MUST-SEE VIDEOS OF 2024

Former DVOW Finalist harispomonis brings us this excellent drone video from Zakynthos, one of the Greek islands of the Ionian Sea.  At the :32 mark, there's a nice shot of the island's namesake town, which lies along its eastern shore.   The next shot is of the Skinari Lighthouse, at the northern tip of the island.  Just before the 1:00 mark, you'll see the tiny island of Vardiola St. Nicholas, on the northeastern coast.  The video concludes with shots of the famous Navagio Beach (aka Smuggler's Cove), on the island's northwestern coast.  

Explore some of Ireland's most famous landmarks with this excellent piece from former top contributor and former DVOW Finalist Dronescapes Ireland.  The video opens with shots of the Rock of Cashel complex in County Tipperary, in the south-central part of the island, followed by the semi-ruined Ross Errilly Friary in County Galway, near Ireland's western coast.  Just after the :30 mark, you'll see Fore Abbey in County Westmeath, in north-central Ireland, and at :54 you'll see Dunguaire Castle, back in County Galway.  

Former Drone Video of the Week Winner Omer Gokcen has created this stunning drone video of one of the natural wonders of Turkey: Lake Uluabat.  Located a short distance west of the city of Bursa, in the northwestern region known as Marmara, the giant lake covers between 50-60 square mi. (136 to 160 square km) depending on water levels, but is extremely shallow - only about 10 ft. deep at its deepest point (around 3 m).  The lake, together with its surrounding marshland, is important to maintaining bird migration patterns in the region.  

Former Drone Video of the Week Winner Omer Gokcen brings us this stunning nighttime drone video from Istanbul, Turkey.  The video was filmed with a DJI Mavic Pro 3 over Kadıköy, a district of Istanbul which lies on the Anatolian (Asian) side of the Strait of Bosphorus, near its southern end.  The video opens with a long shot facing south, with the Princes' Islands in the distance.  Further on in the video you'll see shots facing east towards Ataşehir, the main skyscraper district in Anatolian Istanbul.  

Former DVOW Finalist eCKsplorer brings us this excellent drone video from Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine.  Filmed with a DJI Air 2, the video opens with a shot of the city's most well-recognized landmark: the Motherland Monument, a memorial to the millions of Ukrainians lost in World War II.   From there, you'll head to the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery, followed by the Baroque masterpiece St Andrew's Church.  Other featured locations include the monastery of St. Michaels (at the 1:05 mark), the Dneiper River (1:15), and more.  

Top AirVuz contributor Loïs Cayrel brings us this amazing 2023 drone reel featuring highlights from his work.  Filmed in France, the reel features an excellent mix of landscape and action shots, including some amazing first person view (FPV) drone shots.  You'll explore the majestic Pyrenees and Alps mountains, soar past medieval hilltop villages, and fly over beautiful Fall colors and verdant river valleys.  Other highlights include some incredible shots of BMX riders, construction sites, and more.   

New contributor Andrei Travel Film brings us this excellent drone video of a winter hike in the Siberian region of Russia.  The video was filmed near the town of Luzhba, which lies in the in the oblast (province) of Kemerovo, not far from the border with the neighboring province of Khakassia.  The setting is the northern foothills of the South Siberian Mountains, a chain of ranges (including the Altai Mountains) which runs along Russia's southern border and extends into neighboring Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China.  

Multiple DVOW Finalist DroneDirector used a DJI Mavic Pro 3 to create this marvelous aerial video of Sandoy, one of the (Danish) Faroe Islands of the North Atlantic Ocean.  The video features the following locations, in order of appearance: Dalur, a village on the eastern side of the island's southern peninsula; the village of Húsavík, a bit to the north; the village of Skarvanes, on the western side; Skopun, near the northern tip; Sandur, on the western side, and the island's largest settlement; and Skálavík, a bit to the north of Húsavík.

Top AirVuz contributor Allan Crawford used a DJI Mavic Pro 3 drone to create this marvelous aerial video from a spectacular rock formation in the Southwestern USA.  The Kolob Terrace is located just outside of Zion National Park in southwestern Utah, not far from Utah's southern border with Arizona.  It's one of the natural wonders of  of this area, where the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert come together in a series of magnificent canyons and other geological wonders produced in over 150 million years of sedimentation.  

Top AirVuz contributor chicagodroneco returns after a two year hiatus with this fantastic demo reel featuring highlights of this Chicago-based aerial filming company.  The reel features some incredible shots of the Chicago skyline, including a rare view of the top of the Willis Tower (the tallest building in the world for two decades) at the :17 mark.  You'll also see footage of music concerts and some shots from outside of Chicago, including shots of a natural disaster zone and (at the 1:13 mark) the great Arch of St. Louis.  

Top contributor Omer Gokcen brings us this highly creative drone video from his home city of Istanbul, Turkey.  The video opens with a long shot descending toward the Galata Bridge, which spans the Golden Horn (an inlet of the Bosphorus Strait), with a second shot following a commuter train crossing the bridge.  Next is a long shot running along the northern side of the Golden Horn before turning west and heading to Galata Tower.  Then, in the same continuous shot, you'll turn back to the south toward the mosques of the Fatih district.    

Check out this fantastic 2023 showreel from new AirVuz contributor Andrew Travel Films, who hails from the Siberian region of Russia.  The video features an excellent mix of landscape, action, and "people" shots from across southern Siberia, a vast area that is home to some of Russia's most spectacular natural scenery.  Highlights include dramatic shots of the Altai Mountains, which run along Russia's borders with neighboring Mongolia, China, and Kazakhstan and is part of a larger system known as the Southern Siberia Mountains.  

