Drone News: Police Drone Crash, DJI Neo 3 Leaks, Wingcopter Recon Drone, Drone Saves Climber

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, we have 4 stories for you this week: a Boston police drone crashes, DJI Neo 3 leaks, Wingcopter unveils a new recon drone, and a search and rescue team in Canada uses drones to save a stranded climber. Let's get to it.First up, a Boston Police drone crashed onto a parked car just days after the department launched its new Drone as First Responder program. The crash happened last Thursday around 1:30 in the afternoon. The falling drone landed on a Mazda 3, smashing the rear windshield and trunk and destroying the aircraft. The owner wasn't home at the time, he came back to a windshield note and a wrecked car. Boston Police recently partnered with Motorola Solutions and BRINC on this program, launching it publicly on August 28th. The pitch was speed and safety, with drones reaching emergency scenes in as little as one minute, but this crash occurred less than 7 days after the program officially launched. The Boston Police Patrolmen's Association is not impressed, with Union president Larry Calderone calling the program invasive surveillance technology, and said the department should be hiring more officers instead. Under FAA Part 107, any drone accident causing more than 500 dollars in damage must be reported to the FAA within 10 days. It's also unclear if the drone was equipped with a parachute recovery system, which would have likely been required in this type of operation.Next, a leaked retail box may have just told us more about DJI's plans than DJI wanted. The box is for the DJI Neo 3, and it showed up online on September 15th. It's a beginner-friendly drone with fully enclosed propellers and a gimbal camera. The box lists a DJI RC Mini, a remote with its own built in screen. That controller matches a device that already has FCC approval here in the US, granted back in December 2025. The approval came through just three days before the FCC's Covered List cutoff blocked new authorizations for foreign made drones. The problem is the drone itself never got approval. Without it, the Neo 3 can't be sold in the US. The Wingcopter 262 was unveiled on September 14th, and it’s a reconnaissance drone. This is a tilt rotor aircraft that takes off and lands vertically, then flies like a fixed wing plane. Wingcopter says it can stay airborne for up to six hours, fly up to 93 miles, and it carries a swappable payload including thermal cameras with 80 times zoom. It's built for military and border security customers, and it's the first product from Wingcopter's new Security and Defense division. No independent flight testing has been published yet, and there's no price, customer, or delivery date. It’s unclear at this time if future payloads will include LiDAR or Mapping cameras. And finally, some good news. A drone helped save a stranded climber in British Columbia. It happened the night of September 10th at Stawamus Chief, near Squamish. A climber got stuck on a 10 inch ledge, 250 feet up, with no rope left to get down. Squamish Search and Rescue sent up two drones. One lit up the cliff face. The other flew a pilot line up to the climber, who used it to pull up a jacket and a headlamp. Rescuers then used a second drone to carry up 300 feet of lightweight rope. The climber was able to grab the rope out of the air, tied it into his harness, and rappelled safely to the ground.And the conversation continues on Post flight where we discuss these stories uncensored in the Premium Community, link is in the description. We'll see you for the live Q&A on Monday. Have a good weekend!https://hoodline.com/2026/09/brighton-man-s-mazda-damaged-by-boston-police-drone-days-after-safety-pitch/https://dronexl.co/2026/09/15/dji-neo-3-leak-rc-mini-fcc/https://dronexl.co/2026/09/15/wingcopter-262-reconnaissance-drone-six-hours/https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/exploration-survival/climber-drone-rescue-stawamus-chief/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, we have four stories for you this week: Zipline Drone Mishap, Part 108 Progress Update, and the FCC got over 3800 comments. Let’s get to it.First up, a Zipline drone near Houston Texas experienced a mishap this week. According to Zipline the aircraft was on its way to pick up an order when it experienced a “mid-flight issue” and deployed its parachute. The aircraft descended under the parachute, coming to rest in a road. No property was damaged and no one was hurt as a result of this mishap. This isn’t the first drone delivery mishap we’ve seen this year, but it is the first that has come down under a parachute. Back in February we talked about an Amazon drone that hit an apartment building in Richardson Texas, and nearly a year ago, two Amazon drones hit a crane in Tolleson, Arizona. There’s currently no word on what the issue was with this Zipline aircraft, but we’ll keep you updated as we see more. Next, TSA is planning some closed door talks about