Drone News Update

7h ago

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have four stories for you this week. First, the 2026 NDAA is set to give local police new counter-drone authority, SkyeBrowse releases its biggest update of the year with, a drones-for-good story out of Washington where a drone delivered a life jacket to a man trapped by a flood, and a man pleads guilty after flying his drone over the MLB All-Star game. Let's get to it. First up, the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, has passed the House and is now headed to the Senate. Tucked inside this 3,000-page bill is the SAFER SKIES Act, which for the first time creates a federal framework allowing state, local, and tribal police to detect, track, and even take down drones. Previously, this authority was limited to federal agencies like the DHS and DOD. Now, local officers who complete federal training will be able to use approved counter-UAS systems to mitigate drones that pose a "credible threat" to places like stadiums and critical infrastructure. The push for this was reportedly driven by the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup and the fact that the NFL has documented over 2,000 drone incursions per season for the last three years. The bill also introduces new felony penalties, with up to five years in prison for serious violations involving national defense airspace. And note, this is NOT yet law. This is only the House’s version of the NDAA. We haven’t seen the Senate version just yet, so this provision may or may not remain in the final law. We’ll keep you updated as we see more. Next up, SkyeBrowse has just announced its biggest software update of the year. They've released two new processing modes: SkyeBrowse Rapid and SkyeBrowse Ultra. SkyeBrowse Rapid is designed for speed, especially for first responders in remote areas with bad reception. They claim it's 5 times faster in good reception and up to 20 times faster in bad reception. In one example, they took a 7-minute, 1.5-gigabyte video and processed it into a full 3D model in under two minutes. For those who need maximum detail, there's SkyeBrowse Ultra, which provides 4 times higher quality for photorealistic, lifelike 3D models. This feature will be available for their Premium Advanced customers. On top of that, they've also given their Freemium users a boost. Free users now have access to tools like annotations, drawing, clipping, and distance measurements, which were previously paid features. Our third story is in King County, Washington, where heavy rains caused the Snoqualmie River to flood rapidly, trapping a man on the roof of his vehicle. With the current too strong for responders to enter the water, a sheriff's deputy had a great idea. Instead of waiting for a helicopter, the deputy launched a drone, attached a life jacket to it, and flew it directly to the stranded man. Last up, a story of what NOT to do. A 47-year-old man from Georgia, Mitchell Parsons Hughes, has pleaded guilty to allegedly flying his drone over the 2025 MLB All-Star Game at Truist Park. According to prosecutors, he flew directly into the one-mile TFR that was active for the event. To make matters worse, he was flying an unregistered drone and had no Part 107 or TRUST. Security officials from the FBI, DOT, and FAA spotted the drone immediately and tracked him down. On December 5th, he pleaded guilty to knowingly violating national defense airspace. He was sentenced to six months of probation and a five-hundred-dollar fine. Join us later for happy hour in the community. We also have the live Q&A on Monday, and the Post-Flight show in the premium community, also on Monday. We'll see you then. https://dronexl.co/2025/12/14/drone-lifesaving-man-flood/ https://dronexl.co/2025/12/12/man-flying-drone-mlb-all-star-game/ https://dronexl.co/2025/12/15/ndaa-2026-local-police-take-down-your-drone/ https://newsletter.skyebrowse.com/w/WmcZTrQzhMvDEnx1AEhqHQ/DBnBhE3BieCe02QZtYhivQ/X763PNWUdpoIM2dDLjPmFFUA

