Parrot Anafi USA First Flight and Impressions - Small But Mighty

The Parrot Anafi packs a serious amount of technology into a small package, but there is one thing that needs to be improved, and that is the transmission system. Upgrading this would make this drone WAY more usable.
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:24 - My Experience With Parrot
00:58 - Parrot Anafi USA Flight
-
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[@RoccoGermani]

For $7000 that transmission system is simply unacceptable.

[@thedroneosphere1760]

14000 that's the gov edition

[@RoccoGermani]

@@thedroneosphere1760 oh word... Definitely not worth that much. That's awful.

[@londenard]

I can't be okay with that transmission on a $400 drone. The Mini SE would beat it. I tested the Anafi vs the Mini 1 and it went twice as far. Pathetic.

[@JimmyShot]

Transmission is trash. Man what the heck

[@thedroneosphere1760]

@londenard the just brought out the skycontroller 4 black..I have it on the anafi ai it's a great contoller with way more range

[@InfrastructuraRomania]

Tengo Parrot Anafi FPV y estoy satisfecho con el.

[@SCAerialsSteveCarpenter]

Thanks Billy for your first test flight and overview of the USA Anania. Truly a shame the transmission system has not been upgraded for a better signals. If this is to be used by first responders they’ll be having issues in urban areas.

[@thedroneosphere1760]

It has been up graded they got the new skycontroller 4 black out now.

[@JohnnieDroneFlyer]

Love My Anafi.

[@RonaldBrown59]

I also owned the original consumer version of the Anafi, and while I liked a lot things about this drone, I was never a fan of transmission system. And I see those issues are still there in military version. There are many great features built into this drone, that could be very useful for an enterprise or search and rescue users. But there seems like better options out there. Great review, and thanks for showing us the latest version of the Anafi.

[@CozumelTy]

Yeah the distance has always been a challenge (and also with their drones drifting when hovering) but I still have one of the V2 models and fly it when I want to fly in areas where my DJI drones are flight restricted.

[@georgeaura]

Definitely see some gimbal jitters

[@Javiercav]

It's sad to see that parrot is still a lot behind what DJI offers, specially in the transmission system. More competition in the camera drones is needed, but dji still has a lot of advantage. I was hoping in skydio ... buy they decided to abandon the fight.

[@thedroneosphere1760]

Truthfully the parrot anafi ai is a beast of a drone. I have all the parrot and guy I fly with have all the dji drones up through the mavic series and sens the mavic 3 can only use 4g is china the anafi ai way out performs anything under the mavic pro..

[@thedroneosphere1760]

Also the anafi usa is going to be a beast if the skycontroller 4 black has the same wifi as the skycontroller 4 white

[@nbagoats4819]

Parrot as a tech company is way ahead of DJI.

[@londenard]

This is tough for me, I was a HUGE Parrot fan back in the day. The AR Drone was the first ready to fly drone I've ever owned. I still have it, all the Parrot Mini Drones and I even had a couple BeBops. They used to lead the drone industry... those days are over. The controller: The Skycontroller 4 has a $100 Samsung tablet as a display. It must be a challenge to see in even moderate sunlight. The unnecessary bulkiness of it. The HORRIBLE range. The camera/ gimbal: The 2 axis with electronic 3rd axis. The last Gen/ low rez Flir camera. The old school Anafi main camera. The very meh "zoom" camera. The drone itself: The Zero Obstacle Avoidance. The relative slow speed. The relatively low flight time. The relatively slow charge time. The relative lack of features. I could go on, but the last thing I'll mention is the price. The standard Anafi USA Thermal seems to go for around $7000, with the Gov edition coming in for around $14000. I don't think I need to mention that there are other drones that are more capable and cost significantly less on the market. Frankly, if it weren't for lobbyist groups and government interference, this drone wouldn't have a chance. In a fair market, this drone wouldn't even exist. As far as I can tell, the $7,000/ $14000 Parrot Anafi USA/ Gov doesn't come close to matching the $5000 Mavic 3 T.