security, and the meetings will happen AFTER Part 108 final ruling is released. Requests to participate are due October 19th. What this actually suggests is that the security portion of Part 108 isn’t ready and won’t be ready until after the FAA publishes their portion. The format of these meetings appears to be round table style discussions, with individual views rather than a group recommendation. In addition, there is no public comment period for this. Currently, Part 108 states with OIRA, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. OIRA has meets booked through September 16th, so publication before then is unlikely. If you’re unfamiliar, OIRA’s job is to review major draft rules to ensure it helps the public more than the cost to run, keeps paperwork low, and ensures that the new rule doesn’t conflict with other agencies rules. Currently, it’s unclear if the TSA rule will be included in Part 108 or come as a separate rule. We’re following this closely, and we’ll update when we see more.Last up, the FCC’s Military definition notice got 3829 comments, and we read them all. I’ll give you some quick facts and then I’d recommend you go and check out our full video on the proposal. 98.6% of filings oppose the proposal as written, 1575 out of 1584 that engaged the definition of military grade called it over broad, only 30 agree the security risk is as acute as the commission described, and only 1 out of 3829 agreed the economic impact would be minor and contained. And the conversation continues on Post flight where we discuss these stories uncensored in the Premium Community, link is in the description. We'll see you for the live Q&A on Monday, and be sure to check out the full breakdown of the responses on the FCC’s Notice! https://dronexl.co/2026/09/05/zipline-drone-parachute-highway-6-houston-cypress/https://dronexl.co/2026/09/04/tsa-part-108-bvlos-security-roundtables-closed-door/https://dronexl.co/2026/09/03/fcc-drone-ban-comments-3770-against-16-for/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, we have three stories for you this week: a DJI Mavic 4 Pro gets shot out of the sky in Alabama, GoPro sells 90% ownership, and UAS Sentry launches a new portable Remote ID detection tool. Let's get to it.Up first, A real estate photographer in Athens, Alabama, had his drone shot down mid-job. Michael Gardner was flying his DJI Mavic 4 Pro off Lindsay Lane on Saturday, August 29, when he heard a gunshot. His video feed went haywire and the drone dropped out of the sky. He got it back two days later, after someone else found it. No shooter has been identified yet, and Gardner is filing a police report and reaching out to the FAA. Remember, shooting at a drone is a federal felony. It falls under the same law that protects airliners, and it carries up to 20 years in prison. Courts have already sent people to prison for this exact thing. If someone shoots at your drone, land safely if able, document everything, and call the police and the FAA.Next up, GoPro is selling 90% of, well, itself. The company announced a merger with Starman Optical, a private US optics company, paying GoPro shareholders 285 million dollars and wiping out 92 million in debt. GoPro keeps about 10% of the combined company and stays on the Nasdaq. This rescue comes after a rough stretch. GoPro stock is down 96% since its 2014 debut, and in June, the company warned it might not survive another 12 months. In July, founder Nick Woodman put in 20 million dollars of his own money just to keep the lights on. The new plan points GoPro's optics at defense, government, and AI data centers. GoPro says it will keep supporting existing cameras, but makes no promises about future models.UAS Sentry unveiled a new portable Remote ID detection unit at Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas. It's called the Nexus Observer, and it costs $1,595 dollars. It uses two antennas and two separate processors to scan both the 2.4 and 5.8 gigahertz bands that drones use to broadcast Remote ID. It has a built-in touchscreen, so no phone or app is required to see a drone's location and its pilot's location in real time. The unit runs over 12 hours on battery and comes in a water-resistant case. Buyers get two years of cloud access included, with alerts, geofencing, and flight replay. Drone detection tech is getting cheaper and easier to deploy, which means Remote ID compliance matters more than ever if you're flying.No Post Flight this week since Greg, Jason, and Ben are out, and no Monday Live for Labor Day weekend. Have a great weekend and we will see you for News Update next week. https://dronexl.co/2026/09/02/dji-mavic-4-pro-shot-down-athens-alabama/https://dronexl.co/2026/09/02/gopro-starman-optical-merger-defense-pivot/https://www.suasnews.com/2026/09/uas-sentry-unveils-nexus-observer-portable-dual-band-remote-id-drone-detection-system-at-commercial-uav-expo/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, have 4 stories for you this week: Washington state jacks up commercial drone fees, an