Drone News: ACLU Releases Major Report, Houses Passes ACERO Act, & a Questionable Bill in SC

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, we have three stories for you: the ACLU releases a major report on drone surveillance and airspace restrictions, the House unanimously passes the ACERO Act for wildfire drone operations, and a questionable South Carolina bill . Let's get to it.First up this week, the American Civil Liberties Union has published a major report arguing that U.S. drone policy is locking ordinary people out of the skies. The report is titled "Drones For Them But Not For Us?" and it claims the current rules give government agencies and corporations unchecked access to the skies while restricting citizens and journalists. The paper cites several concerning examples, including reports of the NYPD flying Skydio X10 drones directly over protest crowds without parachute recovery systems, massive airspace lockdowns, like a 935-square-mile temporary flight restriction over Chicago during federal operations, and invisible 3,000-foot no-fly zones that follow Department of Homeland Security vehicles. The report calls out trends where hobbyists and commercial pilots face more restrictions, while government agencies get a free pass. It also touches on the foreign drone ban, warning that it could price consumer drones out of reach. Much of this is not new to this audience, as we’ve been reporting on it for the last several years. It’s interesting now that those outside of the UAS industry are beginning to take notice. We’ll keep an eye on this and see if it goes anywhere. Next up, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the ACERO Act, sending the bipartisan wildfire drone bill to the Senate. This legislation directs NASA to expand its Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations project. The goal is to tackle airspace coordination during active wildfires. Right now, when a fire is burning, helicopters, fixed-wing tankers, and drones all share the same airspace. The bill requires NASA to build a shared framework using their Portable Airspace Management System, which shares aircraft locations across a fire zone in real time. Think of this system as basically portable unmanned and manned traffic management, which can be deployed in remote locations. Using drones to keep firefighters safe and track wildfires is exactly the kind of innovation our industry needs, and we’re glad to see Congress supporting it.Finally, South Carolina lawmakers are considering a new bill that would impose restrictions on drone pilots. The bill, H4679, proposes to ban UAS operations within 1,000 feet of any “Critical Infrastructure”, over or within 1500 feet of any state or county correctional facility without authorization from the facility or SC Department of Corrections, over or within 1500 feet of any military installation, and over private property “in a matter that invades privacy, harasses occupants, creates a nuisance, or presents an obvious safety hazard”. In addition, the bill would make it unlawful to operate within 5 miles of an airport without FAA authorization. As many of us know, authorization is based on airspace, not distance to an airport. If you’re in South Carolina, it’s time to start reaching out to your representatives. This bill is sponsored by C. Mitchell, B.L. Cox, M.M. Smith, Wooten, Chapman, W. Newton, Herbkersman, Wickensimer, Guest and McCravy. That’s it for this week, We’ll see you in the community for Post Flight, where we share our opinions, and next Monday for the live! https://dronexl.co/2026/03/27/aclu-drone-policy-government-surveillance/https://dronexl.co/2026/03/27/house-acero-act-drone-wildfire-bill/https://www.wrdw.com/2026/03/30/sc-drone-bill-would-create-state-penalties-illegal-flights/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have four stories for you this week. The Avata 360 is out, Second, DJI sues Insta360 just days before a major product launch, BRINC launches their new Guardian drone with Starlink integration, And micro-drones finally reach the bottom of the Fukushima nuclear reactor. Let's get to it.First up, the Avata 360 is out! It comes with 8K, 360° imaging, a 1 inch equivalent sensor, and 8K/60FPS in HDR! The Avata 360 also comes with the ability to fly the drone as a normal Avata, capturing 4K60FPS in single lens mode. Other features include obstacle avoidance in 360 mode, 23 minutes of flight time, integrated propeller guards, 42GB of internal storage, and replaceable front lenses! And the question that everyone will ask in the live on Monday: Compatible goggles include the Goggles 3 or Goggles N3 when using the Motion controller 3 or the FPV controller. In addition, the Avata 360 is compatible with the RC 2, RC-N2 and RC-N3.Speaking of, DJI has filed a patent ownership lawsuit against Insta360's parent company in China. They are targeting six patents that cover core drone technologies like flight control systems, structural design, and image processing.DJI is using a specific Chinese intellectual property law for this case, claiming these are "service inventions" created by former DJI engineers who went to work for Insta360. But Insta360's founder is pushing back hard. He stated that the main flight control patent in question is just a one-button "building dive" feature that isn't