Dec 12

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week, DJI gets FCC approval for a new Avata 360, NASA is testing new drone navigation software in Death Valley for future Mars missions, and Texas clarifies that using drones for fishing is illegal under federal law. Let's get to it. DJI just managed to get another product through the FCC certification process, the rumored Avata 360. The FCC filing shows two model numbers, which usually hints at different bundles or battery options. This approval comes right as the clock is ticking on a potential US ban, so DJI is clearly pushing to get this out the door. It also comes on the heels of the AntiGravity A1 launch this week, meaning the A1 is now available for purchase! Early leaks point to some really impressive specs for the Avata360. We’re talking dual 1/1.1-inch sensors, native 8K 360-degree video at 50 frames per second. It also looks like it will do super-smooth 4K FPV video at 120 frames per second. The filing also mentions a 38.67 watt-hour battery, which may give it a longer flight time than the Avata 2. It will also likely feature O4 transmission and improved obstacle sensing.Next, a really cool story from NASA. The agency has been testing drones in Death Valley to prepare for future flights on Mars. If you remember, the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars was a huge success, but it ran into problems when flying over smooth, featureless terrain like sand dunes. Its navigation system relied on tracking visual features on the ground, and when there were none, it got confused. So, to solve this for future missions, a team from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory went to the hottest, driest place on Earth to test new navigation software.The project is called Extended Robust Aerial Autonomy, and the goal is to create drones that can fly farther and adapt to unpredictable terrain without a human in the loop. The team brought three research drones to Death Valley and flew them in temperatures over 113 degrees Fahrenheit, or 45 degrees Celsius. They tested how different camera filters helped the drones track the ground and how new landing algorithms performed in cluttered areas. This research is so important that the National Park Service granted them only the third research drone permit ever issued for Death Valley. The team is also working on other cool projects, like a robot dog called LASSIE M that can "feel" the ground to adjust its walk, and a huge, winged aircraft called the Mars Electric Reusable Flyer.Last up, The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has issued guidance clarifying that using a drone for fishing is illegal. Now, this isn't a new Texas law. Instead, they are clarifying how a long-standing federal law, the Airborne Hunting Act, applies to drones. The law is officially known as Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations, section 19.11, and it prohibits using an aircraft to take or attempt to take wildlife.How does this apply to drone fishing? Well, the federal regulations define "aircraft" as any device used for flight in the air, which definitely includes our drones. The definition of "wildlife" includes fish, and the term "take" means to pursue, hunt, capture, or even *attempt* to do so. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, using a drone to carry and drop your bait counts as "aiding in the act of fishing," which is prohibited under the Act. This has been a popular technique for surf and bank fishermen to get their lines out past the breakers, but it's officially off-limits. That’s all for this week, and be sure to check out Post Flight, our Premium community show where we share our uncensored opinions that aren’t always suitable for YouTube.https://dronedj.com/2025/11/28/dji-avata-360-drone-fcc/https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20251208ahttps://dronexl.co/2025/12/08/nasa-drones-death-valley-mars-flights/

Dec 5

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have four stories for you this week. DJI is ending support for some of its Matrice drones and payloads, an DJI Matrice 30 helps rescue a missing elderly man in Oklahoma, a suspect in Missouri reportedly fired shots at a police drone during a chase, and we'll look at a new super fast FPV drone! Let's get to it. First up, DJI has announced that on January 30, 2026, it will officially end all support for six of its legacy enterprise products. This is part of the company's routine product lifecycle management, but it's a big deal for anyone still relying on these platforms. After that date, there will be no more technical support, no official repairs, and no more firmware or compatibility troubleshooting. The products being retired are the Matrice M200 V2, the M210 V2, and the M210 RTK V2. These were and still are the workhorses for many inspection, public safety, and surveying teams. Also on the list are the Zenmuse XT and XT2 thermal cameras, and the Lightbridge 2 transmission system is also being retired. DJI is recommending that users upgrade to newer models to take advantage of improved tech and support.Next up, we have a real-world drones-for-good story! A DJI drone was instrumental in rescuing a 90-year-old man who had been lost for nearly 12 hours in freezing temperatures in Atoka County, Oklahoma. After a massive search involving ground crews and even the National Guard, the Wagoner County Emergency Management team was called in with their drone. Volunteer pilot Eric Lane launched a DJI Matrice 30, and within just fifteen minutes, he spotted a clear heat signature in the woods using the drone's thermal camera.And in our third story this week, an incident in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, highlights both the value and the growing risks of using drones in law enforcement. According to KCTV, police were responding to reports of a man trying to get into locked cars. In an effort to find the person, they launched a surveillance drone, another DJI M30T. The drone quickly located a man walking through a driveway and testing car door handles.When the suspect realized he was being watched from above, he allegedly pulled out a firearm and fired two shots at the drone. Thankfully, the drone was not hit and continued its mission. The drone's live feed allowed officers on the ground to track the suspect as he ran through backyards, eventually leading to his arrest. A K9 unit later recovered a stolen 9mm pistol that the suspect had reportedly dropped. Finally, the FPV speed record has been broken yet again, and this time by a significant margin. The team at Drone Pro Hub has built and flown a custom FPV drone to a verified top speed of 374 miles per hour, or 603.47 kilometers per hour. To put that in perspective, that's nearly half the speed of sound, or Mach 0.49. This new record smashes the one set just a few weeks ago by Luke Maximo Bell's Peregreen 3, which had reached 585 kilometers per hour.The real breakthrough came after analyzing flight data, which revealed that the drone's body was creating too much aerodynamic drag. By redesigning the shape, slimming the nose, and smoothing the body, they managed to cut drag by about 18 percent. That's when they started hitting speeds over 540 kilometers per hour. While a 374-mph drone might not have many practical uses for most of us, the lessons learned about aerodynamics, vibration, and power systems at these speeds could absolutely lead to more stable and efficient drones for everyone. It's a fantastic story of engineering and perseverance.We’ll see you on Post Flight, our Premium community show where we share our uncensored opinions that aren’t always suitable for YouTube! Have a great weekend! https://dronexl.co/2025/11/30/fpv-drone-603-km-h-speed-record/https://dronexl.co/2025/12/02/suspect-shoots-police-drone-lee-summit-chase/https://dronexl.co/2025/12/02/dji-drone-help-find-missing-elderly-man-cold/