[@crashray5523]

Thank you Lon. Great info. 👍

[@londenard]

@@crashray5523 You're welcome!

[@Billynapier_]

Favourite youtuber

[@NHILLproductions]

Thanks Billy. At last a review of a UAS approved for USA use. It seems like an okay drone, but why use wifi for transmission? It would be nice to see more approved drones available that are approved. Maybe this’ll make other manufacturers produce better drones that are competitive with DJI.

[@alexbaru3768]

Super Nice review , I had a Parrot years ago and i liked it but the frustration at that time was that a dji phantom 2 had so better transmition that that parrot . now, years away, parrot still has the same problem. I ask to myself why! .... Is it too difficult to do somethin like an occusync ?? /// thats why Dji is where it is....

[@SW-Video]

Is that thermal image wiggle normal for this drone?

[@leteci_objektiv]

DJI simply rules!!!

[@crashray5523]

Billy, what is the cost?

[@flightographist]

Are the cams, gears, and cables inside the remote heavy? Seriously, that rc is humungous!

[@raizdesuenos]

How do youtubers do range tests? How far can you see your drone guys? How far do you guys fly?

[@thedroneosphere1760]

I did that flight with the skycontroller 4 with my anafi ai without 4g just on wifi..now they have the same controller for the anafi usa

[@Emuspaul]

I just used my old backup Anafi yesterday on a shopping center drone job, where long range is not an issue. Customer wants raw photos, and they said not to use my Autel Nano Plus - raw too yellowish from RYYB sensor. (My Evo 2 Pro crashed). But Anafi raw is great. And sometimes my Phantom 4 Pro is grounded by geofencing.

[@londenard]

How dare you say anything negative about the RYYB sensor on the Nano+! Off with his head! Hahaha!

[@n4ldg]

I noticed a bit jumpy when in follow-me mode. Does it have all the annoying restrictions that DJI has?

[@thedroneosphere1760]

Ima review it with the new controller when i acquire the skycontroller 4 black. I been trying hard to get it just give me some time

[@925riv]

This is why I’m still sticking with DJI. Don’t get me wrong it has some features but not enough to switch. DJI Is still king. Thank you for the video Billy. Keep them coming.

[@TrailTrek]

Its great to see other drone makers but wow this gitters from left to right and the thermal overlay does the same. Then the transmission system is very underwhelming even with that huge controller that looks like a small pizza box! Thank you for taking the time to make such a good overview video though.

[@Tianablue1]

Glad I’m not the only one to notice those sideways jitters! Awful range too, surely no army would want that crappy transmission system.

[@GBOY185]

The transmission system leaves a LOT to be desired...

[@EZETechnRC]

you would think with that big ass controller the signal would be better.. but it does look cool

[@SunriseWaterMedia]

Cool launch! That whistle though! 🎧 That breakup isn't great. Hard to beat O4.

[@stefantrojer6135]

Top❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@thedroneosphere1760]

Wish I had the skycontroller usa in my collection not gone lie..

[@Steve-Cross]

You said it all. DJI make much better drones. I wouldn’t call that a commercial drone. It is more Hobby grade, with a thermal camera, and not a particularly good one.

[@RaniRani-zt2tr]

Oh come on bro just get a mavic 3T for that price it is just amazing in every single way

[@maddmavic]

In thermal it didnt get the cars n they should be hotter then the spots on the roof. .the roof looks like theres a weeed grow in side by the heat areas on the roof lol. Seen it before a few times.

[@thedroneosphere1760]

Not gonna lie i really like flying this drone it feels good to be able to fly in the rain and the camera zooms in way further the any of yall would think.. i also got alot further in distance then he did but thats cause i flew it at 150 to 300 ft..its made to fly alot higher then he he flew it butthe connect on the skycontroller usa is only for 2.5 to 3 miles..its kinda like the dji air 1..

