Your Drone Questions. Answered.

How do you actually connect your drone to an RTK network, and what do all those settings mean?
RTK (real-time kinematic) takes your drone from GPS that's only good to within a few feet down to centimeter-level accuracy, by streaming corrections from a base station on a known spot. To get those corrections you need an account on a correction network (many states run one for free), an internet connection on your controller, and a handful of settings: the NTRIP address, port, mount point, message type, and your username and password.
In this episode of Your Drone Questions. Answered (YDQA), David Young explains how RTK corrections work, where they come from (CORS stations, free and paid state networks, private networks like Trimble's, or your own base station), and why your baseline should stay within about 10-20 km. Then he walks through a real job: connecting a DJI Matrice 4E to Alabama's free ALDOT network, from signing up and finding the station list to filling in the Custom Network RTK screen in DJI Pilot 2, picking a port and mount point (RTCM3 vs MSM4), and what FLOAT vs FIX means.
Questions we cover:
- What is RTK, and why does your drone need GPS corrections?
- What throws off satellite signals?
- How do CORS reference stations work?
- How far can you be from the base station (your baseline)?
- Are RTK networks free in your state?
- Should you use your own base station or NTRIP?
- Why do drones need centimeter-level accuracy?
- What do the NTRIP address, port and mount point mean?
- RTCM3 or MSM4: which message type should you pick?
- What's the difference between RTK FLOAT and FIX?
- RTK vs PPK: what's the difference?
Chapters:
0:00 How to connect your drone to an RTK network
0:44 What is RTK? (real-time kinematic)
1:11 Why your drone needs GPS corrections
1:53 What throws off satellite signals
2:26 The RTK module and reference stations
2:54 CORS stations and how corrections work
3:45 Baseline: how far from the base station?
4:36 How the corrections reach your controller
4:54 Free vs paid state RTK networks
5:28 Your own base station vs NTRIP
6:53 Why drones need centimeter-level accuracy
8:14 Worked example: Alabama's free ALDOT network
9:40 Station list, IP address and port
10:16 DJI Pilot 2: Custom Network RTK setup
11:28 Finding your nearest station
11:52 Mount points and message types (RTCM3 vs MSM4)
13:29 RTK FLOAT vs FIX
13:59 RTK vs PPK
14:42 Recap: the settings you need
States with free real-time RTK networks (as of November 2026):
Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York and Oregon. Mesa County, Colorado also runs a free county network. Kentucky, Maine, Ohio, Vermont and West Virginia list no fee but don't say "free" outright. Sign-up rules change, so confirm with your state before a job.
The settings David used in Alabama:
NTRIP address: 205.172.52.26
Port: 10099 (one specific station) or 10011 (nearest / auto)
Mount point: AL10_MSM4 (Guntersville station, RTCM 3 MSM4)
Username and password: your own ALDOT account
Links from the episode:
ALDOT CORS sign-up: https://aldotcors.dot.state.al.us/SBC/Account/Register
NOAA NGS CORS Network: https://geodesy.noaa.gov/CORS/
NGS guidelines for single-base RTK (20 km baseline): https://geodesy.noaa.gov/library/pdfs/NOAA_Manual_NOS_NGS_0009.pdf
Washington State Reference Network FAQ (10 km): http://www.wsrn.org/WSRN_FAQ.pdf
DJI Matrice 4 Series user manual (Custom Network RTK): https://dl.djicdn.com/downloads/DJI_Matrice_4_Series/DJI_Matrice_4_Series_User_Manual_en.pdf
Have a drone question you want answered on the show? Email david@dronelaunchacademy.com
#RTK #NTRIP #DroneMapping #DJI #GNSS #Matrice4E #DronePilot #Surveying #YDQA

Is the FCC about to ban DJI's thermal, LiDAR and spray drones, even the ones already on store shelves? 
The FCC has proposed stopping the import and sale of foreign-made "military-grade" drones, and its definition covers far more than you'd think: thermal cameras, LiDAR sensors, ag spray drones, docking stations, drones over 55 lb, and even drone light shows. That includes models the FCC already approved.
In this episode of Your Drone Questions. Answered (YDQA), David Young breaks down what the proposal actually says, who gets hit the hardest (mappers, surveyors, inspectors, public safety and ag operators), what the FCC's own Senior National Security Counsel said about it, and what roughly 3,200 public comments told the FCC. If you already own one of these drones, you can keep flying it. The question is what you'll be able to buy next.
Questions we cover:
- What is the FCC's "military-grade" drone proposal?
- Which drones count as "military grade"?
- Can I keep flying the DJI drone I already own?
- Which drones are exempt (Blue UAS, Buy American, Conditional Approvals)?
- Who gets hit the hardest?
- Is this really about security, or about trade?
- Will the FCC listen to public comments?
- What happens next, and when?
Chapters:
0:00 Is the FCC about to ban DJI's thermal, LiDAR & spray drones?
0:51 Background: why the FCC regulates drones
3:05 The new "military-grade" drone proposal
3:33 The 7 "military-grade" categories
5:02 What's banned and what's exempt
5:52 Who gets hit the hardest
7:00 What the FCC says about it
8:07 Watching the FCC interview (Adam Chan)
8:43 "Everything's fine"? The gas tank problem
12:37 3,878 comments: 97% said no
14:50 The contradictions
15:39 What happens next
16:44 Final thoughts
Links from the episode:
Blue UAS list (drones exempt from the ban): https://tyrionprod.servicenowservices.com/gsp?id=gsp_index
FCC Covered List and Conditional Approvals: https://www.fcc.gov/supplychain/coveredlist
The FCC proposal (Public Notice DA 26-758, PS Docket 26-189): https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DA-26-758A1.pdf
Federal Register notice (Aug 3, 2026): https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2026-15659
Interview clip: Adam Chan, Senior National Security Counsel at the FCC, on The Drone Ultimatum podcast.