Enjoy these stunning drone views of the Portuguese island of Madeira, compliments of AirVuz contributor Celeste photography_mq.  At the :23 mark, there's a nice shot of a wind farm, and starting at :32 you'll get some nice views of the island's interior mountains.  At the 1:08 mark (and again at 1:47), you'll see the town of Seixal, which lies at the mouth of a small river on Madeira's northern coast, followed by the Miradouro Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela viewpoint, just a bit to the northwest.   

This aerial tour of Istanbul, Turkey by top AirVuz contributor SkyBee opens with a shot looking past Galata Tower toward the Strait of Bosphorus, followed by a shot of the Süleymaniye Mosque on the opposite (southern) side of the Golden Horn inlet.  At the :34 mark, you'll see Rumeli Fortress, with the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge in the background.  The video concludes with a shot of the Istanbul Finance Center, a new skyscraper development in the Ümraniye District, on the city's eastern (Asian/Anatolian) side.  

Top AirVuz contributor Mauro Pagliai brings us this fantastic drone video of a famous fortress in Italy's Appenine Mountains.  It's called Rocca Calascio, and it's located in L'Aquila, the westernmost of the four provinces of the Abruzzo region.  Located at an altitude of about 4.8k ft. above sea level (around 1.45k m), it originally dates to the 10th century AD.  The fortress has been in a semi-ruined state since being heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1461.  It's part of the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park.  

Check out these excellent drone views of a town on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, compliments of nikolov_kn.  Ahtopol is the southernmost of the cities and towns along the coast, not far from the border with Turkey.  Colonized by Greeks in the 5th century BC, Ahtopol went on to play an important role in the centuries-long struggle between the Bulgarian and Byzantine (and later Ottoman) Empires for control of the southwestern Black Sea coastline.  It was also the target of raids by sea pirates up until the early 20th century.        

Check out this highly creative drone reel from Greece, compliments of former Drone Video of the Week Winner kostas Gur.  Shot primarily with first person view (FPV) drones, the video features impressive shots from all over his native country.  Starting at around the 1:17 mark, you'll tour a new stadium under construction, and at around 1:40 you'll fly past the famous Alexander the Great Sculpture on the waterfront of Thessaloniki.  Other highlights include some epic FPV shots skimming along the Greek coastline.  

AirVuz contributor and pilot scuervo.traveler brings us this marvelous drone video from La Gomera, one of the smaller main islands of Spain's Canary Islands.  The video was filmed around the Mirador de Abrante viewpoint, which lies on the northern side of the island.  The video provides excellent views of the "red lands" around the scenic vista.  In the shots facing to the north, you'll be able to see Tenerife, the largest and most populous of the Canaries, which lie off the coast of Northern Africa.  

Enjoy these magnificent aerial views of Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way, compliments of top contributor Dronescapes Ireland.  The video opens with a dramatic shot of the Fanad Head Lighthouse in County Donegal, near the northern end of the coastline.  The next stop is the chapel atop Croagh Patrick, which overlooks Clew Bay in County Mayo.  Starting at the :40 mark, you'll see the Ballycotton Lighthouse in County Cork, followed by the Benbulbin rock formation in County Sligo.  Other locations include Achill Island (:56) and Galway Bay (1:10).  

Top AirVuz contributor RG CAM brings us this stunning drone video of the massive Iguazu Falls compex on the border of Argentina and Brazil.  The falls are part of the Iguazu River, a major tributary of the Paraná.  The video provides a great aerial view of the individual waterfalls which make up the system, which is collectively the largest in the world by water flow.  Partially obscured by clouds at the beginning of the video, starting at about 1:00 there's a nice reveal of the largest individuals falls, the fearsome Devil's Throat.

Top AirVuz contributor ArturCarvalho used a DJI Inspire 3 drone to create this outstanding nighttime aerial tour of the great city of Lisbon, Portugal.  At the :04 mark, there's a great shot of the Vasco de Gama Bridge, and at around :33 you'll see the Port of Lisbon.  Just past 1:00, you'll see the 25th de Abril Bridge, an older span which crosses the Tagus at a narrower point.  At 1:18, you'll see Commerce Plaza (Praça do Comércio), and just after 1:30 you'll see the hilltop São Jorge Castle.  

Top AirVuz contributor Arnaud Lesueur won the Drone Video of the Week contest in August of 2024 with this fantastic demo reel.  Featuring a mix of gimbal-stabilized drone and first person view (FPV) drone footage, the video was filmed in various spots around Europe, primarily in the Alps mountains.  At the :20 mark, there's a dramatic timelapse shot of some clouds hanging over a mountain valley.  Further on you will skim over alpine ridges, fly over a running race, dive a waterfall, and much more. 

For a first upload to AirVuz, brand-new contributor Thitou Beb brings us this fantastic drone video from Iceland.  The video opens with shots of the famous Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon, one of the island's most well-known spots and a filming scene for a number of high-profile movies.  Then you'll head into the interior, much of which is covered by mountains and plateaus.  At the 1:10 mark, there's a spectacular shot of a waterfall running over a sheer cliff, followed by a number of other waterfall shots.  

Enjoy these relaxing aerial views of the Azores islands by top AirVuz contributor and pilot photoexpert.eu.  Starting at the :40 mark, there's a great shot of the Lagoa do Fogo crater lake in the center of São Miguel, the main island in this Portuguese North Atlantic Ocean archipelago.  Starting at around 2:00, there are a series of shots of some of the famous miradouro's (viewpoints) along the island's coastline.  Just after 6:00, you'll see the Lagoa das Sete Cidades, another crater lake, on the western end of the island.  

Take a tour of a recently renovated luxury hotel on the French Riviera in this excellent drone video by AirVuz contributor Master Media Lab.  THe hotel is called the Hôtel Château de Théoule, and it's located in the resort village of Théoule-sur-Mer, just south of Cannes in the department of Alpes-Maritimes.  Situated at the foot of the Estérel Mountains, and overlooking the Mediterranean, the hotel is an ideal setting to enjoy the legendary Riviera and all it has to offer.  The property is part of the Millesime Collection.  

