time high in drone investments (primarily driven by dual-use and defense tech), funding urgency eased slightly this year.
5. Public acceptance is improving: Public awareness and acceptance dropped to 7th place (falling 0.7 points), suggesting that communities are becoming much more accustomed to commercial drone operations in their daily lives. Personally, I’ve seen more police drones flying around San Francisco, and it’s just becoming a new normal — not the surprising thing it was years ago. Meanwhile, more communities are getting drone deliveries to their homes.

4. Why companies adopt drones in 2026

The survey asked business-internal operators why they adopt drone technology, and the answers may be surprising to some. Here’s what they said, in order of importance:

1. Improving worker safety (getting staff out of harm’s way during elevated or hazardous inspections).
2. Saving time / improving efficiency.
3. Improving data quality.
4. Saving costs (ranked last!).

Sure, every business wants to save money, but that’s NOT the No. 1 reason they adopt drones. Especially in major industries like agriculture, construction and energy, enterprise adopters said they view drones primarily as risk-mitigation and safety tools rather than cheap labor replacements. Of course, removing potential safety issues (and the lawsuits associated with it) is a cost-saver in itself, so maybe all signs do point back to drones as a money-saver.

5. The top drone application for 2026

In terms of actual field work, Mapping & Surveying continues its steady dominance, used by 38% of all commercial drone operators (up from 34% in 2023). Inspection held firm in second place at 26%.

Conversely, standalone photography and filming continued its steady multi-year decline (18% in 2026). As commercial imagery becomes increasingly integrated into 3D modeling, geoinformation, and automated inspection software, simple photo/video work is rarely sold as a standalone service anymore.

Meanwhile, specialized application methods like agricultural spraying & dispensing (6%), drone delivery (6%) and localization/tracking (2%) continue to claim larger shares of the operational pie.

What to expect for 2027

The 2026 Global State of Drones suggests that the drone industry has entered something of a pragmatic adulthood. Hardware and software platforms are more capable than ever, public resistance is fading, and enterprise users clearly see the safety value of aerial robotics.

Now, the burden rests almost entirely on rule-makers. This industry is calling for predictable BVLOS frameworks so applications, ranging from drone delivery to major mapping efforts, can go from the localized field trials we see today into full-scale commercial operations.

You can learn more about DII’s full market research suite over on Drone Industry Insights. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing your drone operations this year? Let me know in the comments below!

The post The Global State of Drones 2026: 5 key takeaways from DII’s latest industry report appeared first on The Drone Girl.

Just when we thought the deal-hunting dust had settled after Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days earlier this month, a bunch of big retailers including B&H Photo and Amazon randomly dropped a massive weekend flash sale on drones!

Running through this Sunday, October 18 (and stretching into early Monday morning for select DJI products), I’m seeing markdowns for all sorts of consumer drones. If you missed out on Amazon’ssale, you intentionally held back because the deals weren’t actually that great, or maybe you don’t have an Amazon Prime membership, never fear. This unannounced and kind of random weekend drop — which spans the biggest retailers including Amazon and B&H Photo — actually beats or matches several of earlier October’s lowest prices.

Here is a breakdown of the standout drone deals live right now, along with how they stack up against historical pricing.

The big ticket steals: Antigravity A1 8K 360 drones (save up to $400)

If you have been eyeing the wild, world-of-its-own Antigravity A1—the 8K 360-degree drone co-developed with Insta360 tech —I’m seeing $400 off its top-tier bundles. Read our review of the drone here, then get in on the deals:

Getting the Antigravity A1 Standard Bundle for $1,199 is a huge price drop for pilot creators who want the “fly first, frame later” freedom of 360-degree aerial capture without worrying about camera angles while flying.

• Buy the Antigravity A1 drone now directly from Antigravity.
• Buy the Antigravity A1 drone now from Amazon.
• Buy the Antigravity A1 drone now from B&H Photo.

DJI flash sales

While Amazon had some historic drops on base units (like the standalone DJI Mini 3 hitting $269), this weekend’s flash sales out of DJI are stepping up with bundled extras that make these deals extremely competitive.