industry survey shows DJI still dominates, the FCC tells certification labs to tighten their screening, and SiFly raises $20,000,000. Let's get to it.Starting January 1st, 2027, commercial drone operators in Washington state will pay $150 a year per aircraft to register. Right now it's $15. That's a ten times increase. Here's where it came from. Washington repealed a luxury tax on private jets before it ever took effect. To make up that lost revenue, lawmakers added a new $120 excise tax on commercial drones, plus doubled the existing registration fee to $30. Ninety percent of that money goes to a sustainable aviation fuel account. Not to airports. Not to drone programs. To jet fuel research. The drone fee got exactly one hearing, buried inside a bigger transportation bill, and no drone operators showed up to testify. For comparison, Minnesota charges $25 a year. Utah charges $5. A DJI Mini flown for real estate photos in Washington will now cost the same to register as a Cessna 172. This takes effect in 2027. If you fly commercially in Washington, start budgeting now.The Associated Builders and Contractors, a major construction trade group, asked its members what drones they fly. DJI came out on top with 97.1 percent. Autel took the rest. Skydio, the only American brand on the list, got zero percent. This survey happened months after the FCC's ban on new DJI models hit the market. And it shows the ban hasn't pushed contractors toward American alternatives. It's just frozen them on the hardware they already own. Almost 20 percent of these fleets use thermal cameras and about the same use lidar. Both of those payload types are part of a new FCC proposal that could pull them from shelves entirely. The trade group is asking lawmakers to simplify compliance, and based on the results of their survey, I understand why! The FCC just told a company called HOVERAir to stop selling its VERSA flying camera immediately, calling it a violation of US law. Here's the twist. A certification lab had already approved that camera for sale. The FCC says that approval was granted in error, and it's now been pulled. The FCC is sending new guidance to every certification body it accredits. If you’re unfamiliar, these are private companies, paid by manufacturers, that actually decide whether a device gets approved. The FCC wants them to screen harder for banned drone components, though, that guidance hasn't been published anywhere. No public notice and no docket number. This matters because the whole system for enforcing the drone import ban runs through private labs. If one bad approval got through, and it takes a viral product launch to catch it, that raises real questions about how many others might be sitting out there right now. This is a developing story and we'll keep tracking it. Last up, SiFly announced a $20,000,000 Series A financing. According to the press release, the funds will be used to scale production and customer deliveries of the SiFly Q12. If you’re unfamiliar with the Q12, it currently holds the Guinness Record for longest flight by an electric multi rotor in its class, at 3 hours and 11 minutes. The aircraft carries a payload up to 10lbs, and a maximum range of up to 90 miles on a single charge. It’ll be cool to see these start hitting the hands of customers and hear the feedback! And the conversation continues on Post flight where we discuss these stories uncensored in the Premium Community, link is in the description. We'll see you for the live Q&A on Monday. Have a good weekend!Sourceshttps://dronexl.co/2026/08/25/washington-commercial-drone-fee-150-jet-tax-repeal/https://dronexl.co/2026/08/24/abc-survey-dji-97-percent-contractor-drones-fcc-ban/https://dronexl.co/2026/08/21/fcc-tcb-guidance-drone-certification/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, have three stories for you: DJI gets a big win, new drone tariffs, and a Chinese drone maker somehow gets FCC clearance. Let's get to!DJI just scored its biggest legal win in years. On August 14th, a federal appeals court partially reversed a lower court ruling in DJI's fight against its Pentagon blacklist status. DJI was added to that list back in 2022 as an alleged Chinese military company. The court sided with the government on most points, but on one key issue it agreed with DJI. The Pentagon claimed DJI contributes to China's defense industrial base, but that section of the report was entirely redacted. The court said you can't take the government's word for it. Now the case goes back to the lower court for another look. DJI is still on the blacklist for now and nothing changes for consumers today. But this is the strongest pushback yet against one of the government's key arguments that so far, has lacked public evidence.The Trump administration just announced new tariffs on imported drones and drone parts. Some tariffs go as high as 100%, with drones over 55 pounds and thermal drones facing the top tariff rate. Smaller drones without those features generally face a 25% tariff, allied countries