AirVuz contributor 5rock brings us this excellent drone video of the South Pacific island of Makatea.  Makatea is one of the Tuamotus, a group of about 80 islands spread across a vast area and part of French Polynesia.  Surrounded by cliffs and with a plateau covering much of its interior, Makatea covers about nine square mi. (around 24 square km) and is about five mi. long (around nine km) at its longest.  Once home to a (now-closed) phosphate mine, it has a permanent population of only a few dozen residents.

Former DVOW Finalist benhawkinslive used a DJI Mavic Pro 3 to create this outstanding drone video of the port of Felixstowe in the UK.  Felixstowe is located in Suffolk, one of the counties of the East of England region northeast of London.  Situated on the North Sea, more or less due west of the Dutch city of Rotterdam, the port's two main terminals handle about 4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU's) per year.  It's by far the largest container ports in the UK and amongst the ten busiest in all of Europe.   

Enjoy these impressive aerial views of the Croatian island of Hvar, compliments of top AirVuz contributor photoexpert.eu.  The long, relatively narrow island of the Adriatic Sea stretches for about 42 mi. (around 68 km) off of Croatia's Dalmatian Coast, between the islands of Brač, Vis and Korčula.   With about 10k permanent residents (most of whom live in the island's namesake town near its western tip), Hvar is the fourth-most populous of the Croatian islands.  The video was filmed with a DJI Air 2S.  

Prepare to be amazed by this stunning day-and-night drone video of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam by top AirVuz contributor dronesantana007.  The video opens with a shot flying towards Bitexco Financial Center, briefly Vietnam's tallest building and still distinguished by its 52nd floor helipad.  Around the :54 mark, you'll fly over the Ba Son Bridge, which spans the Saigon River and opened in 2022.  At 2:25, there's another shot looking past the bridge toward the Landmark 81 tower, the second-tallest skyscraper in Southeast Asia as of 2024.  

AirVuz contributor alexukexplorer brings us this stunning drone video of Buachaille Etive Mòr, one of the most well-recognized mountains in Scotland.  Distinguished by its roughly symmetrical pyramidal shape, Buachaille Etive Mòr is situated at the north end of Glen Etive in the northern part of County Argyll.  The mountain reaches a peak altitude of about 3.3k ft. above sea level, or around 1.1k m.  Part of the larger valley of Glencoe, Buachaille Etive Mòr is clearly visible in the 2012 James Bond movie Skyfall.  

Explore the Central Asian republic of Mongolia in winter through this fantastic travel video by top AirVuz contributor BaBi.  Created with drone footage supplemented with ground camera shots, the video will take you around this mysterious country, which has only in recent years become generally accessible to tourists.  Much of the video was filmed over the frozen Lake Khövsgöl, Mongolia's largest freshwater body, which covers over 1,000 square mi. (nearly 2.8k square km) in the northern part ofthe country.  

Explore some of the most famous shrines and castles of Japan with this fantastic drone video by dannyb313.  First up is Hiroshima Castle, which was destroyed by the first atomic bomb dropped on Japan in 1945 and meticulously reconstructed after WW II.  The next two stops are in Kyoto, the ancient Japanese capital: the Buddhist temple Kiyomizu-dera and Fushimi Castle.  At the 1:00 mark, you'll see Seiganto-ji, a temple near Nachi Falls in the Wakayama Prefecture.  Other sites include Himeji Castle (1:14), Iwakuni Castle (1:40), and more. 

Explore the Emerald Isle in this fantastic travel video from Ireland by top contributor Scottyblue77.  The video was created primarily with first person view (FPV) drone footage, and is supplemented with shots from a (gimbal-stabilized) DJI Mavic as well as ground camera footage.  Much of the video was filmed along the Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland's legendary western coastline, with epic shots of Downpatrick Head in County Mayo, County Sligo, County Donegal (the northernmost county of the Republic), and more.   

Former Drone Video of the Week Winner Omer Gokcen brings us this excellent aerial video of Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.  Completed in 1557 it was the largest mosque in the city for over 450 years.  Located on the Third Hill, just south of the Golden Horn, it's named after Süleyman the Magnificent, the longest-reigning Ottoman sultanate, who ruled from 1520-1556 during the height of Ottoman world power.  Its design is distinguished by its four minarets and a dome which measures 174 ft. in height (53 m).  

Explore the southern Brazilian city of Balneário Camboriú from above in this excellent video by former DVOW Winner RG CAM.  Balneário Camboriú is situated roughly in the middle of the coastline of Santa Catarina, the middle of the three states which make up the country's Southern region.  It is one of the main urban tourist destinations in southern Brazil, with tourists swelling its population from about 150k to over a million during the peak summer months.  Its skyline includes some of the tallest buildings in the Southern Hemisphere.  

Explore the great city of Los Angeles with this excellent drone video by top AirVuz contributor Gizmo Drones.  The video opens with shots of Griffith Observatory in the Hollywood Hills, followed by Dodger Stadium and City Hall.  At the 1:01 mark (and again at 1:16 and 1:36), there are some great shots of the skyscrapers of the Financial District, and at 2:03 you'll see one of the great freeway interchanges just outside of Downtown.  Other highlights include the Hollywood sign (2:32), Mulholland Dam (2:55), Echo Park (3:03), and more. 

In this drone video by AirVuz contributor montesinosdroneworld, you'll get an aerial tour of snow-covered Rock Canyon near Provo Utah.  It's just a few mi./km east of the main campus of Brigham Young University (one of the principal institutions of higher learning in the Rocky Mountains region), and less than an hour's drive south-southeast of Salt Lake City.  Set within the Wasatch Mountains (part of the broader Rockies chain), Rock Canyon is one of the more popular outdoor destinations in the Greater Salt Lake City region.  