1. DJI Flip series (Save up to $160)

The ultra-portable, palm-takeoff DJI Flip series (known for its foldable full-coverage propeller guards, 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor, and sub-249g weight class) is seeing its biggest discount yet over at B&H Photo:

• DJI Flip Drone (RC 2 with Fly More Combo): $619.00 (Down from $779.00 — Save $160). Includes a free bonus item ($27.99 value).
• DJI Flip Drone (RC 2 Standalone): $509.00 (Down from $639.00 — Save $130).
• DJI Flip Drone (RC-N3): $349.00 (Down from $439.00 — Save $90).

During Prime Big Deal Days, similar sub-249g palm-launch bundles hovered near list price or required third-party coupon stacking. Getting the full Flip Fly More Combo with the built-in screen RC 2 controller for $619 is an incredible value for travel vloggers. But you gotta move fast on this one! This offer ends Oct 19 at 2:59 a.m. ET.

• Order the DJI Flip drone from Amazon.
• Order the DJI Flip drone from B&H Photo.

2. DJI Neo Drones (Save up to $80)

If you want the absolute lightest self-flying selfie drone on the market, the DJI Neo drops even lower than it was a few weeks ago for Amazon Big Deal Days:

• DJI Neo Motion Fly More Combo (RC Motion 3): $369.00 (Down from $449.00 — Save $80).
• DJI Neo Power Combo (No Remote): $201.00 (Down from $245.00 — Save $44).
• DJI Neo Standalone (No Remote): $139.00 (Down from $169.00 — Save $30).

Amazon’s early deal on the standard controller-free Neo sat at $169. Now, both Amazon and B&H are beating that down to $139 for the standalone unit (or $201 for the Power Combo) makes this the lowest barrier to entry yet for DJI’s 135-gram vlog drone.

• Buy DJI Neo now from Amazon.
• Buy DJI Neo now from B&H Photo.

The Skyrover deep cuts (Save up to $369)

For drone pilots looking for DJI alternatives, the Skyrover X1 and S1 lines are getting massive percentage discounts this weekend:

The Skyrover X1 Combo at $529 (a 41% discount off its $898 list) offers 4K/60fps HDR video, 360° obstacle sensing, and 8K/48MP photo capabilities in a sub-249g airframe, making it one of the deepest dollar-for-dollar cuts on the site.

• Purchase the Skyrover X1 now from Amazon
• Purchase the Skyrover X1 now from B&H Photo

Don’t forget: Most of the timed DJI sales expire Sunday night or arly Monday morning (Oct 19 at 2:59 a.m. ET), while the Antigravity deals close out Sunday at 11:59 PM ET.

Did you pick up any unexpected drone gear this weekend? Let me know in the comments below!

The post Flash sale alert: Tons of random massive weekend drone deals (and they beat Prime Big Deal Days!) appeared first on The Drone Girl.

Happy Friday! We survived the Amazon Big Deals of the midweek, the extreme heat (especially those record temperatures for my peeps in SoCal) and, well, another week! But here’s a fun milestone, and a nice fresh angle for the beat that sometimes I feel like I have covered from every corner.

That’s because The Drone Girl was recently featured on the Redfin blog! Redfin writer Carson Sperry put together a super thorough guide titled “Navigating Drone Photography Regulations for Your Home Shoot,” designed to help homeowners, buyers, and real estate sellers get their properties camera-ready while staying totally legal in the air.

He reached out to me to break down one of the more “official” and, well, confusing parts of residential aerial photography: Part 107 compliance and airspace regulations.

He came to me because often — when a homeowner decides to hire a drone photographer to showcase their backyard or property lines — they assume they need to figure out local aviation rules themselves. I wanted to clear that misconception up immediately. As I shared in the Redfin feature:

“The first point concerns your home’s location regarding airspace. Drone pilots cannot take off in Class B, C, D, or surface Class E airspace without prior clearance from the FAA (Class B means the surrounding area includes major commercial airports like LAX or JFK, while Class C means medium-sized airports). As a homeowner, you do not need to research or manage airspace rules yourself. That is the responsibility of the professional, FAA-licensed commercial drone pilot under Part 107 rules.”