[@OriginaldoBo]

Just because McDonald’s makes French fries in the US doesn’t mean they are better. WTF are you even saying doBo

[@ST19859]

Glad to see this review. I was actually considering this one for a business plan I was working on but not after watching this. For 7k that transmission is completely unacceptable, and frankly the whole package isnt that impressive. Pretty much is just an original Anafi with a slightly better camera and thermal, dont get me wrong I love my original Anafi and still use it today, but it didnt cost a months wages either. Funniest part is I never had the consumer version lose signal that easily even in heavy interference areas. I absolutely hate DJI, it really sucks no one else out there can seem to compete with them in the range dept because thats really the only thing they are good at.

[@SamcroHD]

Thanks for your video. Regarding comparatively with my DJI Mavic 3T, I don't see any advantage to this Parrot. Even the price is more expensive, Thermal specs are not specified, zoom x32 and x56 on Mavic 3T,...

[@wreckinball11]

If you're 500 feet from a person in trouble you could hear them yelling.

[@thedroneosphere1760]

This drone flies in the rain and does it really good too

[@londenard]

Yay! You can fly

[@altorres987]

Still fly the original Anafi but dji is way more reliable.

[@thedroneosphere1760]

He needs to review the drone with the skycontroller 4 black

[@londenard]

Go ahead and send him one...

[@Aaron_Lester]

Thank you for this video. It definitely helps make the decision whether or not to buy these for our workplace easier. The range is simply unacceptable for this price point.

[@spartanaerialservices]

Made for the US Army? With that jankey transmission system??

[@gravis00]

How does in fly indoors in no light or low light?

[@billykyle]

Yes

[@thedroneosphere1760]

Niceee he has the gov edition cause he has the skycontroller usa..that version actually cost 14000 dollars.

[@thedroneosphere1760]

On this video he using the anafi usa which is barely a 3 mile controller but the just came out with a new controller the skycontroller 4 black..just wait tell the new controller is reviewed.

[@gmdronesuk3425]

Unfortunately it’s disappointing to see how bad the connection is between the aircraft and R/C. Not for me, especially considering the costs. Here in the UK more and more organisations such as police etc, are turning more toward the new Autel range in particular the EVO MAX.

[@johnsnow2347]

Billy....Appreciate the review, though @ $7,000 U.S. dollars, there had better not be any break in transmissions. Good luck!

[@JinForTheWin79]

In cause I still use the original anafi under certain circumstances 😆

[@tavares4140]

esse e de mais tamo junto like garantido tem video la tb

[@cascocatcommunity5382]

You are to kind, this would be good for a child's first Drone or children parties 🎉, dose not compare to the DJI.

[@swathidandoti5474]

Wow iPhone eyes 👀 super But I still love dji drones more than this

[@thedroneosphere1760]

I love this drone they have a new skycontroller 4 black for it gives it way more range..

[@RaniRani-zt2tr]

Oh come on bro just get a mavic 3T for that price it is just amazing in every single way

[@christopheralanfields]

That drone, is $4500, I have a dji air 3, that is under $1500, it is 50 percent faster and distance, is measured in miles, not feet.

[@jetmartin9501]

And how is your thermal camera?

[@thedroneosphere1760]

For the most part if you want to use it for inspections the anafi thermal is awesome if you can't afford this. Plus the anafi thermal is radiometric..

[@londenard]

I'm not sure you can still buy the old Anafi Thermal...

[@thedroneosphere1760]

@@londenard it's a few of them still out there for sale

[@londenard]

​​@@thedroneosphere1760I couldn't find it new from Parrot. Do you have a link?

[@lordbaronvonwalrusthethird3902]

My first drone was a Parrot Anafi that I got a few years ago and I've only recently upgraded to an DJI Air 2S, then last week changed to Air 3 and your absolutely right about what a great job Parrot did with the features and app usability, I mean DJI have only just added waypoints. Although as we see here the transmission is kind of pathetic compared to DJI, especially the latest ones. With Parrot, FCC mod is essential for CE regions but even then it's not as good as DJI in CE mode. One thing I really like about Parrot though is even when you get total signal loss, you tend to still get the live telemetry data and can see it on the map so at least you can see it's on the way back to you. The only time I've had a total signal loss on a DJI it was absolutely terrifying because with DJI's you get nothing, just total blackout until it gets the signal back.