like Japan, Taiwan, and the EU get a lower 15% rate, and the UK gets 10%. Most of these tariffs kick in within weeks. The goal is boosting US drone manufacturing and cutting reliance on China. However, with the FCC appearing to target foreign manufacturer’s ability to sell drones in the US at all… a 100% tariff on $0 is still $0. And HOVERAir just opened pre-orders for its new VERSA, a pocket camera that converts into a self-flying drone. And unexpectedly, it's cleared for sale in the US. That’s right, the HOVERAir VERSA is FCC approved… That's notable because HOVERAir's last drone, the AQUA, missed FCC authorization by weeks and had to refund over two million dollars to US backers. The VERSA weighs 230 grams, shoots 4K at 60 frames per second, and comes in under the FAA's 0.55lb registration threshold. This is a stark contrast to DJI's Osmo Pocket 4, a camera that doesn't fly, is still blocked from US sale. It's a strange contrast, a flying camera gets in, and a handheld one doesn't. Keep in mind this is a crowdfunding pre-order, not a guaranteed purchase, so shipping delays or changes are always possible.And the conversation continues on Post flight where we discuss these stories uncensored in the Premium Community, link is in the description. We'll see you for the live Q&A on Monday. Have a good weekend!https://dronedj.com/2026/08/18/dji-us-blacklist-court-win/https://dronedj.com/2026/08/17/us-drone-import-100-tariffs/https://dronexl.co/2026/08/18/hoverair-versa-fcc-clearance-indiegogo-launch/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, have three stories for you this week: DARPA hands out half prizes as a conventional helicopter wins the Lift Challenge, a drone delivered defibrillator saves a man's life in Sweden, and the FCC weighs banning DJI drones that are already approved and sold in America. Let's get to it.DARPA's Lift Challenge wrapped up in Dayton, Ohio, and the winner wasn't some futuristic multi-rotor. It was a basic single rotor helicopter called the Katana. It carried over three point eight times its own weight, the best ratio of the week. But DARPA's target was four to one, and nobody hit it. So under the contest rules, every prize got cut in half. First place took home $1,250,000 instead of $2,500,000. Teams that pushed harder for the full four to one target actually failed. Some ran out of battery mid course, others had structural issues. The takeaway here is that lift isn't the problem for heavy drones anymore. Battery energy density is.In Sweden, a man in his sixties survived a cardiac arrest after a drone beat the ambulance to the scene. The autonomous aircraft was airborne just fifteen seconds after the emergency call came in. It flew to the address and lowered a defibrillator on a winch line. A bystander grabbed it, followed instructions from the dispatcher on the phone, and shocked the man's heart back into a regular rhythm before paramedics even arrived. This is part of a network of six drone bases in Sweden covering three hundred thousand residents, with drones beating ambulances by several minutes on average. Here in the US, similar trials just started this summer in North Carolina and Virginia, but they still need case by case FAA approval. Sweden runs this as routine dispatch. The rule that could get the US there, called Part 108, is sitting at the White House right now. Rumor is the wait for Part 108 is almost over, so if you want to get updated when it goes live, be sure to subscribe!Last up, this is now the second time we’ve covered this story. We need YOU to go comment BEFORE the September 2nd deadline. If you haven’t heard, the FCC is considering a rule that could pull existing foreign made drone off American shelves. This isn't about new models, it’s about ones that are already approved, like the Mini 5 Pro and the Air 3S. The proposal targets what the FCC calls “military grade tech”. Their definition includes LiDAR, thermal cameras, agricultural spraying, docking stations, and drones over 55 pounds. The problem is those aren't just military features, they’re obstacles avoidance and commercial payloads. LiDAR for example helps your drone avoid obstacles at night while thermal cameras help search and rescue teams find missing people. If this passes, you could still fly the drone you own BUT you might not be able to buy a new one of the same model or replace parts. Public comments are open until September 2nd, so make your voice heard. We’ve got an upcoming webinar on August 20th, with Kyle Nordfors. We’ll reviews challenging situations that SAR teams have faced in the field, then dissects them together to see what we can learn as a group. Bring your own hard problems, too: if your team is stuck on a challenge, this is the place to put more minds on it. Anything related to training, standard operating procedures, equipment, case studies, and more is fair game. We’ll see you there! And the conversation continues on Post flight where we discuss these stories uncensored in the Premium Community, link is in the