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.
A DJI Mavic 4 Pro Gets Shot Out of the Sky in Alabama
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.
Now, remember, shooting at a drone is a federal felony. It falls under the same laws that protect 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.
GoPro Sells 90% of Itself to Starman Optical
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 and wiping out $92 million in debt. GoPro keeps about 10% of the combined company and stays on the Nasdaq.
The 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 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 Unveils the Nexus Observer Portable Remote ID Detector
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.
It uses two antennas and two separate processors to scan both the 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz 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 Jason, Ben, and I are out, and no Monday Live for Labor Day weekend. Have a great weekend and we will see you for the News Update next week.
This article is based on a video from our YouTube partner Greg Reverdiau. Watch the full video on the Pilot Institute YouTube channel, and find more of Greg’s work on his DroneXL author page.