even used in their products. He also pointed out that Insta360 actually holds 28 patents that DJI products allegedly infringe upon.New up, BRINC has unveiled the Guardian, their next-generation Drone as First Responder, or DFR, platform. They also announced a new Seattle manufacturing facility to scale up production. The Guardian is the world's first Starlink-connected drone built for 911 response.BRINC claims the Guardian has an operational range of 8 mile and a flight time of 62 minutes! The drone features IP55 weather resistance, making it great for flying in the rain. The camera features 4K video with a 640x total zoom and dual HD thermal zoom cameras. In addition, BRINC has released the Guardian Station, a robotic charging nest that automatically swaps batteries and reloads payloads like Narcan or flotation devices without any human intervention.Last up, we have a real-world drones-for-good story! Fifteen years after the devastating earthquake and tsunami, palm-sized micro-drones have successfully flown inside the Unit 3 reactor at Fukushima and finally reached the bottom of the reactor pressure vessel.These tiny drones measure just 5.1 by 4.7 by 1.6 inches and weigh only 3.3 ounces, including the battery. Despite their small size, they carry a 2.7K camera shooting at 60 frames per second, two LED lights producing 380 lumens, and built-in radiation sensors. The airframes are IP52 rated and built to withstand up to 200 Gray of cumulative radiation exposure. During 13-minute flights, the drones mapped the pedestal floor and captured images of displaced control rod guide tubes and melted fuel debris. To keep the area completely airtight, crews used a custom seal box system to deploy and recover the drones without breaking containment. This is an absolutely incredible engineering achievement. A drone the size of a paperback book just mapped one of the most dangerous environments on earth, serving as a perfect reminder of why this technology is so important.Join us later in the community for Post Flight, where we’ll discuss these stories and share our opinions that might not be suitable for YouTube. And we’ll see you on Monday for the live.https://dronexl.co/2026/03/24/brinc-guardian-drone-starlink-911-response/https://dronexl.co/2026/03/23/dji-sues-insta360-patent-lawsuit-avata-360/https://dronexl.co/2026/03/23/drones-fly-fukushima-reactor/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week: the FAA escalates enforcement on the controversial DHS TFR, that same TFR gets its first federal court challenge, and the Forest Service updates their filming rules. Let's get to it.First up this week, the FAA has given some serious teeth to a very controversial NOTAM. Back in January, the FAA issued NOTAM FDC 6/4375. This bans all drones within 3,000 feet laterally and 1,000 feet vertically of any Department of Homeland Security, DOD, or DOE mobile asset, including unmarked ICE vehicles. The problem is that you cannot see this restriction on B4UFLY or LAANC, making it completely invisible to pilots. The FAA has also issued Order 2150.3C Change 13, which eliminates investigator discretion for airspace violations. If you get caught in this invisible zone, investigators must refer your case directly to the Chief Counsel for legal action. I’ll say that again, if caught in one of these TFRs, the FAA’s Aviation Safety Inspector MUST refer your case for legal action. There are no more warning letters, meaning you could face criminal charges, civil penalties, or even the seizure of your aircraft.On the same topic, the DHS TFR just got its first federal court challenge. Minneapolis-based photojournalist Rob Levine, represented by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, has filed a petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals directly challenging NOTAM FDC 6/4375. Levine argues that the rule is unconstitutionally vague because you have no way of knowing in advance if you are flying near an unmarked federal car. This restriction makes compliance structurally impossible for pilots who are trying to do the right thing. Levine is also arguing that the FAA failed to follow required notice-and-comment rule-making. Reportedly, a revised NOTAM has already been drafted by the FAA, but another agency, widely believed to be DHS, is blocking its release. We will be watching this developing legal case very closely. It is obviously pretty important to have rules that we can actually follow.Finally, The US Forest Service is officially updating its special uses regulations to align with the new EXPLORE Act. In the past, you often needed a special use permit and had to pay fees for commercial filming, no matter how small your crew was. The new rule creates three simple tiers for filming and still photography on National Forest System lands. First, if your activity involves one to five people, no permit or fee is required at all! Second, if you have six to eight people, you’ll need a de minimis use authorization, which is free, and the Forest Service is setting up a website for automated approvals. Finally, if you have more than eight people, you will need a standard permit and will have to pay a reasonable fee. This applies to all content creation, whether it is commercial or noncommercial. Join us on Monday for Post flight, where we’ll share our opinions on these stories and we’ll see you for the live! Have a great weekend! https://dronexl.co/2026/03/17/faa-dhs-drone-ban-rob-levine-lawsuit/https://dronexl.co/2026/03/12/faa-ice-notam-fdc-6-4375-compliance-problem/https://dronedj.com/2026/03/17/faa-drone-tracking-api-illegal/https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2026-05457.pdf