In short: if a real estate photographer tells a homeowner that they need to delay a shoot or grab LAANC authorization for a specific window near an airport, that’s actually a huge green flag! It means you’ve hired a licensed professional who understands how to safely coordinate with air traffic control.

Why aerial imagery makes real estate listings pop

There’s a reason real estate agents rely so heavily on aerial visuals. A sweeping 4K video or high-resolution orthomosaic photo does what no ground-level camera can:

• Showcases property boundaries: Highlight expansive acreage, waterfront views,or proximity to local parks.
• Contextualizes the neighborhood: Give long-distance buyers a sense of nearby cul-de-sacs, or surrounding mountain or ocean vistas before they step foot on site.
• Highlights roof and exterior upgrades: Beautifully feature new solar panel installations, pool layouts, tennis courts and pristine landscaping.

Whether it’s a quick exterior flyby or an ultra-smooth indoor sweep, aerial shots stop buyers mid-scroll on listing portals like Redfin and competitors like Zillow. I mean, how can you not love stuff like this:

If you’re a real estate agent, photographer, or homeowner looking to level up your property media, I’ve put together a ton of guides right here on the site to help you navigate the commercial drone space:

• Do You Need a Drone License to Take Real Estate Photos? Spoiler alert: Yes! If you’re taking photos to help sell a home (even your own listing), the FAA considers that commercial work. Check out my guide on getting your Part 107 drone license for real estate to make sure you’re operating legally.
• The Best Indoor Drones for Real Estate Agents: Want to shoot those seamless, single-take walk-through videos moving from the front door straight through the living room? Read my breakdown of the best indoor drones for real estate agents, including lightweight cinewhoops and prop-shielded quadcopters.
• How Real Estate Agents Are Using Drones to Close Deals: Curious how top brokers use aerial media as a core listing strategy? Check out my deep dive on real estate agents using drones to win more clients and sell properties faster.

A huge thank you to Carson Sperry and the Redfin team for including The Drone Girl in their home seller guide! You can read the full article over on the Redfin Blog.

Have you ever used drone photos to sell a property or showcase a listing? Let me know in the comments below!

The post How I ended up featured on the Redfin blog (and what homeowners need to know about real estate drone shoots) appeared first on The Drone Girl.

For nearly a hundred years, atmospheric scientists and meteorologists have relied on the exact same technology to gather high-altitude weather data: launching single-use weather balloons carrying radiosonde sensors into the upper troposphere and stratosphere.

Once released, those balloons drift away, gather a single set of data points as they ascend, and are ultimately lost or discarded—costing weather services hundreds of thousands of dollars per station every year in disposable gear.

Swiss weather intelligence firm Meteomatics is making a big change in that department today with the launch of Strato, a multicopter drone built specifically to breach the jet stream and hit record-breaking altitudes of 34,245 feet (10,438 meters). And this one being reusable, it can then return safely to its launch pad, ready to fly again.

Meteomaticshas been building up to this moment. Two years ago, I wrote about their sustainable Meteoglider reusable weather balloon alternative. The company has done work with key users, including having the U.S. Navy test their drones to launch from moving ships at sea. And at the beginning of the year, they launched a landmark partnership, bringing weather drone data to the National Weather Service for operational forecasting in Oklahoma.

Now, with Strato, Meteomatics is taking its autonomous weather ecosystem directly into the stratosphere. I caught up with Dr. Martin Fengler, CEO of Meteomatics, to dig into the extreme engineering, freezing temperatures, airspace logistics, and financial disruption behind building a drone for 34,000+ feet.

How to engineer for extreme conditions and thin air

Flying a multicopter to 34,000 feet means pushing aerodynamics to its absolute physical limits. As air density plummets in the upper troposphere, drone rotors generate significantly less lift and torque.

To solve this, Meteomatics combined physical wind-tunnel testing with high-altitude vacuum chamber simulations to optimize its propulsion design. Surprisingly, their team determined that a four-rotor setup outperformed heavier six-rotor hexacopter alternatives.

“We developed our propulsion system through a combination of practical experience, software simulation, and extensive testing,” Dr. Fengler explained to The Drone Girl. “To refine and verify the model under extreme operational conditions, we conducted additional testing on top-performing candidates in both a vacuum chamber (to simulate high-altitude, low-density air) and a wind tunnel (to evaluate performance against high wind speeds).”

