Drone News Update

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week: the FCC opens the door for Chinese toy drones but with a massive catch, Walmart and Wing are expanding drone delivery, and a Lee County DFR drone gets shot at with a BB gun. Let's get to it.

First up this week, the FCC just announced they will allow new models of Chinese "toy drones" to be imported into the US. But before you get excited, the rules are so tight that almost nothing qualifies! To be considered a toy under this new exemption, a drone must weigh no more than 150 grams or 5.29 ounces. It must stay within 100 meters or 328 feet line-of-sight, fly no longer than 10 minutes on a charge, have a 300-foot altitude ceiling, and a speed cap of 10 meters-per-second or 22 mph. Most importantly, it can have NO GPS, no brushless motors, and absolutely no camera or network capability. To put that in perspective, the DJI Neo weighs just 135 grams, which passes the weight test. But it carries a 12-megapixel, 1/2-inch sensor shooting 4K video, uses a wireless link rated for 7 kilometers, has brushless motors, and flies for 18 minutes. So, it completely fails the rest of the requirements! And obviously, drones like the Mini 4 Pro or the new Mini 5 Pro at 249 grams don't even pass the weight check. Next we have a massive expansion in drone delivery that is putting two major operators on a direct collision course. Walmart and their drone partner Wing just announced seven new metro areas for their delivery network, including Memphis, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Salt Lake City. Wing has already completed well over one million commercial deliveries, averaging about 23 minutes per drop. The service is free for Walmart+ members and $19.99 for everyone else. The snag here is that Amazon Prime Air is staging operations in Memphis and is actively conducting flights in Phoenix. This means we’ll see both aircraft operating in the same airspace.Wing uses a smaller, purpose-built drone that hovers and lowers packages on a tether. Amazon, on the other hand, uses their MK-30 drone, which weighs 83 pounds and carries up to 5 pounds of cargo. Amazon has also had a few incidents this year with the MK-30 reportedly crashing into a construction crane twice, an internet cable, and an apartment building. Last up, The Lee County Sheriff's Office in southwest Florida released footage showing a man firing a BB gun at one of its UAS during a search operation. The drone was flying as part of the department's Drone First Responder program while searching for a bear when its operator spotted a group of men who appeared to be shooting a firearm into a wooded area. The released video shows one man pointing a BB gun at the drone and firing twice. The arrest occurred on Saturday, with deputies using the live feed as real-time evidence to support the arrest.Firing at any aircraft, including drones, is a federal felony under 18 U.S.C. § 32, "Destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities". The penalty runs up to 20 years in prison, a fine, or both. The classification of drones as aircraft is established in 18 U.S.C. § 31(a)(1), which defines "aircraft" as any contrivance invented, used, or designed to navigate, fly, or travel in the air. The FAA has previously confirmed that shooting at an unmanned aircraft falls under Section 32, and federal prosecutors have charged individuals on that basis.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/2026/06/16/fcc-toy-drone-import-rule-dji-neo-too-capable/https://dronexl.co/2026/06/17/walmart-wing-drone-delivery/https://dronexl.co/2026/06/17/dfr-drone-man-firing-bb-gun-federal-felony/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week. First, the FAA adds a new DHS authorization path for World Cup NOTAMs, a firefighting helicopter in Utah dodges an unauthorized drone, and AirData and LeoSight team up to bring live drone data to DFR programs. Let's get to it.

First up this week, the FAA is modifying all of its FIFA World Cup 2026 drone NOTAMs to add an authorization pathway through the Department of Homeland Security. If you're flying commercial jobs where these TFRs are, you'll want to pay attention to this. The sweeping flight restrictions took effect on June 1st and immediately started grounding commercial drone operators who already held airspace authorizations. The stadium rings alone run 3 nautical miles wide and 3,000 feet tall on every match day, plus there are 1-nautical-mile rings over base camps in cities, hundreds of miles from any match. To fix this, the FAA is adding language that allows operations inside the Special Security Instruction airspace with DHS authorization. For Part 107 and Part 135 operations, you can now email your request to drones@dhs.gov. You'll need to include which flight restricted zone you plan to fly in, the cities covered, and a 24/7 point of contact. They're starting with the Texas locations first, like Houston and Dallas, before rolling it out to other states. If you don’t have permission, or are denied, don’t fly… Civil penalties for violating these TFRs can reach $75,000 per violation. And remember, until the amended language actually appears on a specific NOTAM at tfr.faa.gov, the existing restriction stands. So please, check before you fly.Speaking of TFRs, a firefighting helicopter working a brush fire near Moab, Utah, had to dodge an unauthorized drone over the active fire area. Thankfully, nobody was hurt and nothing collided this time, but the drone's presence alone created a serious safety hazard and forced the crew to clear the airspace. This incident comes 17 months after a DJI Mini 3 Pro struck the left wing of a Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper over the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. That sub-250-gram drone punched a 3-by-6-inch hole in the wing, grounding the aircraft for five days during a massive emergency. The pilot in that case was sentenced to 14 days in federal prison and ordered to pay $156,000 in restitution. This is your reminder as we get into wildfire season, don't be that guy…Last up, LeoSight, a unified command software platform for public safety, has integrated with AirData UAV. This integration streams real-time drone telemetry, flight data, and operational insights directly into LeoSight's LeoCommand system, which includes more than just drones. If you aren’t familiar, AirData is a platform that supports logging and live flight streaming. Now, mutual customers can stream drone data straight to dispatchers, command staff, and field personnel all at the exact same time. This means moving beyond isolated drone operations and into a fully coordinated response across multi-agency events. It’ll be interesting to see if the sharing of data overwhelms folks who have other responsibilities or leads to better in-the-field decision making. No post flight this week, we’ll see you on Monday for the live! Have a good one!https://dronexl.co/2026/06/09/faa-world-cup-notam-dhs-drone-authorization/https://dronexl.co/2026/06/09/moab-helicopter-drone-near-miss-super-scooper/https://dronelife.com/2026/06/10/airdata-uav-and-leosight-bring-live-drone-data-for-dfr-programs/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, We have four stories for you this week: the FAA publishes TFRs for the 2026 World Cup, North Dakota cuts BVLOS waiver times down to just 23 days, Flock Safety pushes the limits of police drone cameras, and a Walmart drone delivery pad sparks a local zoning fight in North Carolina. Let's get to it.

