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.