Nov 28

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have four stories for you this week: some GOP senators are pushing back against a potential DJI ban, UAS Nexus is launching a marketplace to solve the Blue UAS component shortage, Inspired Flight and Ascend Engineering are expanding their partnership to boost software for American-made drones, and an M30T Shoot down in Ohio. Let's get to it. First up, the push to ban DJI in the U.S. is facing some unexpected resistance from within the Republican party. According to a report from Politico, a provision to restrict DJI, which was included in the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act, was left out of the Senate's version. Senators from agricultural and energy states are raising major concerns. Senator John Boozman of Arkansas pointed out, “They are the primary drone maker in the United States at a reasonable price. This technology is being used more and more… That’s the crux of the problem.”This all comes as a critical deadline approaches on December 23rd. Under last year's NDAA, a federal security agency is supposed to determine if DJI poses a national security risk. If no agency conducts that audit by the deadline, DJI automatically gets added to the FCC’s Covered List, which would ban new products from entering the U.S. market. The problem is, no agency has stepped up to actually do the audit. Next up, a Salt Lake City engineering firm called UAS Nexus is launching a new venture to tackle a huge problem: the Blue UAS supply chain. The company just launched the Drone Syndicate Store, which is a curated marketplace for NDAA and Blue UAS-compliant components. This is a big deal because while everyone talks about building American drones, finding all the individual, compliant parts, from motors to radios, is a massive headache for manufacturers. Next, Inspired Flight Technologies, or IFT, is expanding its partnership with a software firm called Ascend Engineering. IFT is a U.S. manufacturer of NDAA-compliant and Blue UAS-listed drones, and this partnership is all about beefing up their software capabilities. Ascend Engineering specializes in UAV software, and they’ve been working with IFT for two years on their Inspired Ground Control, or IGC, platform. IGC is the central hub for mission planning, in-flight management, and payload integration.Together, they’ve already pushed out several updates to the IGC software, improved the NTRIP framework for better connectivity, and added advanced payload features. According to IFT, this partnership accelerates their "software-enabled hardware strategy." This is so important because a drone is more than just its hardware. The software that runs it has to be secure, intuitive, and powerful. By focusing on building out their own software suite with a dedicated partner, IFT is working to create a complete, mission-ready system that is fully made in America. Last up, an M30T was shot down this week in Ohio. While flying, he experienced what he thought was a fly away, and called the police to notify them that the drone was flying away. Shortly after, the police returned his call to say someone reported finding a drone. The pilot met up with the reporting party, who said “I shot it down”. Be sure to check out our Black Friday deals and we’ll see you on Post Flight, our Premium community show where we share our uncensored opinions that aren’t always suitable for YouTube! https://dronexl.co/2025/11/26/gop-senators-break-with-dji-hawks-december-ban/https://www.inspiredflight.com/news/ift-partnership-ascend-engineering.phphttps://dronexl.co/2025/11/20/uas-nexus-drone-syndicate-solve-blue-uas-supply-chaos/#google_vignettehttps://www.facebook.com/groups/commercialdronepilot/permalink/1751858248823888/

