Weekly UAS News: Oregon Exposes FCC Ban Costs, DJI’s 96% Market Share, Export Rule Changes, Illegal Drone Deer Scouting, and a 925-Foot Tower Rescue

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update. We have five stories for you this week. First up, Oregon exposes the real cost of the FCC ban. Second, a very interesting FAA study that reveals drone market shares. Third, the Commerce Department updates their drone export rules — this one is really interesting. Fourth, Indiana is prosecuting an illegal drone deer scouting case. And finally, a drone assists in a 925-foot tower rescue. A lot to talk about, so let’s get to it.

Oregon White Paper Reveals the Real Cost of the FCC Ban

The Oregon Department of Aviation has released a white paper that exposes the real-world cost of the federal FCC ban — something we’ve talked about at length and that you’re certainly familiar with by now.

They surveyed 25 different state transportation departments, and the numbers are, well, 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 capabilities. And Oregon itself has exactly one compliant drone still operational out of 22.

The financial impact is obviously enormous. Idaho reported that a drone they bought for $15,000 now costs $42,000 to replace with a compliant alternative. The white paper recommends that a waiver be issued until September of 2027 to give the drone industry some time to catch up.

FAA-Funded Study Puts a Hard Number on DJI’s Market Dominance

A new FAA-funded research report puts a hard number on DJI’s dominance in the US market. The Assure A83 2025 Annual Report — I’m not sure why they gave it that name — analyzed remote ID telemetry data from 64 different monitoring locations. The results are, well, not really all that surprising.

A DJI platform makes 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 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%.

Interestingly, more than 93.7% of the top 22 detected platforms weigh 3 lbs or less. Heavy lift models like the Matrice 400, Agras T50, and FlightCart 30 remain a tiny fraction of overall flights. The data also showed that nearly half of all flights were stationary, and 92.6% stayed within half a nautical mile of the pilot. This is even more data that clearly shows how significantly the FCC actions are going to affect the industry.

Commerce Department Streamlines Drone Export Controls

The US Commerce Department is streamlining drone export controls — and note, this is about exporting, not importing. The Bureau of Industry and Security, or BIS, published an interim final rule that makes two big changes.

First, it removes the license requirement for commercial drones with a maximum endurance of under one hour when exported to allied nations. Second, it opens a faster pathway for certain longer-range systems like heavy-lift 25-liter agriculture sprayers or cargo delivery drones.

Previously, these drones were caught up in what’s called the Missile Technology Control Regime, which was designed to restrict systems capable of carrying a 500 kg payload at least 300 km. Obviously, a 25-liter sprayer drone is not a ballistic missile. This regulatory change is a strategic push to help US drone exporters who were losing ground to allied competitors because American paperwork was simply taking too long. In conflicts like Ukraine, the advantage doesn’t come from exotic airframe specs — it comes from manufacturing volume.

Indiana’s First-Ever Prosecution for Illegal Drone Deer Scouting

Here’s a reminder that your drone keeps records. 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 within 14 days prior, is strictly illegal.

In this case, conservation officers seized a drone and pulled the forensic data. The GPS logs, timestamps, flight data, and other records reportedly showed hundreds of images systematically tracking a specific trophy buck to a baited area. The suspects are now facing charges for alleged drone scouting, hunting over bait, and trespassing.

For anyone using a drone as a hunting aid, make sure you understand your state laws. And as always — don’t be that guy.

Drone Assists in Dramatic 925-Foot Communication Tower Rescue

And finally, a drones-for-good story out of Texas. Two people were trapped in a hot air balloon basket that collided with and became snagged on a communication tower 925 feet in the air. Longview Fire and first responders had to execute a very complex high-angle rescue — and they used a drone to assist them.

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. Before anyone climbed up that 925-foot tower, a drone was deployed to measure wind speed at that exact altitude. The drone clocked winds at about 22 mph, and based on that data, the crew made the decision to delay the removal operation until conditions improved.

Nobody had to guess. Nobody had to risk their life just to check the wind. They used the drone — and that is exactly what drones should be used for in emergency situations. It’s a tool to get accurate information before putting a human life in danger. Kudos to the Longview Fire crew for that outside-the-box thinking.

We’ll be talking about all of these stories in more detail in the Post-Flight community, where we have uncensored discussions about everything UAS. I hope to see you there — the link is in the description. Have a great weekend, and we’ll see you then.

This article is based on a video by Pilot Institute on YouTube. Greg Reverdiau is a regular contributor to DroneXL.