“Ultimately, our engineers determined that a quad-motor configuration offered superior efficiency compared to a six-motor hex design. This optimized setup enables the Strato to fly longer and more efficiently, maintain the power needed to combat severe winds, and consistently capture vital meteorological data at high altitudes.”

Battling -65°C temperatures and high altitude freeze

At 34,000 feet, the atmosphere is both thin and brutally cold. During testing, the Meteomatics shared that Strato encountered ambient temperatures dropping as low as -65°C (-85°F). Unsurprisingly, those are conditions that would instantly destroy standard consumer lithium batteries and freeze moving mechanical parts.

According to Dr. Fengler, keeping the battery pack warm actually relied on a surprising physical byproduct: the high electrical power required to fly in thin air.

“The coldest temperature we have encountered in our test flights so far is -65°C, so we chose every exterior material to perform reliably under those conditions,” said Dr. Fengler. “The battery is far less of a concern than one might expect, because the high power draw during flight generates enough heat to keep the pack within its operating range.”

“To verify this, we installed multiple temperature sensors inside the battery, the drone body, and at the motors, giving us real-time visibility into the system’s thermal conditions. Ultimately, this approach ensures that the Strato stays within safe operating limits throughout the flight.”

The regulatory side of coordinating with ATC at 30,000+ feet

And of course, it’s not just an engineering challenge. Flying straight up to 34,000 feet means crossing directly through active commercial flight corridors used by passenger jetliners and cargo aircraft. Operating at these altitudes requires high levels of airspace integration, transponder hardware and active Air Traffic Control (ATC) coordination.

“Because we share the sky with traditional manned aircraft, we operate under the principle that the Strato is a fully integrated participant in controlled airspace,” Dr. Fengler said. “Flying an uncrewed aircraft at high altitudes presents unique challenges. Without a pilot in the cockpit to visually scan the skies or talk directly to air traffic control, safety relies heavily on automation and clear mitigation strategies.”

“We coordinate with ATC for flight permissions and are incorporating transponder technology alongside automated detect-and-avoid capabilities to ensure mutual visibility with other airspace users,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate to work with regulatory authorities who recognize the value of our technology and are proactively updating airspace frameworks.”

The financials behind replacing $200k in disposable balloons annually

Strato’s ultimate pitch really comes down to economics. Weather stations running traditional balloon launches burn through a massive budget every year just throwing away latex balloons, lifting gas and radiosonde sensor packages.

By replacing single-use balloons with a reusable autonomous drone, Meteomatics says that weather networks can turn recurring operational expenses into long-term capital investments.

“The core difference is shifting from a sunk operational expense to a long-term capital investment,” Dr. Fengler noted. “Traditional weather balloons are single-use devices—every single launch burns through roughly $200 to $300 in consumables like latex balloons, lifting gas, and radiosonde sensor packages that drift away and are lost forever. When you scale that across a standard station running twice-daily soundings, a weather service spends anywhere from $150,000 to over $200,000 every year per location on disposable gear alone.”

“By replacing that model with a reusable drone, you change the entire financial equation. Instead of continuously throwing away hardware, a single platform operates day after day from the same strategic location. That upfront investment effectively pays for itself within the first year by completely eliminating the recurring cost of balloon consumables. Over a 5- to 10-year operational lifespan, reusability turns what used to be a massive, recurring budget drain into substantial net savings.”

The post How Meteomatics built a reusable drone to replace century-old weather balloons appeared first on The Drone Girl.

The company that famously makes the annual, hyper-detailed Drone Market Map now has something a bit more interactive.

German-based research firm Drone Industry Insights (DII) this week launched a product called ASTRA Intelligence. Positioned as a live, interactive “matchmaking platform” for the drone and mobile robotics industry, ASTRA is intended to take its static charts and turn it into a fully searchable database covering hardware, software and services across what is for now 68 countries.

ASTRA, which stands for Automation, Safety, Transportation, Robotics and Applications, is essentially a live B2B lead-generation engine and supplier database.