Nov 21

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week: A UK police drone crash injures a child, a drone helps rescue a missing 85-year-old man in Wisconsin, and a viral drone show proposal lights up the Dallas skyline. Let's get to it. First up, a serious incident out of the United Kingdom, where a police drone crashed and injured a child. According to multiple sources, on August 2nd, police in Kent were responding to an alleged assault in Sheerness. An officer deployed a DJI Matrice 30T, but during the flight, the drone reportedly struck an overhead power line. It then fell and struck a child, causing severe hand injuries that required them to be taken to a hospital for treatment. The confirmation of the crash and injury didn’t occur until a freedom of information request was submitted. There currently aren’t any updates on the status of the child struck by the drone, and while we don’t normally cover stories out of the United States, we wanted to cover this one to remind everyone that safety must come first in any operation. Next up, a drones-for-good story! In Juneau County, Wisconsin, deputies used a drone to find a missing 85-year-old man. The sheriff's office received a call shortly after 5 p.m. about a man who had wandered into a dense wooded area and was possibly injured. Multiple agencies, including the fire department and the Department of Natural Resources, joined the search. As daylight started to fade and temperatures dropped, the situation became more urgent.Shortly before 7 p.m., deputies launched a drone over the search area. Using its camera, the drone team spotted the man stuck in thick mud and unable to free himself. Ground crews could have spent hours searching that difficult terrain on foot, but the drone provided an immediate bird's-eye view. Rescuers were able to reach him quickly and bring him to safety. He was taken to a medical center for evaluation but is expected to be fine. While the report didn't specify the exact drone model, it's likely it was equipped with a thermal camera, which is a game-changer in search and rescue. And finally this week, a story that went viral and shows a much more creative use for drones. A man in Dallas used a massive drone light show to propose to his girlfriend. Cybersecurity engineer Travon Duncan planned the elaborate proposal for his girlfriend, Erica McDowell, who is a content creator. The video, which you’ve probably seen on social media, shows hundreds of drones lighting up the Dallas skyline. They spelled out "Will you marry me?" and created animations of hearts, a ring box, and an infinity symbol.To pull this off, Duncan said he had to get a permit to block off nearby streets, which is a great reminder for all of us that you can't just fly over moving cars, even for a grand romantic gesture. He said the proposal was a "major investment," and I can only imagine! It’s not every day you see someone take over the airspace of a major city for a proposal. The couple’s friends and family were on a rooftop to watch the whole thing unfold. It’s a pretty amazing use of drone show technology, and I have to say, he really raised the bar for proposals everywhere!Be sure to check out our Black Friday deals and we’ll see you on Post Flight, our Premium community show where we share our uncensored opinions that aren’t always suitable for YouTube! Have a great weekend! https://dronexl.co/2025/11/19/police-crashed-dji-drone-into-child/https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2025/11/19/a-dallas-drone-proposalhttps://dronexl.co/2025/11/19/drone-wisconsin-deputies-missing-85-old-man/

Nov 14

Watch Post Flight on the Community 👉 https://bit.ly/pilot-institute-communityWelcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week: DJI Releases and Rumors. The Syracuse Police drone program is stalled yet again, and a new spray drone made by an American company!

Nov 7

Watch Post Flight on Community 👉 https://bit.ly/pilot-institute-communityWelcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have four stories for you this week: DJI launches the new Zenmuse L3 LiDAR, a Utah drone maker gets an early win in a trade secrets lawsuit, Autel Releases new products, and an experimental drone crash sparks a wildfire in Colorado. Let's get to it. DJI has launched the Zenmuse L3. The L3 boasts a detection range of up to 950 meters, or over 3,100 feet; more than double the 450-meter range of the previous L2 payload. It achieves this with a new 1535nm wavelength LiDAR, and it does it even on objects with just 10% reflectivity. The system also features dual 100-megapixel 4/3 CMOS RGB sensors—a five-fold increase over the L2’s 20-megapixel sensor. And with a 3cm ground sampling distance at 300 meters, that’s 984 feet, you’ll get ultra detailed maps and models.DJI is claiming a vertical accuracy of 3 centimeters at 120 meters of flight altitude and 10 centimeters at 500 meters. The laser beam divergence is just 0.25 milliradians, making the spot size about one-fifth that of the L2, which is perfect for detecting small objects like power lines. It also supports up to 16 returns per laser pulse, a huge jump from the L2's five returns, which will dramatically improve terrain mapping in dense forests. This whole system weighs 1.6 kilograms, or 3.5 pounds, and is compatible with the Matrice 300, 350, and the new 400. A federal judge in Utah has handed an early victory to Vector Defense, a drone company co-founded by George Matus, the former Chief Technology Officer of Red Cat, which owns Teal Drones, filed a lawsuit against Matus and Vector Defense, claiming he stole trade secrets and sabotaged their business before leaving to start his own company. Red Cat was seeking a temporary restraining order to stop Vector from manufacturing drones or competing in the industry for the next year.However, the judge denied the request, stating that Red Cat "failed to provide evidence" to support its claims and that its assertions were merely "speculative." Matus founded Teal Drones while still in high school, sold it to Red Cat in 2021, and then left in 2024 to co-found Vector Defense. Red Cat alleged that Matus used his position to give his new company an unfair head start. Matus countered that Vector's drones, like their single-use FPV "Hammer" drone, don't even compete with Red Cat's products.Autel robotics has quietly released several new products. The Autel Explorer, a small drone/RC car hybrid designed for GPS denied environments indoors, The Evo III with a mechanical shutter, the Evo Pioneer 150 which is a ground robot with a 200kg payload, the Evo Nest 2, a docking solution for the Eco III, and the Skyfend Interceptor. These announcements come with very limited details. None of these products are currently on Autel’s site.An experimental, remotely piloted aircraft with a 6-foot wingspan crashed in a rural area near Calhan, Colorado, sparking an 83-acre wildfire. According to the Tri-County Volunteer Fire Department, the crash itself started the fire. But it was the drone's lithium batteries that "significantly intensified the blaze," making it much harder to fight.https://www.courthousenews.com/utah-drone-maker-takes-early-win-in-former-employers-trade-secrets-theft-claims/https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jscap_uas-integrating-infrastructure-ugcPost-7390344113906143232-gpaE?utm_medium=ios_app&rcm=ACoAAAJSd6cBnGyJ-pAI0UP04C1xL-w9OM69WQI&utm_source=social_share_send&utm_campaign=copy_linkhttps://dronexl.co/2025/11/04/dji-zenmuse-l3-lidar-doubles-detection-range/https://dronexl.co/2025/11/01/remotely-piloted-aircraft-crash-colorado-wildfire/