description. We'll see you for the live Q&A on Monday. Have a good weekend!https://dronexl.co/2026/08/10/darpa-lift-challenge-results-avidrone/https://dronexl.co/2026/08/07/everdrone-aed-drone-boras-cardiac-arrest-save/https://dronedj.com/2026/08/11/fcc-drone-ban-dji-mini/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, have four stories for you this week: the FIFA World Cup drone crackdown wraps up with more than 700 seizures, wildfire drones ground firefighting aircraft in Spokane 26 times in just three days, the FAA rolls out a 9 million dollar inspection grant that barely covers the DJI ban fallout, and DoorDash becomes a certified drone airline. Let's get to it.The US Department of Transportation says it just ran the largest counter-drone operation in US history. More than 700 unauthorized drones were seized during the FIFA World Cup, with over 1,100 total detections. That's across all 11 US host cities, fan zones, hotels, and training sites.. The FAA set up nearly 250 Temporary Flight Restrictions, and Ground Intercept Teams were stationed at venues to catch violators fast. This wasn't just confiscation either. Federal prosecutors in Houston filed criminal charges against four people for flying into restricted zones, and there are likely more in progress. Officials are calling this a blueprint for the 2028 LA Olympics, and the message for pilots is simple: Don’t fly in TFRs.Speaking of TFRs, wildfires are burning through Spokane County Washington, and drone pilots keep making it worse. If you’re unfamiliar, These fires have destroyed 700 structures and forced 65,000 people to evacuate. The sheriff's office counted at least 26 drone incursions into the fire's flight restriction in three days. It’s currently unclear how these detections occurred, but at least four of those drones allegedly flew into the path of firefighting aircraft. One incursion on August 3rd grounded all 35 firefighting aircraft, while homes were actively burning. Only two operators have been cited so far. Federal penalties can exceed $20,000 and up to a year in prison. Remember to check TFR.FAA.GOV before every flight and don’t be that guy. The Department of Transportation just posted a new grant forecast. 9 million dollars for agencies that want to inspect bridges, dams, and roads with drones. Applications open in September and close November 15th, and five awards are expected. Since December of last year, federal funds can't be used to buy or operate Chinese-made drones. That grounded hundreds of state government drone fleets overnight. State officials asked Congress for 50 million dollars to help replace them. Congress authorized 12 million for this year, and only 9 million actually got funded. If your agency relies on federal drone funding, this program is real money, but it is nowhere close to funding a replacement for all the grounded aircraft. Last up, DoorDash just got FAA Part 135 certification. That makes it only the 8th company in the US approved to run commercial drone delivery. The new program is called DoorDash Air. Instead of just partnering with drone companies like Wing or Flytrex, DoorDash built its own aircraft and its own software to decide how each order gets delivered. Car, robot, or drone. The company says drone deliveries under five miles can arrive in under 25 minutes. DoorDash says the drone is American designed and built. Details on the aircraft itself are still under wraps, with more coming later this year. We’ll keep you updated when we see more! And the conversation continues on Post flight where we discuss these stories uncensored in the Premium Community, link is in the description. We'll see you for the live Q&A on Monday. Have a good weekend!https://dronedj.com/2026/08/05/fifa-drone-pilot-court-fine/https://dronexl.co/2026/08/04/spokane-wildfire-drone-incursions-ground-aircraft/https://dronexl.co/2026/08/03/usdot-diig-9-million-drone-inspection-grants-fy26/https://dronedj.com/2026/07/31/doordash-air-drone-delivery-launch/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, have three stories for you this week: two more drones just got exemptions from the FCC's foreign drone ban, Axon Vision and ParaZero team up on a new non-destructive counter-drone system, and the FAA approves a drone system that can trigger avalanches on purpose. Let's get to it.The FCC just granted Conditional Approval to two more drone systems. That's Exedy Globalparts' Ayre CX and Parallel Flight Technologies' Firefly. That brings the total number of exempted drone companies to 17. Back in December, the FCC put nearly all foreign-made drones on its Covered List. That blocked new FCC approvals over national security concerns. But since March, the agency has been approving individual drones almost every month. And there's a bigger change too. As of July 21st, these approvals no longer expire at the end of 2026.Manufacturers can now keep them indefinitely, as long as they follow their onshoring plans. For everyday consumer pilots, nothing changes right now. These are commercial and