New Skydio R2 drone to challenge DJI’s prominence in the market, San Pablo Police Department buys US-1 drones by Impossible Aerospace, Drone U partners with Skywatch Insurance, Drone Delivery business takes off in North Carolina

Our biggest drone news story this week is about the new Skydio drone. After the success of Skydio R1, the American manufacturer is going all out to manufacture the new Skydio drone A.K.A. Skydio R2. Expectations for this new drone are quite high and some industry analysts believe that this new drone could challenge DJI’s flagship brands like Mavic and Phantom. So far, market leader DJI has successfully managed to outmaneuver all possible competition (think GoPro’s Karma and 3DR Solo). But the ongoing US-China trade wars and the $150 million corporate fraud at DJI has certainly leveled the playing field. So, will the new Skydio drone live up it to the hype and alter the industry status quo? We reveal the rumored Skydio R2 release date in this segment of the show.

Our second story for today is about the current lack of availability for DJI drones. We have already discussed DJI’s intention to discontinue the Phantom brand on past shows. As of now, popular drones like the Spark, Mavic Air, and even the Mavic 2 Pro are unavailable on the DJI online store. If you wish to purchase these drones from the online store, you can do so by purchasing a drone + controller combo. What is the reason behind this lack of availability? Is DJI ramping up its production lines for a new model?

Our next drone news story is about the Impossible US-1 drone. The San Pablo Police Department has purchased three US-1 drones to help them out in surveillance and other police work. The US-1 drone, designed by a former Tesla engineer comes with a battery-centric design. Because a whole set of batteries are bundled together, this drone can stay up in the air for as long as two hours. But, are there any potential downsides to this US-1 drone? And, does Impossible Aerospace have any plans for the mainstream consumer drone market?

Next, we have some exciting news to share. Drone U has partnered with Skywatch Insurance, the on-demand drone insurance provider. Under this new arrangement, anyone who takes the Drone U Flight Mastery course can avail an instant discount on their Skywatch Drone Insurance policy. Clearly, the risk of a drone crash will significantly decrease as you acquire more skills and become a safer pilot. This new partnership is great news for drone pilots as they can recoup some portion of their training investment instantly.

Other topics covered in this show include drone deliveries in North Carolina and a proposed city ordinance to restrict hobby drones in Prairie Village, Kansas.

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