ParaZero SafeAir parachute for DJI drones

ParaZero, a UAV company based in Israel, is ready to start offering their drone parachutes through the B&H store.

Currently available is the ParaZero SafeAir for DJI Matrice 200/210, the SafeAir for the DJI Matrice 600, and what we’re most excited about, the ParaZero SafeAir for the DJI Phantom 1/2/3/4.

For a hobbyist or business who has invested thousands of dollars in a UAV system, it makes perfect sense to attach a parachute to the rig, in case something goes awry mid flight. But surprisingly parachutes haven’t been a default part of consumer drone systems.

DJI has its own proprietary DropSafe system, which is compatible with the DJI S1000+, S1000, and S900 flying platforms. It’s designed to deploy automatically and slow the UAV down in the event of an emergency. Or it can be triggered via a manual panic button on the transmitter.

There’s also other third party manufacturers who are making parachute systems for DJI’s drones, such as Fruitychutes, Skycat, and Indemnis.

But the main issue with both the DJI DropSafe system and the custom manufacturers is they’re not available in retail stores, and they typically require you to send the system back to the company for re-packing, after the parachute has deployed.

If you’re on a job and the parachute is deployed, most professional videographers don’t have the ability to be without their drone for weeks while their parachute is re-packed.

The other limitation with the current parachute systems is they’re typically very expensive and made only for high end drone systems. ParaZero is no exception with their two Matrice systems, both going for over $2000.

But the SafeAir for DJI Phantom drones is a different story. It’s quite affordable and you can repack it yourself. That right there makes it something that most Phantom 4 owners should consider adding to their kit.

The SafeAir for Phantom only takes a couple minutes to repack, and it weighs 0.3 lbs, so it doesn’t add that much to your current operation. It’s powered by a built-in battery that is USB chargeable, and lasts about 1 hour before needing to be recharged.

That’s enough battery power o last about 3 Phantom batteries worth of flights, which seems like the average for most video producers who fly a DJI drone as part of their shooting gig. UAV professionals who fly for more extended durations during a day shoot will probably want to get more than one SafeAir.

The SafeAir is an autonomous system that will deploy automatically when it senses a free fall or unexpected pitch and roll angles. As it deploys, it sounds an alarm to warn anyone around it, a section of the SafeAir will then stop the propellers, and finally the parachute will be released.

For transportation, the SafeAir can be removed quickly and put away. And they’re compatible with DJI’s propeller guards.

Image credit: dronedj.com

What about the Mavic Pro? Based on previous announcements from ParaZero, a SafeAir system for Mavic Pro is allegedly in the works. If or when that’s a reality, we’ll look forward to testing it out on our Mavic Pro.

The ParaZero SafeAir Drone System for DJI Phantom 1/2/3/4 is now available for pre-order and should start shipping in September.