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week. First, DJI officially confirms the Avata 360 launch date and 8K resolution, Another SkyeBrowse update, and a $5,000 reward is being offered after military drones were stolen. Let’s get to it. According to industry reports, the Avata 360 will feature a brand new replaceable lens system. A dedicated lens kit will reportedly cost around 50 euros and include two replacement lenses and the necessary tools. So, if you scratch a lens during a bad landing, you can just swap it out yourself for about 25 euros instead of sending the whole drone in for repair. That's a huge win, and solve a problem we’ve been curious about from the start. We also have leaked battery specs. The new Intelligent Flight Battery will reportedly cost around 70 euros and pack a 38.6 watt-hour capacity. Compare that to the DJI Avata 2, which has a smaller 31.8 watt-hour battery that costs 100 euros. More capacity for less money? The drone is expected to pair with the DJI Goggles N3, and hopefully the goggles 3 as well! However, there's a catch for the average consumer. The Avata 360 reportedly weighs in at almost 400 grams. This means it won't fall into the sub-250 gram category, so you'll need to register it and comply with Remote ID rules to fly legally here in the US. Next up, SkyeBrowse has released another update! If you aren’t familiar, SkyeBrowse builds drone mapping software for public safety agencies, using videogrammetry and photogrammetry technology. The platform is currently used by over 1,200 public safety agencies worldwide for applications such as accident reconstruction, crime scene investigation, and disaster response. This update is to its Flight App, expanding drone compatibility and improving mission planning tools. The update adds support for several new DJI models, including the Mini 4 Pro, Matrice 400, and the Matrice 4 Series, along with new high-performance sensor payloads. The WideBrowse grid scanning workflow was also redesigned, introducing two new capture modes: Cross Grids for added scene detail on low-rise structures, and Side Scan for capturing building facades and vertical surfaces. New features include a live ETA display for pre-flight planning and a Previous Flights tool for reloading and re-flying completed missions with identical settings.On the web platform side, the update adds an AI chat assistant, an image overlay tool for 3D models, expanded file upload support, GLB export improvements, and a broad interface redesign. Keep those coming Bobby! Last up, a $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals who allegedly stole military drones from Fort Campbell in Kentucky. According to the U.S. Army, four Skydio X10D drone systems were taken. If you're not familiar, the X10D is the defense and military variant of the Skydio X10. Reportedly, between November 21st and November 24th, 2025, unknown individuals unlawfully gained access to a building belonging to the 326th Division Engineer Battalion and took the equipment. The Army CID is actively investigating the incident and asking anyone with credible information to submit an anonymous tip. This is one of those don’t be that guy moments… Join us in the Premium community for Post Flight, where we share our opinions that aren’t suitable for YouTube and we’ll see you next week! https://www.wsmv.com/2026/03/10/5k-reward-offered-after-four-military-drones-stolen-fort-campbell/https://dronexl.co/2026/03/06/dji-avata-360-low-pricing-replaceable-lenses/https://dronexl.co/2026/03/10/dji-avata-360-official-teaser-8k-march-26/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have five stories for you this week. First, Oregon exposes the real cost of the DJI ban. Second, the FAA reveals DJI makes up 96% of US drones. Third, the Commerce Department updates drone export rules. Fourth, Indiana prosecutes illegal drone deer scouting. And finally, a drone assists in a 900-foot tower rescue. Let's get to it.First up, the Oregon Department of Aviation has released a white paper exposing the real-world cost of the federal DJI ban. They surveyed 25 state transportation departments, and the numbers are staggering. Across those states, at least 467 drones are currently grounded or restricted. The total national exposure is estimated to be anywhere from $50 million to $2 billion! Wisconsin reported that 100% of its fleet is grounded. Colorado lost 90% of its capacity, and Oregon itself has exactly ONE compliant drone still operational out of 22. The white paper is recommending a waiver until September 2027 to give our drone industry time to catch up.New FAA-funded research puts a hard number on DJI's market dominance. The ASSURE A83 2025 Annual Report analyzed Remote ID telemetry data from 64 monitoring locations. DJI platforms make up more than 96% of detected drones in US airspace. Skydio accounted for just over 1%, and all other manufacturers combined made up less than 2.4%. Looking at the specific models, the DJI Mini 4 Pro