Explore the small Balkan republic of Albania from above in this outstanding drone video by top contributor eCKsplorer.  The video opens with a dramatic shot of Rozafa Castle, in the northern city of Shkodër.  Around the :27 mark, there's a beautiful view of the historic city of Berat, in south-central Albania, and at :43 you'll see the Namazgah Mosque in the capital city of Tirana.  Other highlights include the Valbona Valley in the north (:50), southern city of Gjirokastër and its namesake fortress (starting around 1:17), and more.

Former DVOW Finalist marco.trastu brings us this excellent drone video of São Miguel Island, the largest member of Portugal's Azores archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean.  The video opens with gorgeous shots of the interior of the island, which is sometimes called the Green Island.  Starting at about the :30 mark, you'll head to the island's coast, and at 1:40 you'll see the islet of Vila Franca do Campo, on the southern coastline.  Other highlights include the Ponta do Arnel Lighthouse (2:13) and the Lagoon of Seven Cities (2:17).

Top AirVuz contributor Jan Barančík (DronistaCZ) brings us this stunning drone video of the Hrubý Jeseník, a mountain range of the Czech Republic in Central Europe.  The range, which is part of the Eastern Sudetes range, runs through a portion of Moravia in the northeastern corner of the country.  The Sudetes are considered foothills of the greater Carpathian range which covers much of Slovakia, southern Poland, and Romania.  The Hrubý Jeseník are home to the tallest mountains in this Central European country.  

Prepare to be amazed by this very impressive drone reel from top AirVuz contributor MadameDrone.  Her aerial filming has been used on the TV show Jose Andres & Family, a culinary-oriented travel show from Spain which recently won a Daytime Emmy award.  The reel features footage from the Spanish islands of Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, and Formentara; the Spanish cities of Madrid, Santiago Compostela, Cuenca, Dénia, and Ávila; the southern Spanish region of Andalusia and the northwestern region of Asturias; plus Portugal, Italy, and Bulgaria.

Former Drone Video of the Week Winner sinaysky brings us this stunning drone video of Porto Montenegro, an exclusive marina and yachting paradise in the small Balkan nation of Montenegro.  Located in the Bay of Kotor, the world-renowned marina has become famous for its magnificent waterfront residences, luxury shops, million-dollar yachts, epic swimming pools, and more.  The first comprehensive deep water marina on the Adriatic Sea, Porto Montenegro is situated in Tivat, one of the principal towns on the bay.  

Check out these amazing aerial views of the Portuguese island of Madeira, compliments of new contributor DanTheDroneMan.  The video was created with footage from a variety of drones (including FPV drones) over the course of a late 2023 trip to the island.  The video opens with a series of relaxing shots over the island's mountains, coastline, and iconic hillside towns.  At the 1:39 mark, there's a marvelous top-down shot of an offshore rock formation, and further on there are some thrilling FPV ridge-skimming and canyon-diving shots.  

Former Drone Video of the Week Finalist emrahkarakoc brings us this stunning first person view (FPV) drone video of Mardin, a very old city in southeastern Turkey.  Mardin is the capital of the province of the same name, in Turkey's Southeastern Anatolia region.  The city lies just a short distance north of the Syrian border.  Mardin has been inhabited since the Bronze Age, and was part of two different Assyrian empires.  Most of its prominent architecture dates to its time under a Turkmen dynasty in the 11th-12th centuries.  

Check out this excellent drone video from the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, compliments of new contributor Maxandre Brunet.  The video opens with a stunning pull-out shot from the old port of Bastia, on the island's northeastern coastline, followed by a shot of the famous beach of Santa Giulia, to the south.  At the 1:44 and 1:56 marks, you'll see the town of Bonifacio, which sits atop a cliff near Corsica's southern tip.  Other highlights include stunning shots of Corsica's rocky coastal cliffs, and interior mountains.  

The Lapland region of Finland, which covers the northern part of the giant Scandinavian country, is home to some of the best winter scenery anywhere in the world.  In this piece by former Drone Video of the Week Finalist timoksanen, you'll get an aerial view of the area around the village of Äkäslompolo during the depths of winter.  It's part of the municipality of Kolari, which covers a section of western Lapland near the border with neighboring Sweden.  The video was filmed with a DJI Mavic 3 drone.  

In this outstanding video by former DVOW Finalist Hashtaggu, you'll get an aerial view of sunset on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica.  The video was filmed around Bastelicaccia, which is situated about two-thirds of the way down Corsica's western coastline.  Bastelicaccia lies on one of a series of bays which characterize most of western Corsica.  The glorious sunsets afforded to these western-facing shores are seen by comparatively few, with the vast majority of Corsica's residents and tourists on its eastern coastline.    

Enjoy these drone views of the famous Stonehenge monument on a misty morning, compliments of AirVuz contributor SouthCoastDronesUK.  Stonehenge is a famous neolithic age ring of stones in southwestern England and is estimated to be 4-5,000 years old.  The purpose and precise construction date(s) of Stonehenge continue to be matters of some debate.  One of the most recognized and important cultural sites in the United Kingdom, Stronehenge was the setting for the climax of Thomas Hardy's 1891 classic novel Tess of the D'Urbevilles.

Explore the tropical paradise of Palawan Island in the Philippines with this excellent piece by top contributor Omer Gokcen.  Palawan is the westernmost of the major islands of the archipelago, and in recent years it's emerged as one of the most popular Asian beach destinations.  When you watch the video, you'll see why - with its white sand beaches, stunning mountains, and distinctive paraw canoes, Palawan is a visual delight.  Much of the video was filmed around El Nido, a beach district in the northern part of the island.  

