Haye Kesteloo

Haye Kesteloo is the Editor in Chief and Founder of DroneXL.co, where he covers all drone-related news, DJI rumors and writes drone reviews, and of EVXL.co, for all electric vehicle news. Haye can be reached at haye @ dronexl.co or @hayekesteloo. Also on LinkedIn, Muck Rack, Instagram and YouTube.

6,585

Articles

275

Beats covered

2020

Writing since

Oct 24

Latest story

DJI Mini 2

DJI Mini 2 Gets Its First Update Since 2023, Under an FCC Waiver

DJI shipped Mini 2 firmware v01.07.0300 on October 20, its first since March 2023. An FCC waiver lets US owners get it, and lasts until at least 2029.

Haye KestelooOct 21

West front of the United States Capitol in Washington under a blue sky, white dome and columns above a green lawn lined with red tulips

Amazon

Amazon Has Lobbied Washington on Drones for 52 Straight Quarters

Amazon has listed drones on 52 straight federal lobbying reports. Its Part 108 comment asks for a path past the 110-pound cap and never says parachute.

Haye KestelooOct 21

Senator Rick Scott smiling in his official Senate portrait, with the U.S. flag on the left and the Florida state flag on the right

FCC Ban

Rick Scott Backs DJI Ban. Florida Idled an Estimated $200M Fleet

Sen. Rick Scott wants DJI and Autel kept on the FCC Covered List. Florida's own ban idled an estimated $200 million in agency drones.

Haye KestelooOct 21

A white DJI Agras T100 agricultural drone hovers over a green cornfield releasing two white plumes of spray, with mountains and a pastel sky behind it

Drones for Agriculture

Spray Drone Sales Fell 59%, and Dealers Want an FCC Carve-Out

ASDC says US spray drone sales fell 59% in 2025 after CBP held DJI shipments, and asks the FCC to keep Part 137 sprayers out of its proposed ban.

Haye KestelooOct 21

Aerial view of Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, with empty grandstands wrapped around a green field

Legal

Birmingham's $500 Drone Fine Spares Pilots Who Follow FAA Rules

Birmingham police can now write $500 drone tickets near ticketed events, starting with the Magic City Classic. HB 429 exempts FAA-legal flights.

Haye KestelooOct 21

Red 3D printed drone body with anti-torque vanes topped by a single motor and a two-blade hinged propeller hub

Technology

Joshua Bird's One-Motor Drone Flies, but Only in His Bedroom

Joshua Bird's 3D printed drone hovers and steers on one motor and a 45-degree hinged propeller. An infrared beacon keeps it in his bedroom.

Haye KestelooOct 20

Elon Musk in a black cap and jacket giving two thumbs up beside President Donald Trump seated at the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, flags behind them

Ukraine

WSJ Says Musk Ordered Ukraine's Starlink Cap. Musk Said POTUS Decides

WSJ sources say Musk ordered the Starshield cap that slowed Ukraine's drones. Musk says the military and POTUS decide. Senators seek a briefing by Nov. 1.

Haye KestelooOct 20

Black quadcopter drone with tall landing legs and a camera gimbal flying against a cloudy sky

Belgium

DJI Dock 4 Demoed for Belgian First Responders. US Teams Can't Buy It

Belgium's state drone pilot course turned 10 at PLOT in Genk, where DJI Dock 4 got a live demo two days after launch. US rescuers can't buy it.

Haye KestelooOct 20

Haye Kesteloo

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