alone accounts for 19% of all detected platforms. The Air 3 sits at 13%, and the Mavic 3 Pro holds 8%. More than 93.7% of the top 22 detected platforms weigh 3 pounds or less. Heavy-lift models like the Matrice 400, Agras T50, and FlyCart 30 remain a tiny fraction of overall flights. The US Commerce Department is streamlining drone export controls. The Bureau of Industry and Security published an interim final rule that makes two big changes. It removes the license requirement for commercial drones with a maximum endurance under one hour when exported to allied nations. Second, it opens a faster pathway for certain longer-range systems, like heavy-lift 25-liter agricultural sprayers and cargo delivery drones. Previously, these drones were caught up in the Missile Technology Control Regime, which was designed to restrict systems capable of carrying a 500-kilogram payload at least 300 kilometers. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is bringing its first-ever prosecution for illegal drone deer scouting. Under Indiana law, you can legally use a drone to recover an animal that has already been harvested, but using it to scout or locate game during the season or 14 days prior is strictly illegal. Conservation officers seized a drone and pulled the forensic data. The GPS logs, timestamps, flight paths, and other data reportedly showed hundreds of images systematically tracking a specific trophy buck to a baited area. The suspects are allegedly facing charges for drone scouting.In Texas, two people were trapped in a hot air balloon basket that collided and became snagged on a communications tower 925 feet in the air. Longview Fire and first responders had to execute a highly complex high-angle rescue, assisted by drone. The passengers were safely rescued after a four-hour operation, but the crew still had to remove the tangled balloon using a cage and cable system. That’s all we’ve got this week, we’ll see you in the community for Post Flight where we share our opinions that aren’t suitable for YouTube. Have a great weekend! https://dronexl.co/2026/03/03/oregon-exposes-real-cost-dji-ban/https://dronexl.co/2026/03/02/indiana-drone-deer-scouting-prosecution/https://dronexl.co/2026/03/02/925-feet-down-one-drone-call/https://dronexl.co/2026/03/01/us-commerce-department-drone-export-controls/https://dronexl.co/2026/03/03/faa-research-dji-us-drone-platforms/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, We have three stories for you this week: DJI takes the FCC to court, Apple TV sets a massive new drone light show record over Los Angeles, And BRINC teases a brand new drone, but we’ll have to wait for release.First up, DJI is taking the FCC to court. They filed a petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, challenging the December 22nd decision that blocked new equipment authorizations for their products. DJI argues the FCC never actually proved they're a threat. Here’s the full statement from DJI, and I’m not going to read it for you, but if you’d like to pause and read it, here you go. Basically, DJI says the NDAA gave the government a full year to conduct a security audit, and DJI even sent letters asking to be examined. But no audit happened. Instead, the FCC banned all foreign-made drones just two days before the deadline. So, what does this mean for you right now? Nothing changes for current operators. If you have a drone authorized before December 22nd, you can still fly it. This includes the Air 3S, Mini 4 Pro, and Mavic 3 series. However, new models are currently blocked. This is the second suit DJI has against the federal government at the moment, and we’ll be watching closely. Next, Apple TV launched a 3,000-drone light show over Los Angeles to promote season two of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. The display reached up to 500 feet above the city and stretched across an area equal to about three football fields. They recreated massive images of Godzilla, King Kong, and the new villain Titan X, and the show even integrated fireworks into the choreography for key transitions. According to Apple TV, this set a world record for the tallest aerial display of a fictional character formed by drones, surpassing a 2024 formation of Wolverine. I’m sure the approvals for this one took a bit! And third this week, BRINC Drones is teasing a brand new aircraft. They'll reveal a next-generation Drone as First Responder on March 24th, nearly a month away from this recording. The teaser campaign is called Command the Night, and it looks like this drone is built specifically for low-light law enforcement operations. Teaser images show a large dome sensor housing, which could be new sensors or upgrades to their existing thermal or visual systems. BRINC CEO Blake Resnick claims this is their best product ever. Night operations have always been a weak point for DFR programs. Standard cameras struggle in the dark, and bolt-on thermal sensors just add unnecessary weight and complexity. A purpose-built night drone could be a massive game changer. BRINC is growing fast after raising 75 million dollars last year, bringing their valuation to over 400 million dollars. It’ll be interesting to see if we’re able to get our hands on this new drone to test it out! That's all for this week join us in the premium community where we share