AirVuz contributor Sardegna World used a DJI Mavic Pro 3 to create this stunning aerial video of a tiny islet off the large French Mediterranean island of Corsica.  Foradada Island is located just off the western side of Cape Caccia, a peninsula which extends off the island's northwestern coastline near the town of Sassari (the main city of northwestern Corsica).  Just before the 1:50 mark, there's a spectacular shot of the Cape Caccia Lighthouse (with the island in the background); it dates to the 1860's and is still operational.    

In this fantastic first person view (FPV) drone video, you'll cruise the coast around one of the most famous beaches in Portugal.  Ursa Beach (Praia da Ursa) is located in the heart of the Portuguese Riviera, the stretch of Atlantic coastline west and northwest of Lisbon.  Ursa Beach is distinguished by the giant rock formations which sit just off the shore, which are thoroughly explored in the video.  At about the :47 mark, you'll pass through a narrow gap at the base of one of these rock behemoths.  

For a first upload to AirVuz, brand-new contributor Flyboy73 brings us this excellent drone video of a butte near the Four Corners area of the Western USA, where the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado meet.  Buttes are isolated rock formations caused by the erosion of layers of structurally weaker rock below a hard caprock, a pattern which is particularly common in this region.    While similar landforms are found in other parts of the world, the term "Butte" is typically only emplyed with respect to those in North America.

For a second upload to AirVuz, new contributor FlyBoy73 brings us this excellent drone video from Comb Wash Canyon in the Southwestern USA.  The canyon runs a course of about 35 mi. (around 60 km) through Utah's San Juan County, not far from the southeastern corner of the state.  The video was filmed along the eastern side of the wash, known as Comb Ridge, which is a series of cliffs rising up to 1k ft. (around 330 m) above the canyon floor.  The southern end of the canyon ends at the San Juan River.  

The Southwestern USA is known in part for its unique geological features.  One of the most unusual is the one seen in this drone video by AirVuz contributor RobSkyHigh: the Waterpocket Fold.  The geological structure runs for close to 100 mi. (around 160 km) through three counties in southern Utah.  It was formed during a geological period known as the Laramide orogeny, which began about 80 million years ago and ran for around 40 million years, a period during which the present-day Rocky Mountains were formed.  

AirVuz contributor Albion Drones brings us this excellent aerial tour of the city of Birmingham, England.  Birmingham is the largest city in the English Midlands region of the United Kingdom, and the second-largest city of the UK after London.  A small market town for much of its history, Birmingham came into its own during the Industrial Revolution, in which it became one of the world's great centers of manufacturing.  The video was filmed at sunrise flying from Centenary Square, in the heart of the city.  

Check out these breathtaking drone views of a tiny island off the larger Italian island of Sardinia, compliments of AirVuz contributor and pilot Sardegna World.  Tavolara Island is located off of Sardinia's northeastern coast in the Tyrrhenian Sea (a large inlet of the Mediterranean), near the southern entrance to the Gulf of Olbia.  About two miles (3 km) long by .6 mi. (a km) wide, and largely surrounded by cliffs, the island has only a few inhabitants; most were cleared in the 1960's to make way for a NATO radio listening station.  

Former DVOW Finalist DroneTheLakes brings us this excellent aerial video of a small island off the coast of Northern Africa.  It's called Sal, and it's part of the archipelago nation of Cape Verde.  Situated near the eastern end of the chain, which consists of ten main islands, Sal is about 360 mi. (560 km) off of the African coast near its westernmost point.  The island is known for its sunny skies and beautiful sandy beaches.   It has a permanent population of about 40k, making it one of the 3-4 most populous of the chain.  

Top AirVuz contributor rlardon picked the mountains of Switzerland's Glarnerland for his first post-COVID drone photography trip, from which he created this stunning video.  Glarnerland is the sometimes-used name for the valley of the River Linthe in east-central Switzerland.  The video features footage of the Tödi and Clariden mountain, the Griesslisee hiking area, the Ortstock mountain, the Berglistüber Waterfall.   You'll also see the Limmernsee reservoir, the Klausenpass in the neighboring canton of Uri, and the Braunwald resort.  

Check out this drone video of the town of Trebinje in the Balkan country of Bosnia and Herzegovina.  Tribinje is the southernmost city in the country, near the tip of the downward-pointing arrow which the country resembles on a map, and close to the borders with Croatia (to the west) and Montenegro (to the south and east).  The town lies in a valley on a bend of the Trebišnjica River, which flows into the much larger Neretva River.  It's part of Republika Srpska, the home of most of Bosnia's Serb population.  

Top contributor and first person view (FPV) drone pilot salva.tours brings us this outstanding FPV video from a famous beach on the Italian island of Sardinia.  It's called Su Giudeu Beach, and it's located one of of the peninsulas at the southern tip of the island, about an hour's drive south of Cagliari (the main city of southern Sardinia).  In a single shot, you'll cruise along the the mains stretch of the beach, skimming just inches about the water, then turn out to sea to fly between the two tiny islands which lie just offshore.  

Check out this beautiful drone video of Tongyeong, South Korea by AirVuz contributor and pilot FSJR.  Tongyeong is located in the South Gyeongsang Province, which covers a portion of the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula.  The city lies on a peninsula which is connected by bridges to some of the numerous islands on South Korea's southern coast.  A popular tourist destination, Tongyeong is about an hour's drive from Busan, which lies in the southeastern corner of the country and is South Korea's second-largest city.  

In this first person view (FPV) drone video by top AirVuz contributor raguayo_arenas, you'll explore some of the most spectacular and remote landscapes of Chile.  The video was filmed in the course of a trip down the Austral Road (aka Chilean Route 7) which runs nearly 800 mi. (around 1.25k km) from Puerto Montt to Villa O'Higgins, providing access to the sparsely populated Patagonia region at the southern end of the country.  Construction of the road commenced in 1976 and took a quarter century to complete.  

