Drone News Roundup: DJI Air 3, RC 2, and RC-N2 Appear in FCC Filings, Sky Elements Sets Drone Light Show Guinness Record, and More!
BY Zacc Dukowitz
13 July 2023This week we’re covering new FCC filings for the DJI Mavic Air 3, as well as the DJI RC 2 and the DJI RC-N2 controllers, making it clear that the release of all three is imminent.
We’re also covering a drone light show Guinness World Record won over July 4th weekend, a video about the DJI Dock, Airspace Link making its API open so other apps can offer LAANC services, and a flying car that could prove instrumental for drone type certification.
Now let’s get to those links!
DJI Air 3 + DJI RC 2 and DJI RC-N2 Controllers Appear in FCC Filings
Lots of leaks have come out recently about the DJI Air 3, including its price and its dual camera system, which reportedly comes with a wide-angle and a telescope lens. A related leak is that the Air 3 will be released with two new controllers—the DJI RC 2 and DJI RC-N2. Adding credibility to the leaks, the Air 3 has now hit the FCC database along with both of the new controllers. Based on everything we know, it seems likely that the Air 3 will hit the shelves any day now.
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Sky Elements Sets Guinness Record with July 4th Drone Light Show
Credit: Sky Elements
Drone light show production outfit Sky Elements produced a whopping 40 drone light shows over July 4th weekend. As if that wasn’t enough, the company secured a new Guinness World Record for one of those shows. The record was for “the largest sentence formed with the most number of drones in a single display.” The sentence was made with over 1,000 drones, forming the words “Happy 4th of July 2023” (as shown above). Last year, Sky Elements pulled a prank on the city of Dallas by forming a QR code with light show drones. The code led people to a video of Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”—a prank that’s known as a Rickroll. Follow the link below to see a video of the record-breaking Sky Elements drone light show.
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DJI Hosts Training for the DJI Dock
The DJI Enterprise North America team recently held a comprehensive training session for DJI Dealers in preparation for the commercialization of DJI Dock. Throughout the training, participants achieved proficiency in deployment, configuration, mission planning, and more. pic.twitter.com/nnfs0B8n2f
— DJI Enterprise (@DJIEnterprise) July 5, 2023
DJI rolled out the DJI Dock along with the Matrice 30 in 2022. Although the M30 saw quick adoption after it launched, we haven’t heard much about the Dock since it came out. Now DJI seems to be getting ready for a commercial push for the Dock. One major part of its preparation was a recent training session held for DJI resellers to get them up to speed on how the Dock works, including training on deployment, configuration, and mission planning. Watch the video above for a short overview.
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Airspace Link Shares API for Enabling LAANC Services on Other Apps
Credit: Airspace Link
LAANC provider Airspace Link recently made it possible for other apps to offer LAANC access using its technology. LAANC is the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability, and it allows drone pilots to get instant airspace authorizations. AirMap recently stopped offering LAANC services, leaving Aloft, Airspace Link, and Wing’s OpenSky as some of the last remaining LAANC apps available. By opening its API to developers so they can incorporate Airspace Link into their apps, Airspace Link is helping spread LAANC capabilities to more people.
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Car that Drives and Flies Could Help Advance Drone Type Certification
The ASKA A5 is the first eVTOL that can both drive on the ground and fly. It’s about the size of an SUV, and a prototype of it was first showcased earlier this year, at CES 2023. Unlike some passenger drones we’ve seen, the A5 flies with a human pilot. But why does this fly-and-drive vehicle matter for the drone industry? Because ASKA is currently pursuing type certification with the FAA. Type certification is a hot new topic for both drone and taxi drone manufacturers, since it’s the path toward standardization and freeing up common use of their technology. Many drones and taxi drones are also technically new types of aircraft, just as the ASKA A5 is. If ASKA can achieve type certification for a new type of aircraft and demonstrate how the A5 can integrate into the national airspace, it could provide a model for other drone companies showing how type certification and integration can be achieved.
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