The year of 2016 was jam packed with brand new releases and innovative technological advancements that revolutionized the consumer drone market. Within just a year drone enthusiasts saw the release of the DJI Phantom 4, the first entry-level drone to feature an obstacle avoidance system, and more compactly designed drones such as the DJI Mavic Pro and GoPro's Karma. Huge advancements in camera quality also took flight in 2016, with the recent unveiling of the DJI Inspire 2 featuring a camera capable of shooting 5.2K video at up to 4.2 Gbps bitrate.

According to a report by Goldman Sachs, there is a $100 billion market opportunity for drones between now and 2020, and according to the study, the consumer market has significant room for rapid growth. With so many new drones and innovations hitting the airways in 2016, 2017 is quickly shaping up to be another big year for drone pilots all over the world.