While Iceland is an increasingly popular tourist destination, most travelers to the island stay along the Ring Road (aka Route 1), which runs a course of about 820 mi. (about 1.3k km) around the island's periphery.  Iceland's mountainous interior, known as the Highlands, is still largely pristine wilderness, accessible only by those equipped with appropriate four-wheel transportation.  In this amazing video by top contributor haussmannvisuals, you'll be treated to a full 17 minutes worth of drone footage from the Icelandic Highlands.  

Take an aerial tour of the Portuguese island of São Miguel in this excellent travel video by ravs.  São Miguel is the largest and most populous of the Azores, a chain of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean.  Created primarily with drone footage, but with some excellent ground camera shots mixed in, the video will take you over and around the island, which (for reasons which will be obvious when you watch the video) is nicknamed the Green Island.  At the 2:09 mark, there's a shot of the Vila Franca Islet off the island's western tip.  

Former Drone Video of the Week Finalist Hashtaggu brings us this excellent travel  video from the Lofoten Islands, a Norwegian archipelago which lies within the Arctic Circle.  Created with drone and ground camera footage, the journey covered in the video begins at Svolvær, a town on Austvågøy on of the northernmost of the islands, which extend southwest from the mainland.  The trip ends at the village of Å, which lies on Moskenesøya, the southernmost (and most distant from the mainland) major member of the archipelago. 

For a first upload to AirVuz, brand-new contributor Cinematic_Ibiza brings us this stunning drone video from the Spanish island of Ibiza.  Shot with a GoPro mounted to a first person view (FPV) drone as well as a DJI Air 3, the video was filmed on a day when the island was partially covered with clouds.  Ibiza is the third-largest (second-largest by population) of the Balearic Islands, which also include Mallorca and Menorca and are located off the Spanish coast in the Western Mediteranean Sea.  

San Miguel De Allende is one of the cultural gems of Mexico and one of the country's top destinations.  In this drone video by AirVuz contributor Gabriel Ante, you'll get an aerial tour of the historic city, which is a roughly a 3-4 hour drive northwest from Mexico City in the state of Guanajuato.   The "star" of the video is the 17th century La Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel, one of Mexico's most-photographed churches.  It was originally constructed in the 17th century and took on its current Neo-Gothic facade in the late 1800's.    

In this outstanding drone video by top AirVuz contributor Gizmo Drones, you'll see a historic steam train as it heads out of Melbourne, Australia into the hinterlands of the state of Victoria.  The train is departing from Southern Cross Station, one of the most important rail stations in Australia's second-largest city, which is located in the recently re-developed Docklands area along the Yarra River.  The train is headed for the city of Bendigo, which is located about 90 mi. (around 150 km) north of Melbourne.  

Explore a German factory by first person view (FPV) drone in this excellent FPV fly-through by top AirVuz contributor nik.scherer.  The video was filmed at the main facility of KNOLL Maschinenbau GmbH, a leading manufacturer of pumps, conveyors, and other highly engineered capital equipment.  It's located in the town of Bad Saulgau in the state of Baden-Württemberg, near the southwestern corner of the country.  The video provides a great overview of the facility's manufacturing floor, engineering area, offices, and more.  

Explore the giant South American country of Chile by first person view (FPV) drone in this excellent video by top contributor and FPV pilot raguayo_arenas, which shows the power of long-range FPV equipment to film areas which had previously been all but inaccessible to photographers.  A compilation of his best 2024 flights to date, the video will take you over rocky peaks of the Andes Mountains, massive glaciers, and alpine lakes.   The latest long-range FPV equipment can safely transmit video signals several miles/km from the pilot.  

For a first upload to AirVuz, new contributor pacefast brings us this excellent drone video of the seaside city of Calpe, Spain.  Calpe is located on Spain's Mediterranean coastline in Alicante, the southernmost of the three provinces of the Valencian Community.  It's a roughly one hour drive northeast along the coast from the Alicante's provincial capital (and namesake), and a slightly longer distance south of the larger city of Valencia.   The video includes shots of the Penyal d'Ifac, a giant rock formation just east of the city.

Former DVOW Finalist UmairK. Official brings us this stunning drone video of Ireland's fabled Cliffs of Moher.  The dramatic sea cliffs run a course of about nine mi. (around 14 km) along the Wild Atlantic Way in County Clare.  One of Ireland's most popular tourist attractions, the Cliffs rise to a height of as much as 700 ft. (about 1.1k m) above the Atlantic Ocean.  The Cliffs of Moher have appeared in numerous movies and music videos, perhaps most famously appearing as the "Cliffs of Insanity" in the 1987 cult classic Princess Bride. 

Check out this excellent drone video of Spain's Red Canyon, compliments of AirVuz contributor Mark Barrachina - vlcdroneXperience.  The canyon is located in Teruel, the southernmost of the three provinces which make up the Aragon region in the north-central part of the country.  Also known as the Aragonese Colorado Canyon, it's accessible from the nearby (namesake) provincial capital  The video was filmed with a DJI Mini 4 Pro drone as well as a GoPro Hero 10 action camera mounted to a first person view (FPV) quad.  
 

Former Drone Video of the Week Winner Galax brings us this excellent drone video of a hilltop village in southern Italy called Motta Filocastro.  Part of the commune of Limbadi, Motta Filocastro is located in Vibo Valentia, one of the five provinces of the region of Calabria at the "toe" of peninsular Italy.   It's situated at the base of the broad peninsula which extends into the Tyrrhenian Sea.  The town was originally founded by Greek colonists during the Antiquity, between the 5th-7th centuries BC.  

Check out these stunning aerial views of Taiwan's Lanyu Island, compliments of AirVuz contributor LucaLuca.  Also known as Orchid Island and Hongtou Island, it's located about 40 mi. (around 65 km) east of the southern tip of the main island of Taiwan, just north of the Strait of Luzon which separates Taiwan from the Philippines.  Part of Taitung County, the island has a permanent population of around 5k.  Volcanic in origin, the island has mountains which reach up to 1.8k ft. above sea level (around 550 m).  