Have a drone question you want answered on the show? Email david@dronelaunchacademy.com
#FCC #DJI #DroneBan #ThermalDrone #LiDAR #SprayDrone #BlueUAS #DronePilot #DroneNews #YDQA

Did the Part 107 test just change? Yes, twice. Starting October 26, 2026, chart questions on the FAA Part 107 test show the sectional chart right in the question, pulled from any chart in the country, so you can't just memorize the examples in the testing supplement anymore. And since September 29, 2025, the test weighting changed: regulations are now 48% of your questions.
In this episode of Your Drone Questions. Answered (YDQA), David Young breaks down both changes, shows you exactly how many questions come from each category, walks through the FAA's own sample questions in the new format, and shares what to study (and what you can mostly skip) to pass the Part 107 exam.
Questions we cover:
- What changed on the Part 107 test, and what didn't?
- Is the Part 107 test harder now?
- Why are regulations now almost half the test?
- What do the new chart questions look like?
- Does Part 108 (BVLOS) mean a new drone license test?
- How do you renew your Part 107?
- What's the best test-day tip for chart questions?
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:31 Did the Part 107 test just change?
0:36 Change #1: the test weighting
0:51 Change #2: chart images right in the question
1:41 What didn't change
2:19 Is the Part 107 test harder now?
2:52 The new weighting: 48% regulations
4:15 Why so many more regulations?
6:14 Free Part 107 practice test
6:55 The FAA's sample chart questions
9:16 Does Part 108 mean a new drone test?
10:44 Renewing your Part 107
11:51 Final thoughts
12:08 Test-day tip: use the legend
Get the free Part 107 practice test (10 questions in the new format, with real sectional chart clips, an answer key and explanations): https://part107exam.com

The FAA has proposed a new drone rule, Part 108, and people are saying you won't need a drone license to fly under it. Is that true? In this episode of Your Drone Questions Answered (YDQA), David Young breaks down the proposed Part 108 BVLOS rule and answers the questions drone pilots and drone businesses are asking most.

If you hold a Part 107 remote pilot certificate, have a BVLOS waiver, run a small drone service business, or just want to know where drone regulations are headed, this one's for you. David has spent 10 years in the drone industry and walks through what the proposed rule actually says, what's still up in the air, and what it could mean for the drone you fly today.

Questions we cover:
- Does Part 108 replace a Part 107 BVLOS waiver?
- Can a solo operator or small drone business fly under Part 108?
- Permit vs. certificate: what's the difference?
- If there's no drone license, who's responsible?
- Can you fly the drone manually?
- Can you use the drone you already own?
- Which types of drone operations qualify?

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:26 Today's questions
2:44 Does Part 108 replace my BVLOS waiver?
3:32 Solo operators and small drone businesses
4:20 Permit vs. certificate
5:39 No drone license, so who's responsible?
6:49 Can you fly the drone manually?
10:44 Can I use the drone I already own?
13:18 Which operations qualify?
17:30 Final thoughts

Note: Part 108 is a proposed rule (NPRM) and is not final. Details may change before it takes effect.

Getting your Part 107 or need a refresher? Drone Launch Academy has you covered: https://dronelaunchacademy.com

Have a drone question you want answered on the show? Email david@dronelaunchacademy.com

#Part108 #FAA #DroneRules #BVLOS #Part107 #DronePilot #DroneLicense #DroneBusiness #YDQA

Keywords: Part 108, FAA Part 108, new FAA drone rule, Part 108 BVLOS, beyond visual line of sight, drone license, no drone license required, Part 107 vs Part 108, remote pilot certificate, BVLOS waiver, drone regulations 2026, FAA drone rules, commercial drone pilot, drone service business, drone permit, drone certificate, drone delivery rules, Your Drone Questions Answered, Drone Launch Academy

After more than three years and 140+ episodes, Your Drone Questions. Answered is coming to a close—but this isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of something more focused and forward-looking.
In this final episode, we reflect on the journey of the podcast, key moments, and the incredible range of topics and guests that shaped it. We also introduce a brand new podcast that will dive deeper into one of the most important areas in the industry: how drones are used to collect and analyze data. 
We also explore where the drone industry is heading next, including:
 The shift toward data-driven drone applications 
 The future of BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) operations 
 Why technical skills matter more than ever 
 What new job opportunities could look like as the industry grows 
If you’ve been following the podcast—or you’re looking to understand where drones are really headed—this episode is a must-watch.