industrial drones, not camera drones. And DJI and Autel still can't get new models approved under this system.Axon Vision and ParaZero Technologies have announced a new counter-drone setup. It combines Axon's ForceField detection system with ParaZero's DefendAir interceptor. DefendAir uses a net to capture rogue drones instead of shooting them down. The companies are marketing this as a non-destructive option for airports, power plants, and other sensitive sites. They say it was tested during a trial in Israel. Now, the report is a company press release, so treat the performance claims with some caution. Instead of one-size-fits-all kinetic responses, companies are building modular systems that can switch between destructive and non-destructive interception depending on the environment. What’s interesting here is that “non-destructive” involves using a net to take down a rogue drone, which still poses a threat to both the drone and people on the ground while falling. The FAA has approved Drone Amplified's MONTIS system for avalanche mitigation. This lets ski resorts and transportation agencies use drones to deploy explosive charges. The goal is to trigger small, controlled avalanches before unstable snow builds into something dangerous. This won't replace helicopters or artillery towers. But it gives crews another tool, especially when weather grounds manned aircraft. It also means fewer people need to physically enter high-risk avalanche terrain. MONTIS shares engineering with the company's IGNIS platform, which is already used for prescribed burns. Drone Amplified developed this with explosives partners Austin Powder and CIL Avalanche, along with help from the Alaska Department of Transportation. It's a solid example of drones taking on jobs that are genuinely dangerous for humans.And the conversation continues on Post flight where we discuss these stories uncensored in the Premium Community, link is in the description. We'll see you for the live Q&A on Monday. Have a good weekend!https://dronedj.com/2026/07/27/fcc-drone-ban-exemption-update/https://www.suasnews.com/2026/07/axon-vision-and-parazero-introduce-new-forcefield-configuration-fornon-destructive-counter-uas-interception/https://dronedj.com/2026/07/15/montis-avalanche-drone-amplified-faa/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, have 3 stories for you this week: a Colorado drone pilot facing federal charges after grounding wildfire aircraft, a possible US ban on imports of some “military-grade” drones, and the National Press Photographers Association pushing back on the FAA's Section 2209 rule. Let's get to it.This week Pilot Institute is in Oshkosh, Wisconsin for EAA AirVenture. If you've never been it's a really cool event with thousands of aircraft on display, air shows, workshops, and Pilot Institute. Greg and the team will be there through Sunday, July 26th, and would love to see you in person. If you're in the area stop by the big pink tent and meet the team. And when you meet Pilot Institute, you don't just leave with memories, no. You'll also be leaving with free Pilot Institute gear and giveaways. Plus, I hear there are fantastic cheese curds and double-fried French fries close by. I have sent a request to Greg to have a BVLOS french fried drone delivery sent all the way back to Arizona, but I am still waiting on that response.Alright, in our first story, A drone pilot in southern Colorado is facing federal charges. On Friday, July 17th, someone flew a drone into the temporary flight restriction over the Aspen Acres Fire near Rye. That fire has burned more than 100,000 acres. It's the largest wildfire currently active in Colorado.In case you don't know, once a drone is detected, every helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft on the fire has to stop flying. However, investigators didn't have to work hard on this one. The pilot posted the flight on social media and The Pueblo County Sheriff's Office used that footage to identify the suspect. Civil penalties can exceed 75,000 dollars. Next up, The FCC announced 2 drone supply chain actions, but the one that matters most for equipment is a new request for public comment. The Commission is asking whether it should prohibit the import, marketing, or sale of certain “military-grade” foreign-made drones already on its Covered List. The categories under consideration include swarming drones, drones designed to carry defense articles, thermal imaging drones, drones with LiDAR sensing, drones capable of dispensing aerosols classified as economic poison under FAA rules, drone docking stations, and any drone weighing 55 pounds or more. Several things would be excluded from any such ban: equipment not on the Covered List, equipment sold for federal government use or for commercial testing and product development, and any drones people already own. Separately, the FCC extended its exceptions for trusted drones, with the Blue UAS and Buy America carve-outs now running through January 1, 2028, and Conditional Approval products losing