Check out this stunningly cinematic first person view (FPV) drone video from Spain's Canary Islands, compliments of top contributor Scottyblue77.  The video was filmed on Fuerteventura, the second-largest of the Canaries by land area and (with Lanzarote) one of the two major islands in the eastern part of the grouping.  With the longest beachline in the archipelago, Fuerteventura also has one of the most diverse eco-systems.  The video includes footage from Playa de los Matos,  Puerto de la Cruz, Playa de Soledad, Cofete Beach, and more.  

Top AirVuz contributor and first person view (FPV) drone pilot MazzaFPV brings us this spectacular FPV video from a famous beach in Portugal.  It's called Ursa Beach (Praia da Ursa), and it's located in the Sintra province west of Lisbon, in the heart of the Portuguese Riviera.  The beach is known for its stunning offshore rock formations, which are used to great cinematic effect by this very skilled pilot.  With a hilarious introduction featuring his dog, the  video was filmed with a DJI Avata FPV drone.  

Former DVOW Winner dronesantana007 brings us this fascinating aerial video from the southern part of Vietnam.  The first part of the video was filmed over the Củ Chi Tunnels, a network of underground passageways under a northern district of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) which was used by the Viet Cong guerilla fighters during the Vietnam war.  Starting at the 1:47 mark, you'll see the Vĩnh Tràng Temple southwest of HCMC, which was built in the mid-19th century and is one of the country's best-known Buddhist temple complexes.  

Explore the great city of Lisbon, Portugal from above with this excellent drone video by AirVuz contributor filmingdrones.  Filmed with a gimbal-stabilized drone as well as a first person view (FPV) quad, the video opens with shots of the 25 de Abril Bridge, followed by some fantastic FPV shots of São Jorge Castle.  At the 1:48 mark, you'll see the famous Christ the King statue, and at 2:15 you'll see the Belém Tower fortress on the Tagus River.  Starting just before 3:00, there are some great shots of Lisbon's harbor.  

Check out this drone video from the French Riviera, compliments of top AirVuz contributor Drone Eye Perspective.  The video was filmed over the town of Menton, which is the easternmost town on the French Riviera, just west of the Italian border.  Once part of Monaco, it's been part of France since 1860.  At about the :30 mark, you'll fly past the city's most recognizable landmark: the baroque style Saint-Michel-Archange basilica belltower, which was consecrated in 1675. At about :45, you'll fly over the marina just east of the city.   

This stunning drone video from Ireland by top AirVuz contributor Dronescapes Ireland opens with shots of Fanad Head Lighthouse in County Donegal, followed by shots of Ballycotton Lighthouse in County Cork, in the far south.  Just before the :40 mark, you'll see Cormac's Chapel atop the Rock of Cashel in inland County Tipperary, followed by the ruins of Fore Abbey in County Westmeath.   Other highlights include the neolothic tombs of Loughcrew in County Meath (1:38); the Dingle Peninsula, in County Kerry (1:57); and more.  

AirVuz contributor Jimmy_K brings us this rather stunning drone video of a yacht passing under the Greece's Euripus Bridge.  Opened in 1993, the cable-stayed span connects the city of Chalkida (Chalcis) on the island of Euboea with the Greek mainland to its west.  The Euripus Bridge has a total length of just under 2.3k ft. (a bit under 700 m), with its longest span measuring 705 ft. (215 m).  Greece's first cable-stayed road bridge, it's the longer and newer of the two bridges which span the strait. 

Prepare to be amazed by this stunning first person view (FPV) drone video of the famous Matterhorn mountain by top AirVuz contributor and FPV pilot Livyu.  The video was filmed with a GoPro Hero 11 Mini camera strapped to a 6" FPV quad equipped with a long-range FPV setup.  Situated in the heart of the Pennine Alps in Switzerland, near the Italian border, the Matterhorn has one of the world's most perfectly symmetrical peaks of any mountain.  The Matterhorn has a summit altitude of about 14.7k ft. above sea level, or around 4.5k m.

Top AirVuz contributor Gustavo Quiroga used a DJI Air 3 drone to create this stunning aerial view of a spot in the Andes Mountains in Argentina.  The video was filmed near the town of Potrerillos, which lies on the eastern slopes of the Andes in the state of Mendoza.  Filmed after an Autumn snowfall, the video features shots of the reservoir of Potrerillos Dam, which was completed in the early 2000's and which provides hydroelectricity, drinking water, and irrigation to surrounding portions of the Potrerillos Valley.  

Top AirVuz contributor FLY DOG used a DJI Mavic and a first person view (FPV) drone to create this stunning video of two Dakar Rally star motorcyclists taking on the sand dunes of the Sahara Desert in Morocco.  The riders are Stéphane Peterhansel, who has won the Dakar Rally 14 times (a record as of 2024), and rising Dhakar Rally star Pol Tarrésvideo.  The video was filmed near the village of Merzouga, which lies close to the country's eastern border with Algeria, on the western edge of the great desert.      

Take an aerial tour of an iconic village in southern Italy, compliments of former Drone Video of the Week Winner Galax.  The subject of the video is Stilo, which is located on the southern side (bottom) of the "foot" of Italy in the province of Reggio Calabria.  Situated at the foot of Mount Consolino, the town is just a few mi./km from the coast, as you'll see just before the 1:00 mark.  At around 1:30, you'll see one of the town's most well-known landmarks: the Byzantine church Cattolica di Stilo.  

Former Drone Video of the Week Finalist David L brings us this excellent aerial tour of the waterways of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Located about 30 mi. (around 50 km) north of Miami on the legendary Gold Coast, Fort Lauderdale is sometimes called the Venice of the USA.  With many thousands of boats moored along its 165 mi. (around 266 km) of inland canals, it can also lay a good claim to be the country's boating capital.  As you'll see in the video, these boats come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from small skiffs to giant yachts.  