According to DII’s latest Global Drone Industry Survey, client acquisition ranked as the second biggest challenge facing drone companies for the third year in a row (behind regulatory hurdles). Meanwhile, geopolitical shifts and domestic policy changes have pushed buyers toward regional sourcing.

ASTRA aims to solve both by giving companies a place to get found — for free, no less. As of now, ASTRA is comprised of more than 1,500 company listings and 6,500 products across the entire spectrum of robots that fly, drive, float and dive. As a user, you can create side-by-side comparisons of possible companies to work with. ASTRA has more than 200 filters that let buyers compare product specs directly online or map out regional supply chain components.

Unlike directories where the highest bidder sits at the top, ASTRA says it ranks search results based on profile completeness. The more thorough and updated a company’s profile, the higher it appears. For now, most of the results are AI-powered.

If you’re a company that wants to be featured on ASTRA, here’s what you need to know:

• Every company can claim and maintain a base profile for free permanently.
• It takes 1-2 days to get approved as the owner of that profile, upon which you can make edits.
• DII is also offering an Early Adopter Plan with all premium features unlocked for free until June 30, 2027, for companies registering before Dec. 31, 2026.

So naturally — as soon as I got access to ASTRA Intelligence — I typed “The Drone Girl” into the search bar to see how I was listed. And well… let’s just say it was very clear the profile wasn’t hand-written!

According to our initial automated listing on ASTRA, The Drone Girl is apparently headquartered at the Portland Convention Center in Oregon and boasts a massive team of 50 to 75 employees! Ah ha!

Now, as much as I’d love to have a 75-person media conglomerate running out of a convention center in the Pacific Northwest, the reality is a lot leaner! The Drone Girl is operated by just me and my business manager, Hamilton, alongside a small roster of freelance writers.

(And yes—we are always looking for more drone writers! If you’ve got a story pitch, technical breakdown or flight guide, please reach out and pitch me!)

As for the Oregon tie? I have no idea where the Portland Convention Center address originated from! My only real connection to Oregon is that my dad grew up there and is a diehard Oregon Ducks fan (Go Ducks!).

This points out two things: 1. Don’t trust everything you read online, especially now that so much is AI-powered. But 2. At last this highlights the benefits to why DII built owner-managed profiles into ASTRA. Because DII seeded the database with automated web data and public research, some details might be outdated or wildly off until a real human claims the profile (clearly).

If you run a drone startup, component manufacturing outfit, service provider or media platform, here’s what you can do:

1. Register here. You basically just hand over your email.
2. Claim your profile: Designate a company representative to fix your address, employee count and company description so buyers get the correct info.
3. Add your product portfolio: Fill out your hardware specs, software features, and service capabilities to boost your “Profile Completeness” score.
4. Unlock the early adopter plan: If you register and claim your profile before December 31, 2026, DII is unlocking all premium features (including product videos, testimonials,and press release posts) for free through June 30, 2027.

Have you checked your company’s listing on ASTRA yet? Let me know in the comments below!

The post Drone Industry Insights launches ASTRA Intelligence as a massive directory of drone companies appeared first on The Drone Girl.

It’s officially Prime Big Deal Days (Oct. 6 and 7)! While most shoppers are busy hunting for toilet bowl cleaner (which not going to lie, has a very good Subscribe & Save offer right now), my eyes are glued to camera gear, drone accessories and travel-tech savings.

As a frugal minimalist who has been following consumer drones for more than a decade, I’m always skeptical of fake sales event hype. And yes, I’ve all seen list prices artificially inflated right before a promo just to make a 15% discount look bigger than it is.

I’ve also been covering every DJI launch, as well as tracking prices of other consumer drones, so I know which aerial and vlogging gear deals for Amazon’s Big Deal Day are actually at all-time lows, and which ones you can safely skip.

Here’s your ultimate Drone Girl guide to Prime Big Deal Days 2026 (I’ll add more deals as I see them):

1. DJI Mini 3 (Base Unit) — $269.00 (36% Off)

• List Price: $419.00 | Sale Price: $269.00
• Verdict: BUY IMMEDIATELY (365-day historic low)

If you have been waiting on the fence to grab a sub-249g camera drone, this is the deal of the event. The standalone DJI Mini 3 just hit $269, marking its official 365-day lowest price on Amazon.