their expiration date entirely. Comments on the proposed prohibition are due 30 days after the notice is published in the Federal Register.The National Press Photographers Association just filed comments on the FAA's proposed Section 2209 rule. This is the rule that lets critical infrastructure sites apply for permanent drone flight restrictions, called UAFRs. The FAA has identified about 125,000 candidate facilities total, and they're expecting around 9,000 applications over the next five years. The NPPA's complaint is simple. As written, these restrictions could last forever, with no expiration date, no public record of why they exist, and no way to challenge one. The comment deadline is August 5th, 2026. Be sure to check out our full discussion of the proposed rule.No post flight this week, but we'll still have a Monday live Q&A with our guest host, Vic Moss. Hope we see you there. Have a good weekend!https://dronexl.co/2026/07/21/drone-pilot-charges-aspen-acres-fire/https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-takes-action-secure-drone-supply-chainhttps://dronexl.co/2026/07/20/nppa-faa-section-2209-drone-rule-press/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, we have four stories for you this week: the FCC fines eight alleged DJI front companies for stonewalling investigators, an SFPD Skydio drone feed exposed live on the open internet for six months, BRINC raises 125 million dollars, and Duke Health drones now fly defibrillators to real calls. Let's get to it.First up, the FCC has proposed 25,000 dollar fines against eight companies it suspects of selling rebranded DJI hardware in the US. These brands include Skyrover and Xtra Technology. Here's the important nuance: these fines aren't for the hardware itself, at least not yet. They're for straight up ignoring the FCC's official Letters of Inquiry sent back in May, asking whether these companies market equipment tied to DJI's spot on the Covered List. None of them responded. All eight now have until July 20 to finally answer, and if they don't, the FCC has already given itself the authority to revoke existing equipment authorizations entirely, which would mean import and marketing bans. Next, the San Francisco Police Department left live video from five of its Skydio surveillance drones exposed on the open internet for about six months. Two outside security researchers stumbled onto the feed last month, reported it, and it came down within days, but by then they had archived roughly 48 hours of real operations. We're talking color and thermal video, live GPS tracking, and even the names and emails of six SFPD drone pilots. The cause was a Skydio sharing link created with no password and a one year expiration, later picked up by a public archive of scraped web addresses. The footage showed full missions from takeoff to landing, including officers filming through apartment windows and a drone tailing two guys who turned out to just be going to play basketball. That's a direct contradiction of SFPD's own policy, which requires minimizing incidental recording. This is entirely American made Skydio hardware. No “foreign adversary” needed, just a misconfigured link.Speaking of drones responding to 911 calls, BRINC just raised 125 million dollars in a round led by Motorola Solutions, pushing its total funding past a quarter billion. The goal: a drone as first responder on the roof of every one of the roughly 80,000 police and fire stations in the country. Motorola invested in BRINC back in April 2025, and that relationship lets an officer launch a BRINC drone from a button on a Motorola radio, or have one dispatched automatically the second a 911 call comes in. BRINC says revenue tripled last year and contract signings are up roughly four times.On a similar topic, Duke Health researchers are now flying drones with defibrillators to real 911 calls in Clemmons, North Carolina. When a 911 dispatcher takes a cardiac arrest call, the drone launches alongside the ambulance, cruises at 200 feet, drops to 100 feet over the scene, and winches the AED down while the dispatcher coaches the bystander by phone on how to use it. The math here is brutal. An AED used within two to three minutes of collapse pushes survival toward 70 percent, but ambulances typically take eight to ten minutes to arrive. That gap is the perfect opportunity for a drone. This program actually delivered its first real-world AED back in November 2025, and it's now running as standard procedure on live calls. If the results hold up, this could become normal across the country.And the conversation continues on Post flight where we discuss these stories uncensored in the Premium Community, link is in the description. We'll see you for the live Q&A on Monday. Have a good weekend!https://dronexl.co/2026/07/14/duke-health-drone-aed-911-calls/https://dronexl.co/2026/07/14/fcc-fines-dji-front-companies-25000/https://dronexl.co/2026/07/14/brinc-motorola-911-drone-police/https://dronexl.co/2026/07/13/sfpd-skydio-drone-feed-live-internet/