A quick update from local Remote ID monitoring near Amazon’s STX8 delivery center in Richardson, Texas: today I detected a previously unseen Prime Air aircraft, bringing my local count to 14 distinct STX8-area Amazon drones.

The new unit appeared in four observed flyovers between about 5:17 and 6:08 p.m. CDT.

All 13 previously known aircraft were active within the past three days, so there is no evidence yet that this is simply a replacement. It could be additional capacity, a spare entering rotation, or a replacement introduced before another aircraft is retired. I’ll keep tracking the daily mix.

?

Over the years, I purchased a total of six Mavic 1 Pro and Mavic Pro Platinum quadcopters that were sold used on eBay, and two camera anomalies that I keep encountering either singly or in combination, have been the camera losing focus even after I tap the screen of my iPad to restore focus repeatedly, and/or the apparent overexposure of the image filmed by the camera, which results in a hazy aspect to the transmitted video feed even on clear days.

The camera lenses on the drones that produce hazy video feed do not seem to be scratched or obscured by condensation, as is sometimes reported by Mavic 1 Pro owners, and adjusting the exposure setting doesn't completely eliminate that hazy look from the film footage.

Running a camera gimbal calibration with DJI Go4 is usually my first fix to address the loss of focus problem, but that step rarely solves the issue. The cost of a replacement camera assembly with its PC board is pretty close to the price of a replacement Mavic 1 Pro drone, so buying the camera alone isn't worth the purchase price.

If anyone has found a fix to these recurrent problems with the Mavic 1 Pro and Pro Platinum, I sure would appreciate a pointer showing how either or both of these issues I describe here can be solved.

Hey fellow drone pilots!

I'm currently in Thailand with my DJI Mini 3 and trying to complete the mandatory NBTC registration.

My CAAT registration and pilot certification are already done, but the NBTC keeps returning my application for corrections.

I'm German and entered Thailand under Visa Exemption on October 13. My passport stamp is valid until November 11, but I'm leaving on October 24.

The NBTC form only offers "VISA" or "No VISA". I selected "No VISA" and entered 30 days, but they keep asking me to correct my visa information.

I've contacted the NBTC several times, but they keep referring to "Visa on Arrival", which isn't the same as Visa Exemption.

Has anyone here flown a drone in Thailand and successfully completed the NBTC registration under Visa Exemption? Which option did you select?

Any advice from fellow drone pilots would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Billions are going into humanoid robots right now. I think a lot of that money is aimed at the wrong robot.

The common argument against physical AI is that big models are too slow and too GPU-hungry for split-second control. That's true. I experimented with putting an AI agent to control a PX4 drone in Gazebo, each direction change took about 2 seconds.

But drones have already solved the fast part. PX4 and ArduPilot handle stabilization, waypoints and failsafes in real time on cheap hardware. The AI doesn't need to fly the drone. It only needs to decide where to go. Humanoids are still building those reflexes from scratch: balance, grip and recovering from a slip are far harder physics than open air.

Drones also have paying customers today in inspection, mapping, agriculture and public safety. Humanoids mostly have demos.

So why does the money go to robots folding laundry on stage? Because a humanoid demo looks like the future, and a drone inspecting a pipeline looks like a job. Investors are funding the demo, not the deployment.

What drones actually need is unglamorous: a reliable bridge between a slow AI planner and a fast autopilot, and regulators who no longer assume a human is watching every flight. That's an engineering problem.

Am I wrong? Are humanoids closer than I think, or is the industry betting on the wrong form factor?

Edit:

I'm not saying humanoids should not be explored. They are built for a different type of work. Both will get built, but I think drones are the place physical AI can earn its keep soonest.

Reposting the original without the image - thanks mods

Pickleball Courts Timelapse 2 - Sunset Whitney Recreation Area-(Rocklin, CA)
https://youtu.be/_N7l4smkp94

With winter just around the corner, I decided to revisit some drone footage I captured around Montreal last year and put together a fresh cinematic edit.

Are you guys ready for winter flying?

I recently transitioned from the DJI Drones to my first traditional 6-inch FPV drone, the iFlight Nazgul Evoque F6D, and I'm already thinking about winter operations.

Unlike my DJI drones, the Nazgul doesn't have GPS position hold, so landing precisely on a small landing pad will take some practice, especially when there's snow on the ground.

I'm considering practicing line-of-sight (LOS) landings in Angle mode, similar to how I land my Avata 2, but without the position hold.

For experienced FPV pilots, is LOS + Angle mode a good approach for precise landings, or would you recommend staying in the goggles and landing in Acro?

Would love to hear how you handle winter landings with larger FPV quads!