our opinions for post fight and we will see you next week. Have a great weekend.https://dronexl.co/2026/02/24/dji-takes-fcc-to-court/https://dronexl.co/2026/02/23/apple-tv-drone-record-los-angeles/https://dronexl.co/2026/02/24/brinc-teases-next-gen-dfr-drone-march-24/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have four stories for you this week: the FAA abruptly shut down all airspace around El Paso, Texas, DJI's former Vice President of Sales has been detained in China on bribery charges, a new bill could give Kansas City police the authority to take down drones during the 2026 World Cup, and a drone pilot is facing federal charges after flying over a highly sensitive military site and posting the video on YouTube. Let's get to it.First up, a major story out of Texas where a reported dispute between the FAA and the Pentagon led to the complete shutdown of airspace around El Paso International Airport. The FAA issued a NOTAM classifying the airspace within a 10-nautical-mile radius of the airport as "National Defense Airspace." The order was effective for 10 days and even authorized the use of deadly force. This grounded everything: commercial flights, cargo, and even air ambulance operations. According to reports from CNN and CBS News, this drastic measure was a result of the Pentagon's plan to test a high-energy counter-drone laser at nearby Fort Bliss. The problem was, they hadn't received the final safety sign-off from the FAA. The Pentagon reportedly wanted to use the laser to target cartel drones crossing the border, but the two agencies had a meeting scheduled for a week later to finalize safety protocols. It seems the Pentagon wanted to move faster, and the FAA responded by shutting everything down.Next up, some big news from inside DJI. The company's former Vice President of Sales has been criminally detained in China on suspicion of accepting bribes. The executive, identified only by his surname Yuan, was in charge of DJI's global sales operations from May 2019 through May 2024. According to reports, he is suspected of accepting "huge" amounts of money through illicit deals involving "channel partnerships and order allocations." This is a sell-side problem, meaning it's about corruption in how DJI's drones were sold and distributed, not how they were built. In our third story, Kansas City police could soon have the authority to take down drones during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A new bill has been introduced called the Counter Drone State and Local Defender Act. It would temporarily grant state and local law enforcement the power to intercept and disable drones that pose a threat. Currently, only federal agencies have the legal authority to use counter-drone systems to jam, seize, or shoot down a drone. This bill would create a pathway for local agencies to get that power and this legislation could become a model for how security is handled at future large-scale events like the Super Bowl. And finally this week, a story that serves as a perfect example of what not to do. A drone pilot in Maryland is facing federal charges after allegedly flying his drone over the Raven Rock Mountain Complex and then posting the footage to his YouTube channel. If you're not familiar with Raven Rock, it's often called the "second Pentagon." The airspace above it is classified as restricted national defense airspace. According to the court affidavit, a military official saw the video on YouTube and reported it to the FBI. Investigators then traced the video back to the pilot, searched his home, and seized the drone. He's now been charged with a knowing or willful violation of national defense airspace, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison. That’s it for this week, We’ll see you in the premium community for Post Flight, our show where we talk about these stories and share opinions that aren’t always suitable for YouTube and on Monday for the live Q&A! https://dronexl.co/2026/02/17/drone-second-pentagon/https://dronexl.co/2026/02/16/dji-former-sales-vp-bribery-charges/https://dronexl.co/2026/02/17/kansas-city-police-drones-world-cup/https://dronexl.co/2026/02/11/faa-el-paso-airspace-pentagon-laser-test/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have four stories for you this week: the FAA has issued several large fines to pilots, Paladin Drones launches a new NDAA-compliant drone, a new GAO report flag s major safety gaps for BVLOS integration, and an Amazon delivery drone crashes in Texas. Let's get to it.First up, the FAA is sending a very clear message: The days of claiming ignorance are over. The agency posted a public enforcement summary detailing fines and license actions against drone operators, and the penalties are steep. The largest fine was a whopping $36,770 for an operator who flew a drone near emergency response aircraft during a wildfire back in April 2023. Two other fines involved flights in TFRs, with one operator getting hit for over $20,000 and another having their license revoked entirely. The FAA also fined an operator $14,790 for flying near State Farm Stadium during the Super Bowl in 2023. Beyond fines, the FAA is also taking licenses. They suspended the license of an operator involved in that drone light show incident in Florida, where a 7-year-old boy was seriously injured. They also