[@jeffvoigt3501]

Billy, great video. Good to see an American drone of quality. But $7,000? If DJI is grounded in the US in the future, what’s your go to camera drone? Thanks. Jeff/Annapolis

[@londenard]

If DJI is "grounded" ALL Chinese drones will be grounded. That includes Autel. Hopefully, DJI will be encouraged to revisit their plans to build an assembly plant here in the US. Let's be honest, the Anafi is not an "american" drone. It is assembled here from international components, mostly Chinese. Just like Skydio. DJI could do the same thing. They already produced a special firmware for US industrial/ govt use that was vetted and approved. Then politics got in the way...

[@droneoccitanie]

French design

[@londenard]

@droneoccitanie Yea? Have you seen Parrot's design team? In any case, considering how poor Parrot drones perform in many areas, it's not exactly a compliment to say they are "French designed"...

[@droneoccitanie]

​@@londenardwhy choosen by US army then ?

[@londenard]

@droneoccitanie Are you serious? Because government idiots, who know Jack shit about drones, were coerced by Skydio and Parrot to adopt a no-Chinese drone policy. Besides, they didn't "choose" anything. The Navy and Secret Service had just purchased several DJI drones before all this came down. If given the choice, I all but guarantee you that Parrot wouldn't even be on the list. The Parrot Anafi USA is a joke of a drone. It's a completely overpriced, underperforming, last-gen excuse. Its only redeeming quality is that it's assembled in the US. The same goes for the Skydio X2. The Mavic 3T wipes the floor with either drone and they know it. That's why they had to resort to these tactics to even stand a chance. To make matters worse, they even got a local government to block DJI's permits to renovate/ build an assembly plant here in the US. Even after DJI made a special firmware just for government use. That was vetted and cleared by the US government, BTW. Here's a question for you, why are US dollars being spent to supply Ukraine with DJI and other Chinese-made drones? Why don't we send them crates of fucking Parrot Anafi USA and Skydio XT drones? Because they suck. I'm ex-military and friends with people still in the Army and several first responders. I know people who have tried those drones after using DJI drones for years... to say they aren't impressed is a gross understatement. I guess DJI's CEO Frank Wang, should have had a couple dinners with Hunter Biden... Hahaha!

[@RichartAsia]

Oh the lagggggg 😆

[@dikshadigitalstudio982]

Good sir

[@mostcertainlyno]

I’ll give you $125 for it. Final offer.

[@dronetechie969]

I have the Anafi consumer the transmission sucks, $7k? Why would anyone pay $7K for a well transmission? Camera is not a 1” sensor. Will stick with DJI have most of their consumer drones. You should have no interference

[@Harry-lmao]

the cam is worse. With that 32 digital zoom lense the pictures are noisy and blurry. Guess it's not even 4k. Too much signal interference and the controller is so unhandy. That's not what I'd reach out for, srsly.

[@RemE14MZ]

$7k for that crap range? Wow.

[@thedroneosphere1760]

The sky controller 3 has a range of 2.5 to 3 miles, the sky controller usa has a range of 3.1 to 3.5 miles, and the new skycontroller 4 black I've used it wifi only on my anafi usa did 5 miles easy..

[@thedroneosphere1760]

I mean I used the controller wifi only on my Anafi AI

[@londenard]

Oh yea, in a heavy WiFi environment? I've never seen an Anafi, of any version, get as good in range as a comparable DJI or Autel... Heck, or even Fimi, Hubsan, Yuneec, etc. I tested the Anafi vs the Mini 1 and the Mini 1 went twice as far.

[@rapterkingofthebrozone7490]

$14,000.

[@bestfacthub]

I just don't understand why a company would invest so much in an inferior product. Are they not smart enough to know the competition is flying circles around them? I know let's make a drone for two or three times the price but only half as good. The mini two flies circles around this thing

[@billykyle]

I agree. The transmission is God awful

[@dcap01870]

Not mentioned, The tablet on the controller has to be charged separately from the remote battery. This thing is a total turd.