Oct 31

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week: the FCC vote, DJI drone and payload leaks, and a California homeowner is facing a massive $300,000 fine based on drone surveillance. Let's get to it. First up, in a 3-0 vote, the FCC granted itself the authority to retroactively ban equipment from companies on its "Covered List." This new rule was driven by Chinese communication equipment issues and it closes two major loopholes. First, it prohibits the authorization of any new devices that contain components from a Covered List company. Second, and this is the big one, it allows the FCC to revoke previously authorized equipment if national security concerns arise. As I said, this was motivated by huawei and other Chinese telecom equipment. Why does it matter to the drone world?DJI and Autel could end up on the FCC Covered List by the end of the year if an audit of their technology is not completed by the US government. If/when they get added, then the FCC would have the authority to do what they just voted on. There is technically a notice of proposed rule making coming up on this to follow, but as of this recording, it is NOT public.Next up, DJI has a few rumored releases including the Neo 2, which is rumored to be released by the time you’re watching this recording! Some notable upgrades include forward-facing LiDAR, 2 Axis Gimbal, possible sensor upgrades, and the battery, reportedly offering 15% more capacity for a flight time of around 19 minutes. But that upgrade comes at a cost—leaked Australian pricing shows the new battery will be $129, which is more than double the original's $59 price tag. DJI Enterprise is teasing a new payload for all the surveyors and mappers out there. The company has announced a launch event for November 4th at 7 AM EST for what is almost certainly the new Zenmuse L3 LiDAR payload. The teaser tagline is "See Through, Far and True," which gives us some big clues. "See Through" likely points to improved vegetation penetration, which is critical for forestry and terrain mapping. "Far" suggests a longer detection range than the Zenmuse L2's 450 meters. And "True" implies even better accuracy, which would be impressive since the L2 already boasts 4cm vertical and 5cm horizontal accuracy.Leaked photos show the L3 payload in a rugged Pelican-style case, and it features a distinctive pink and purple display screen that matches the teaser video. This is the logical successor to the Zenmuse L2, which was launched back in October 2023. DJI has been a game-changer in this space, bringing the cost of aerial LiDAR down from over $100,000 to something much more accessible. Fourth this week, a homeowner in Stanton, California, is facing a staggering $300,000 fine after a drone owned by the City allegedly recorded illegal fireworks being set off at his property on July 4th. The city claims its drone documented approximately 300 explosions, and they're fining him $1,000 for each one. The homeowner insists he wasn't even home at the time.And next week at this time, we’ll be in Las Vegas for the Vegas Drone Meetup! We’ll be teaching a few in-person courses on select Part 107 topics and on photography and cinematography. If you’re in the area, check it out and we hope to see you there! Link in the description if you wanna join!We’ll be talking about all these stories and more on Post Flight, our Premium community show where we share our opinions. Have a great weekend, and we’ll see you on Monday for the live! https://dronexl.co/2025/10/28/drone-surveillance-fine-california-homeowner/https://dronexl.co/2025/10/24/dji-neo-2-leaked-first-images-features-price/https://dronexl.co/2025/10/28/dji-enterprise-zenmuse-l3-photos/https://dronexl.co/2025/10/29/fcc-retroactive-power-ban-dji-drones/ Las Vegas Drone Meet Up:https://vegasdronemeetup.com/