Check out this drone video from the French Riviera, compliments of top AirVuz contributor Drone Eye Perspective.  The video was filmed over the town of Menton, which is the easternmost town on the French Riviera, just west of the border with neighboring Italy.  Once part of Monaco, it's been part of France since 1860.  The "star" of the video is the city's most recognizable landmark: the Saint-Michel-Archange basilica belltower, which was consecrated in 1675 and is considered a Baroque style masterpiece.   

AirVuz contributor filmingdrones used a DJI Mini Pro 3 drone to create this stunning video of the great Renaissance city of Florence, Italy.  At the :06 mark, there's a nice shot of the Arno River, with the core of the old city on its right bank.  Starting at about :15, there's a stunning shot heading toward the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo), with the Piazza della Signoria in the foreground.  At :55, you'll get a close-up view of the Duomo, and at 1:24 you'll see the Ponte Vecchio, one of the world's most famous bridges.  

Check out these excellent drone views of a well-known church on the Italian Riviera, compliments of AirVuz contributor BDurren67.  The Church of San Pietro is located on a rocky spur in the town of Portovenere, at the western entrance into the Gulf of La Spezia.  It's less than an hour's drive southeast of the Cinque Terre towns in the region of Liguria.  The church is part of a small complex which originally dates to the 5th century AD, with the main structure dating to the 13th century during the period of Genoese rule.  

Top AirVuz contributor SkyBee brings us this awesome drone video of Turkey's Roman Theatre of Aspendos, one of the best-preserved sites of the Antiquity.  Aspendos is situated in the southern province of Antalya, a few km/mi. inland and about 40 km (25 mi.) east of the provincial capital Antalya.  Built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius in the 2nd century AD, it could seat an audience of up to 13k people.  It later served as a palace before being restored as a theater, hosting seasonal opera and ballet performances.  

Explore some of the wonders of Turkey with this fantastic piece by former Drone Video of the Year Finalist Lokmansin.  The video includes footage from numerous spots, including the area around Marmaris, on the Turkish Riviera; the town of Amasya on the Yeşilırmak River, near the Black Sea in northern Turkey; Mount Nemrut, in southeastern Turkey; the town of Aydın, on the Büyük Menderes River in western Turkey; the modern city of Izmir, on the Aegean Sea; and the ancient city of Hierapolis in Pamukkale, also in western Turkey.

Former DVOW Finalist My Travels brings us this stunning drone video from the city of Bilbao, the de facto capital of Spain's Basque region.  Situated on the Estuary of Bilbao just a few mi./km inland (south of) the Bay of Biscay, Bilbao is one of the country's most industrialized cities.  At the :37 mark, you'll see the city's most famous modern attraction: the Guggenheim Museum, which was featured in the 1999 James Bond film the World is Not Enough.  Other highlights include the Santiago Cathedral (:48), La Salve Bridge (:52), and more.  

Take an aerial tour of the historic city of Poznań, Poland with this excellent drone video by AirVuz contributor Zoya.  Poznań is one of Poland's five largest cities as well as one of its oldest.  The video opens with shots of the twin towers of Poznań Cathedral, which dates to the 10th century.  At the :30 mark, there's a nice shot of the Warta River, which runs through the center of the city.  At :50, you'll get a great view of the Poznań Town Hall, in the heart of the city's Old Town, and at 2:30 you'll see the city's opera house.  

Top AirVuz contributor DroneDirector brings us this excellent drone video of a cruise ship plying the waters of the Faroe Islands, a Danish archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean.  The ship is the MS Zuiderdam, which is a Vista-class ship operated by Holland America Lines.  In service since 2002, the ship displaces about 82k tons and is around 955 ft. long (around 291 m).  It can carry up to about 2.3k passengers in addition to a crew complement of about 850.  The video was filmed with a DJI Mavic Pro 3 drone.  

Take an aerial tour of the Italian city of Modena in this exellent drone video by top contributor Luca T.  The video opens with a shot of the Ghirlandina, the bell tower of the Cathedral of Modena.  At the :17 mark, there's another shot of the tower, and at around :34 you'll see the Ducal Palace.  Starting at about :50, there's a single-shot first person view (FPV) flyover of the city, with a great shot of the Town Hall at around 1:11.  The capital of its namesake province, Modena is one of the larger cities in the Emilia-Romagna region.  

The latest five inch and seven inch first person view (FPV) drones now generally run on 6S batteries providing nearly unlimited power, which is far more than really is ever needed for cinematic FPV filming.  Where unlimited power really does make a difference is in aggressive freestyle flight, like what you'll see here in this video by top AirVuz contributor and FPV pilot George FPV.  Watch and you'll see what it means to have thrust-to-weight power in excess of 7-8:1, where gravity is just a light force by comparison!  

Former Drone Video of the Week Finalist SKY DIRECTOR brings us this excellent video of a well-known castle in the Baltic republic of Estonia.  It's called Alatskivi Castle, and it's located in Tartu County, in the eastern part of the country.  The neo-Gothic castle was built in the 17th century and rebuilt in the 19th century to resemble the Balmoral Royal residence in Scotland, a residence frequented by then-Queen Victoria.  The castle is surrounded by a park covering about 320 acres, the largest such park in Tartu County.  

AirVuz contributor filmingdrones brings us this excellent drone video of the historic city of Ronda, Spain.  The town is perched above a canyon of the Guadalevín River in Málaga, one of the provinces of the southern region of Andalusia.  Famously, Ronda was the setting for one of the most well-known passages of 20th century literature: the execution scene in Chapter 10 of Ernest Hemingway's 1940 Spanish Civil War novel For Whom the Bell Tolls, in which Nationalists are murdered by Republicans and their bodies thrown into the Tejo Gorge.