suspended the license of a pilot who flew over an NFL game in Baltimore. The agency has updated its policy to require legal action when a drone endangers the public, violates airspace, or is used in a crime. Don't be that guy. Check your airspace, use B4UFLY, and fly safe. Next up, Houston-based Paladin Drones has launched its new Knighthawk 2.0. The new Knighthawk 2.0 is fully NDAA-compliant. For years, Paladin has built its DFR programs on modified DJI hardware like the M30T and M350, which works great but creates issues for agencies concerned about federal restrictions. This new drone was revealed at the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia, which suggests Paladin may be looking for market globally instead of remaining domestic. The new Knighthawk 2.0 was created in partnership with the Polish Company, Beyond Vision. This gives them a clean supply chain and credibility for international defense sales.Now for the specs. Paladin claims the Knighthawk 2.0 has a flight time of over 40 minutes, a top speed above 40 mph, and can get to a 911 call scene in under 70 seconds. That’s a 20-second improvement over their previous claims. It’s equipped with 4K wide and zoom cameras, a 640p thermal imager, and 5G/LTE connectivity. Next up, a new report from the Government Accountability Office, or GAO, is raising some serious questions about the future of drone integration. The report flags significant safety gaps in the FAA's plans for integrating drones into the national airspace, especially for Beyond Visual Line of Sight, or BVLOS, operations. And finally this week, a story that shows exactly why that GAO report is so important. An Amazon Prime Air delivery drone crashed into the side of an apartment complex in Richardson, Texas. According to local officials, the drone struck the building, fell onto a nearby sidewalk, and began smoking. Thankfully, no one was injured, and while smoke was visible in the video, the drone never actually caught fire. This isn't the first time an Amazon drone has crashed during testing. In fact, we saw two Amazon drones crash into a crane in Arizona last year. Incidents like this, even when they're minor, highlight the real-world challenges of operating autonomous aircraft in dense residential areas. And thankfully, there have been no injuries, but this is even more evidence that these operations NEED FAA oversight. Join us later for Post flight, where we’ll be talking about the El Paso TFR and sharing some opinions about these stories that aren’t suitable for YouTube! https://dronexl.co/2026/02/08/amazon-delivery-drone-north-texashttps://dronexl.co/2026/02/07/faa-names-and-shames-drone-pilots/https://dronexl.co/2026/02/09/paladin-ndaa-knighthawk-2-drone/https://avweb.com/flight-safety/gao-flags-gaps-in-drone-integration-plans/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have four stories for you this week: FAA NOTAM creates invisible no-fly zones, the FAA has reopened the comment period for BVLOS rulemaking, SkyeBrowse launches a new AI feature to improve 3D models for crash scenes, a DJI drone helps save a 96-year-old woman from a fire in Texas. Let's get to it.First up this week, the FAA has issued a security notice creating new "invisible" no-fly zones that could affect pilots nationwide, especially in urban areas. The notice, NOTAM FDC 6/4375, was issued on January 16th. It prohibits drones from flying within 3,000 feet laterally and 1,000 feet above stationary and mobile assets from the Departments of Defense, Energy, and Homeland Security. The FAA is classifying this as "National Defense Airspace." The big problem here is that there's no practical way for us pilots to know where these moving restricted areas are. Unlike a TFR for a stadium, these assets aren't going to show up on B4UFLY or other mapping apps, because that would be a major operational security issue for federal agents.Next up, another important update from the FAA. They are reopening the comment period for the Beyond Visual Line of Sight, or BVLOS, rulemaking. But you have to act fast. The comment period is only open for two weeks, from January 28th to February 11th, 2026. The FAA is specifically looking for feedback on electronic conspicuity. The original proposal from last year suggested giving drones presumptive right-of-way over manned aircraft, unless the manned aircraft was broadcasting its position with something like ADS-B Out. As you can imagine, that got a lot of pushback from the general aviation community.Now, the FAA is asking seven specific questions to get more data before finalizing the rule. They want to know what alternate electronic conspicuity devices exist, how quickly they could get to market, and if their performance standards should match ADS-B. This is a critical moment for our drone industry. The outcome of this will determine who bears the cost of airspace safety—drone operators or manned aircraft pilots.Next up this week, some cool new tech for our first responders. SkyeBrowse, the 3D modeling platform, just released a major update that uses AI to solve one of the biggest headaches for public safety drone pilots: inconsistent model quality. The new feature is called "SkyeBrowse Thinking." It automatically analyzes a 3D model as it's being processed. If the AI detects that the model doesn't meet quality standards, it