First up this week, the FAA has officially published the venue list, dates, and airspace dimensions for the FIFA World Cup 2026 flight restrictions. If you're flying in any of the host cities, you'll want to pay attention to this.
Eleven U.S. stadiums are getting three-nautical-mile radius restriction up to 3,000 feet above ground level on every match day. Twelve fan festivals are getting a tighter one-nautical-mile ring up to 1,000 feet, and several of these stay active continuously for weeks! In addition, hotels and practice sites are also getting a 1NM TFRs, even in cities that won’t be hosting games. This is a reminder that LAANC authorization buys you absolutely NO exemption inside an active TFR, this is for both Part 107 operators and Recreational pilots. The FAA is also using their DETER program to fast-track enforcement.Next up, North Dakota has managed to cut Beyond Visual Line of Sight waiver times from months down to just 23 business days. This is happening through the state's Vantis network, which covers more than 5,000 square miles of managed airspace. They recently activated the FAA's Federal Radar Enclave, which feeds the network the exact same real-time radar data that federal air traffic controllers use. Because the network handles the detect-and-avoid safety case, operators who join inherit that approval work instead of starting from scratch. Frontier Precision just joined as an operator, and their waiver covers any NDAA-compliant platform under 55 pounds flying within the Vantis service volumes.In our third story this week, Flock Safety is pushing the camera specs on its American-made Alpha drone as the Drone as First Responder market heats up. Flock claims the Alpha's gimbaled camera can read a vehicle license plate from up to 2,000 feet away. The payload combines multi-sensor optics, high-definition thermal imaging, low-light sensors, and a laser rangefinder. If you aren’t familiar, the Alpha tops out at 60 mph and claims a flight time of up to 45 minutes. It also features a dual battery-swapping dock with climate control that gets the drone airborne again in under 90 seconds. In addition, the drone is designed and assembled in Atlanta, Georgia, and is fully NDAA-compliant. Last up, a Walmart drone delivery pad has turned into a major zoning fight in Lincoln County, North Carolina.  Walmart wants to build a small drone launch area in the parking lot of its Denver, North Carolina store to expand its Wing-operated delivery service. However, more than 200 neighbors have signed a petition to stop it, citing concerns over privacy, noise, and wildlife. The Wing delivery drones are hybrid aircraft that take off vertically and then fly on fixed wings. They weigh about 11 pounds and carry a 2.5-pound payload, though a newer model can carry up to 5 pounds. They cruise at 60 mph at about 150 feet above the ground with a 6-mile radius. When they arrive, they don't land, but instead hover at about 23 feet and lower the package on a tether. While the FAA already governs the airspace and has cleared this kind of delivery, local county commissioners control the land-use zoning for the launchpad itself.That’s it for this week, see you next week for Post flight where we’ll discuss these stories uncensored, live Q&A on Monday, and News update on Friday! https://dronexl.co/2026/06/02/flock-alpha-camera-drone-dfr-push/https://dronexl.co/2026/06/02/north-dakota-bvlos-waivers-23/https://dronexl.co/2026/05/31/faa-publishes-world-cup-tfr-venue-list/https://dronexl.co/2026/06/02/walmart-drone-pad-zoning-fight-in-nc/

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, we have three stories for you this week; DJI audited by US-Based Cybersecurity firm OnDefend, a custom FPV drone hits 730 kilometers per hour, and SkyeBrowse rolls out another major product update. Let's get to it.