[@thedroneosphere1760]

Transmission is way better on the skycontroller black and the drone is meant to be flown much higher for better range..

[@londenard]

How do you do Thermal scans of roofs from "much higher"? Especially with that lackluster Flir camera.

[@saintkenny9296]

I do like the heat sensor. The hand take off is pretty cool and it sure is a quiet little thing on the plus side. I wonder how loud it is on the sound test? That is pretty impressive and the controller is a beast! Why would they use WiFi on this drone? Switching cameras seems to be a major task for it. Seems to almost have a difficult time doing that task. When you zoom in and get past the 7x let's say the 3rd camera looks horrific to say the least. If the image is going be that bad, you may not want the 3rd camera. Well, it is a drone. Wish I could see more positivity toward it. I hope they take it back to the drawing board and get the basic things worked out. DJI is in no real threat from this company.

[@AerialInfluence]

Yikes. Transmission and thermal are rough…

[@billykyle]

Yup

[@SkySurgeDroneAdventures]

Yup, seems a bit under developed, camera is twitchy which is more pronounced when using the thermal and range is terrible compared to others you’ve flown there. Not acceptable at that price.

[@amit-dunsky]

Couldn't bear those jump and twitches. Made me nauseous at some point, so had to cut the video. Can't see hot this drone is any useful in real life situations: It was constantly having communication issues, even on a very short distance from you, the gimbal is unable to maintain steady image, and it takes 30 seconds to get the thermal overlay... not really something to write home about.

[@ujjwalojha9602]

Lovely

[@DaltonDroneZone]

Transmission system seems….well….really bad. Hopefully this can be fixed with an update. We need some decent competition to DJI. Thanks for sharing.

[@temporarymomentary]

Transmission system sucks on this one.

[@Naufrago74]

bad dron... no provide the distance that anunce because the interferences.

[@droneoccitanie]

French design.

[@cotyoran0652]

As a DJI user, i can say image quality is very nice..

[@romo8547]

The ‘bar’ has been set by DJI. This drone flys well below that. A comparative total waste of time and money

[@saintkenny9296]

Billy I Love your videos buddy! Sadly this drone is cwap for the price. You sure keep it positive. Nice job!

[@rasenmand]

That drone is far from what you can expect from a 7000 dollar drone in 2023. It is unstable in the connection, its thermal camera is almost useless, it shakes and jitters in follow me mode, how will the military and rescue services ever benefit from it , it cannot be used in a search if the signal fails after a few hundred meters.

[@jellan31]

For 7k this drone is awful. Good video though.

[@GoTravelPlanet]

It hiccups in Follow Me mode

[@MrEddieNunez]

FIRST

[@ivanjrivas921]

Could they pick a better name thats wack 😅

[@ujjwalojha9602]

Please parcel this drone to me😁😁

[@ikatsk7380]

Drone sucks ass for that price good camera and good connection to RC is must!!

[@billykyle]

Agree

[@billgrace9415]

This is truly not professional; regardless how much you try to make it

[@PropDusting]

Holy piece of junk! Poor signal, glitchy canera and flight. Just all bad.

[@user-tx9zg5mz5p]

For a military drone it seems cheap

[@thedroneosphere1760]

That drone has a better connect over 300 ft

[@bestfacthub]

Such a disappointment, don't make excuses for inferior products because you have just as much interference there when you try out all the other drones that do fantastic for 25% of the cost. I understand you want to keep the company happy but let's just call sucky, sucky. The US better get their act together making a good drone because I am tired of supporting China because Lord knows they don't support me

[@davidwingyinng]

Eww, that transmission isn't great and drone jerks so much in follow mode. Unusable.

[@aloeisthestuff9622]

Why do so many think WIFI is so bad? The Radio signals of that other brand Is WIFI also. Just different names and range of Frequency used. I could care less about any Drones costing even close to this much, But every company chooses how they implement the radio use of their wares. The lack of understanding of Radio waves is Astounding.

[@OriginalThisAndThat]

Im not impressed. Not even close.

[@ferdinandgarcia9450]

sucks to have to use this trash just because of the chinese drone ban