automatically re-processes it with optimized settings, all without the user having to do anything. In addition to this, Skyebrowse is also reporting 40% faster website performance, 2x faster internal tooling, and the ability to upload 10 videos at once. And finally this week, a real-world drones-for-good story! A DJI Matrice 30T drone is being credited with helping save the life of a 96-year-old woman during an apartment fire in Euless, Texas. Fire crews were called to the scene around 1 a.m., but before the first engine even arrived, a drone was automatically launched from a nearby fire station as part of the city's DFR program. The M30T's thermal and zoom cameras immediately gave the incident commander a clear view, showing heavy fire already breaking through the roof.Based on that live aerial feed, the fire chief was able to call for a second alarm and request mutual aid from other cities right away. This was critical because when firefighters got on scene, a bystander told them a woman was trapped inside. Because the chief already knew that backup was on the way, the initial crews were able to focus entirely on the rescue. They entered through a window and pulled the woman to safety. Join us in the community for Post flight, our show where we’ll recap these stories, share opinions that aren’t suitable for YouTube, and discuss some drone parts suppliers that are shutting down.

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week the FAA is adding two new UAS test sites, NOAA is officially using drones for daily weather forecasting operations and SiFly and Taranis are teaming up to scale up aerial crop intelligence. Let's get to it.First up, the FAA has announced it's adding two new UAS Test Sites, which is a huge deal because it’s the first time they’ve expanded the program in almost ten years. The new sites are in partnership with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. This brings the total number of federal test ranges up to nine, joining the existing sites in Alaska, North Dakota, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Texas, and Virginia. If you aren’t familiar, the whole point of these test sites is to create a space for real-world testing to collect the data needed to safely integrate drones into our national airspace.According to the FAA, this is all about advancing Beyond Visual Line of Sight, or BVLOS, operations, as well as things like cargo delivery and managing multiple drone operations at once. The Choctaw Nation site will focus on practical applications like delivery services, infrastructure inspection, and emergency response missions across tribal lands. Meanwhile, the Indiana site will concentrate more on industrial and commercial uses, like cargo logistics, energy infrastructure, and agricultural monitoring. This expansion allows the FAA to gather the data they need to finally build the safety cases and regulations for these advanced operations. Next up, weather drones are officially moving from testing into operational use for US weather forecasting. For decades, forecasters have had a major blind spot in the lower atmosphere, which is where a lot of disruptive weather forms. Now, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is partnering with a company called Meteomatics to fill that data gap.Meteomatics’ autonomous "Meteodrones" will be flying vertical profiles through the atmosphere to measure temperature, humidity, and wind. This data will be fed directly into the National Weather Service's daily forecasting operations. This is a big step up from a research program that started back in 2024 in North Dakota. Now, it's not just research; it's part of the daily toolkit for forecasters. An initial pilot program is already running in Oklahoma through April of 2026, with drones being managed from a remote "Meteobase." Better data at these critical altitudes means more accurate forecasts and more timely warnings.And in our final story this week, two companies are partnering to tackle one of the biggest challenges in agricultural drone use: scale. SiFly, a U.S.-based manufacturer of long-endurance VTOL drones, and Taranis, a leader in AI-powered crop intelligence, have launched a joint Field Validation Program. The goal is to prove out a new operational model for collecting crop data over massive areas. The star of the show here is SiFly's Q12 drone, with a three hour flight time. This improves the efficiency of data collection and makes the data itself more consistent. The flight time introduces a problem though, data management, which is where the Taranis comes in, processing the data in real time. The program will run during the 2026 growing season to validate how this combination of long-endurance flight and AI analysis can make aerial intelligence more scalable and affordable for farmers and agronomists.That’s it for this week, we’ll see you on Monday for Post Flight, our show where we share our opinions that aren’t always suitable for YouTube and for the live! https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sifly-and-taranis-launch-field-validation-program-to-accelerate-aerial-crop-intelligence-at-scale-302666560.htmlhttps://dronelife.com/2026/01/14/faa-adds-two-new-uas-test-sites-to-advance-drone-integration/https://dronedj.com/2026/01/16/meteomatics-meteodrones-noaa-weather-drone/