I passed my pilot drone exam this past Tuesday. I want to get a safety vest or a patch to celebrate but I’m trying to have any draw back from having a FAA Remote Pilot patch on my safety vest. Like I’m really happy that I passed and but dam I don’t want no smoke from pilots or people in the field that might take it the wrong way. So idk I’m lost I thought about just having a regular safety vest and just leaving it at that. You know celebrate internally. Yeah I know it’s sad but I’m really not trying to cause anything. I haven’t seen any other pilots do it. So idk can someone please chime in and point me in the right direction.

What kind of jobs are there in a Drone Manufacturing company ? Also mention the domain of these jobs

Why is their repair service so bad? It took forever to even get the shipping label & man they definitely make them unnecessarily difficult to work on them I feel like so ppl feel forced to send it in or buy a new one with them.. but you would think they would at least wanna fix their drones since they charge so much?

I made the service request with them a few days before I got impatient after not hearing anything and started ordering parts myself from AliExpress… (stores also in China) got the parts, took it apart, soldered the new motor arm on (which was kinda tricky on this mini 2se) but I’ve been 2 weeks into ripping this around again and I just got their shipping label mailed to me today to send it in…

Does it really take that long to get it repaired thru DJI? Does DJI use lead free solder always out of the factory?

I took the factory solder off and used 63/37 solder wire and a high purity rosin brick because I couldn’t find my good flux and the battery/motors run perfectly healthy I just made sure to clean the board well and I used 91% iso which some say is a no no but just wanted to get insight on similar or different experiences with repairs thru DJI or on your own, local places don’t seem to exist anymore.

Hello! I just bought a drone (dji lito 1) and I was wondering if there is an app to see the limitations of your zone, for example, I live in Portugal so I used an app called “voa na boa” but it stoped working and now I can’t see where I can or can’t fly and how far I can go without breaking any law, the dji app itself is good but it doesn’t work as it’s supposed to, it doesn’t show the zones, it only says my zone, for example it says that where I live it’s a recommended place to fly, but I live in a street with apartments so I don’t think I can even fly in here, I don’t want to break any laws and deal with the consequences even thought I don’t have any bad thought, I just want to fly with my drone but the oficial country app doesn’t even work properly months ago and no one gives a thought to fix it.

I would REALLY appreciate tips from you guys, thank you for your time!

Sorry if I misspelled something or if there are sentences not making any sense, my main language is not English 🥲

Getting some really cool retro shots from my tiny whoop. Can't wait to upgrade to digital, but I'll always love the classic analog feel.

A Short version of my DANGER music video by KUZY. You can watch the full video on youtube.

Hello,

İ use air control and understand the drone rules from an FAA standpoint. İ was wondering if they're any additional rules in indianpolis that i should be aware of.

Thanks!

It was talked about years ago but thought you guys might appreciate some pics

Cheaper DJI but still looks pretty nice at night time!

Right after use, while still warm, this battery consistently puffs up slightly. It's not under much pressure or ballooned and it goes back to normal within 5-10 minutes. It doesn't get hot or puff when charging. Is this normal? Over in the fpv subs they let their batteries get very puffed before retiring, in other places it's recommended to retire them as soon as they start. What's the verdict? Should I toss it or keep using it for awhile?

US forest office issued a CVB ticket for Landing a drone in Hancock overlook, New Hampshire.

The area looks ok to fly a drone but not land the drone.

It’s with US district court, New Hampshire.

How can this ticket be handled?
Whom should I contact to get guidance on handling this ticket ?
Is there anyway to reduce the charges ?
Or take any courses to address the ticket ?

I am testing this platform for a work related project. We’re testing the Parrot UKR, Skydio, and Vesper so far. The final selection has to be blue listed.

Right now I’m working out the kinks.

Anyone have good experience with these?

I’ll give it a review once I get a few more hours with it.

Disposal Deadline: Current residents have until mid-November to completely remove or dispose of their equipment, or face up to a 5,000 rmb fine.

Government Buy-Backs: Drone owners are already utilizing police-monitored buy-back centers to turn in their devices in exchange for government subsidies (up to 3,000 rmb by end of October).

Scrapping and Recycling: Subsidized channels are open for individuals to scrap and recycle older or broken drone units.

Exporting Outside Beijing: Owners can choose to relocate their devices outside the capital's borders. The city is currently offering free courier services to mail drones out of the municipality.

Impact on Travelers and Tourists

The ban leaves no exemptions for visitors. Local transit authorities are actively intercepting drones at major entry points, including Beijing's airports and high-speed rail stations. Tourists and businesses are prohibited from bringing drones or core components into the city limits.

First experience with drone in favela Rochina in Brazil.🇧🇷The biggest in the world 🌍

I want to stay legitimate, as ignorance of the law will get ya in trouble if you're not careful. Can someone tell me where I can go to stay informed on what's expected of me as a drone pilot?

Thank you in advance