First up this week, DJI released the findings of an independent security assessment conducted by U.S.-based cybersecurity firm OnDefend on May 28, 2026. The assessment evaluated the DJI Air 3S with RC 2 controller and the Matrice 4E with RC Plus 2 Enterprise controller. Test units were procured from retail outlets and dealer stock without pre-notification to DJI.The assessment ran from October 2025 through March 2026 and produced zero critical, high, or medium-risk findings. Specifically, OnDefend reported no evidence of data transmission outside the United States, no backdoors or unauthorized remote access mechanisms, no unexplained radio frequency emissions, and no supply chain tampering or unauthorized hardware modifications. Controllers also resisted jailbreak and firmware modification attempts. Ten low-risk findings and thirteen observations were identified, primarily related to application security configurations, session handling, and wireless hardening. DJI stated it is working to address remaining items in subsequent software releases.DJI cited the findings in connection with its ongoing appeal of its December 2025 inclusion on the FCC Covered List, which was not accompanied by a documented security vulnerability. The release noted that more than 80% of the 1,800-plus state and local law enforcement agencies operating drones use DJI platforms, and that 43% of drone business users surveyed indicated DJI restrictions would have an extremely negative or business-ending impact on operations. This comes just a few weeks after the FCC's request for comment closed on reconsidering DJI's addition to the entity list, prohibiting them from introducing new models in the US.Next up, Australian aerospace engineer Benjamin Biggs just pushed his custom Blackbird drone to an absolutely blistering 730 kilometers per hour, or 454 miles per hour, on a downwind run! Flying back into the wind, the drone hit 640 kilometers per hour, giving it a two-direction average of 685 kilometers per hour, or 426 miles per hour.  Unfortunately, this incredible speed run won't count for the record books. The team didn't have accredited Guinness observers on site, the winds were gusting up to 60 kilometers per hour, and the drone didn't land on a clean battery. They also lost one of their two drones at 630 kilometers per hour when the video feed completely dropped out. The team reportedly believes this was caused by the Doppler effect messing with the digital video link as the drone screamed past the pilot.  Last up, SkyeBrowse has rolled out a major update to their core videogrammetry engine. If you use their software for 3D modeling, you'll want to pay attention to this. Every plan on their platform now has upgraded accuracy, better texture rendering, and faster tooling at no additional charge. According to their internal benchmarks, there is a 3X improvement in matching accuracy when you combine multiple video sources. They also upgraded their AI Floor Plans, which are now twice as accurate and can be exported from any interior model in about 20 seconds. On top of that, their Image Walkthroughs feature, which lets you navigate through structured spaces using high-quality photos, is now available to everyone for free. That’s it for this week, see you next week for Post flight where we’ll discuss these stories uncensored, live Q&A on Monday, and News update on Friday! https://www.dji.com/ca/trust-centerhttps://dronexl.co/2026/05/22/blackbird-biggs-730-kmh-drone-speed-record/https://www.skyebrowse.com/news/posts/major-product-update

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week; Autel fights back against the FCC's Covered List, the Michigan House passes two drone procurement bills while stalling on airspace restrictions, a drones-for-good story where a thermal drone saves a life in freezing temperatures. Let's get to it.

And first up this week, Autel Robotics has filed a reply with the FCC, arguing that their addition to the Covered List is based on secret evidence and allegations that were actually aimed at DJI. Autel claims they were never given a chance to see the classified material used against them, which they argue violates their Fifth Amendment right to due process. What's really interesting here is that Autel is finally putting their technical operations on the public record. They stated under oath that their flight data is stored locally by default and isn't automatically uploaded to company servers. They also specified that their drone communications and stored data use AES-128 or AES-256 encryption, and that no third party has access to their software. We’ll be watching this closely. Next up, let's talk about some state-level regulations. The Michigan House just passed two out of the 15 bills in the SHIELD Michigan drone package. House Bills 5329 and 5331 both focus on procurement. They basically stop state agencies from using state funds to buy drones from companies on federal concern lists, like the DOD's 1260H list. But here's the real story for you as a Part 107 or recreational pilot. The other 13 bills didn't pass. Those were the bills that had us really worried about federal preemption. They included things like criminal penalties for flying over critical infrastructure, giving local police the authority to shoot down or disable drones, and even a mandatory state-run geofencing app. Seeing those 13 bills stall in the House is a huge win for our drone industry. And there’s still time to fight the other two, as the bills now go to the Senate for consideration. If you’re in Michigan, make your voice heard by reaching out to your State Senator! Last up, the Corman Park Police Service in Saskatchewan, Canada, used their DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise to save a man's life in brutal conditions. Officers were looking for an intoxicated man in minus 20 degree Celsius or minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit weather. The officers deployed their Mavic 3T and were able to pick up the man's heat signature inside a roadside dumpster. Officers were able to get to him before hypothermia set in. Great job to Corman Park Police Service!Join us later for Post Flight in the community, and for the Live Q&A! We'll see you then!https://dronexl.co/2026/05/19/autel-fcc-reply-covered-list-secret-evidence-dji/https://dronexl.co/2026/05/21/dji-mavic-3-enterprise-man-dumpster-20/https://dronexl.co/2026/05/14/michigan-house-passes-2-of-15-shield-drone-bills/