For under $270, you get 4K HDR video, True Vertical Shooting for TikTok and Reels, level-5 wind resistance and zero requirement for FAA registration or Remote ID if you fly purely for recreation.

If you prefer the bundle with the screen controller and accessories, the DJI Mini 3 Bundle (with DJI RC, Strobe Light & Landing Pad) is marked down to $460.00 (down from its typical $575.00 price tag, marking a 90-day low). Strobe lights are very fun for light painting.

2. DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Mount Bundle — $375.69 (15% Off)

• Typical Price: $441.99 | Sale Price: $375.69
• Verdict: Solid buy for content creators

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is hands-down the most popular handheld camera for solo creators, travel vloggers and drone pilots looking to capture ground b-roll that matches their aerial aesthetic.

The Mount Bundle (which includes the standard camera plus a magnetic mount stand and desktop mount) is down to $375.69, well below its typical $441.99 price.

If you want the full audio setup, the Osmo Pocket 3 Vlog Bundle (with DJI Mic Mini) is down to $406.00 (down 24% from $532.00).

Other drone bag essentials and stuff I love

Beyond the main camera units, here are a few of my flight-bag essentials with tidy drops today:

• Belkin 10,000mAh Power Bank: You probably rely on your phone for live posting to social media, checking airspace maps or even as a map to get to your flight location. And if you have a minor heart attack anytime your phone battery drops below 50%, this one is for you. It’s 21% off!
• Owala FreeSip 24oz Bottle: I am sadly something of a spill queen, and I have ruined electronics through leaky bottles. This is quite possibly the only bottle I own that hasn’t spilled in my bag.
• BUILT Puff Protein Bars: Many of ya’ll know I am a competitive power lifter and weightlifter on the side. I swear by these protein bars that ACTUALLY have protein in them. They basically taste like Three Musketeers.
• AirTags: They’re on sale, so please buy one and hide it in your drone bag. I don’t want your drone to get stolen, but at least if it does you can better track it down.
• Supergoop SPF 50 sunscreen: I am 34 now! I am getting old!!! (I was 20 when I launched The Drone Girl). I know many of you are outside for long shooting days. One thing I wish I was more on top of was wearing sunscreen when I was younger. At least I’m telling you (and myself) now. The fancy brand is 24% off.

How to spot meh deals and fake discounts

Don’t assume every badge that says “Prime Big Deal” is a historic steal. Especially when it comes to drones, here’s what I am always skeptical of:

1. Bundle inflation: Third-party sellers love taking a drone, tossing in a $5 plastic lens cap, and claiming a “25% discount” on a higher bundle price. Stick to official stores (like the official DJI Store on Amazon).
2. Check the controller type: Make sure you know whether you’re buying a unit that requires your smartphone (like the RC-N2) or includes a built-in screen (like the DJI RC). A lower price tag often just means it doesn’t include the screen controller.
3. Double-check alternate outlets: Before buying gear accessories, quickly price-check against others like B&H Photo or Costco. Always price compare on big purchases!

How to get in on Prime Deals for free

By he way, the only way you can shop these Prime Big Deal Days is if you have an active Amazon Prime account. But you know I love free stuff, and the good news is you don’t have to pay full price upfront to shop the event.

If you aren’t currently a Prime member, you can easily sign up for a 30-day free trial ahead of the event:

• Standard Amazon Prime 30-Day free trial: Anyone eligible can sign up for a 30-day free trial, which gives you instant access to all Prime Big Deal Days offers, fast delivery, and Prime Video access. After the trial, membership is $14.99/month or $139/year.
• Prime for Young Adults (6-Month Free Trial): If you’re a higher education student or between the ages of 18 and 24, Amazon offers a massive 6-month free trial. Once the trial ends, you get a 50% discounted rate of just $7.49/month or $69/year.
• Prime Access (30-Day Free Trial): Qualifying government-assistance recipients and income-verified customers can access a 30-day free trial, followed by a discounted rate of just $6.99/month.

The post Prime Big Deal Days 2026: Where are the real DJI drone discounts? appeared first on The Drone Girl.