Drone policy, incidents, and industry news across the United States — from statehouses to the national airspace.
Cleveland Clinic and Zipline completed their first prescription drone deliveries in Beachwood, Ohio, as Zipline says U.S. flights now top 70% of its daily volume.
Newberg-Dundee police and Yamhill County deputies have flown drones since 2022 — a 10-aircraft combined DJI fleet that clears buildings ahead of officers and ends foot pursuits with thermal at 400 feet. No ribbon cuttings, no controversy, just standard equipment.
The Washington National Guard's 10th Civil Support Team trained for two weeks on Anduril's WISP sensor suite, a fused stack built to tell a drone from a bird before a counter-drone response begins — with World Cup security driving the timeline.
Santa Ana PD's Eagle 1 drone found a stolen work truck minutes after patrol lost it, watched two suspects load stolen tools, and guided officers straight to them — the first felony arrests of the $682,900 DFR program a divided council approved 4-3 in February.
O'Fallon, Missouri police used a Flock DFR drone to track a fleeing suspect into a storm sewer and guide officers to the exit — search, track, and arrest in under 15 minutes. The two-month-old program has already assisted in 12 felony arrests.
Meteomatics and NOAA flew Meteodrones over Purcell, Oklahoma on July 30, profiling the lowest layers of the atmosphere on demand — the exact altitude band where tornadoes form and where balloons and satellites leave forecasters half blind. Switzerland has 10 sites and Norway is building 30. Oklahoma has one.
Civilian drones entered restricted airspace over the Spokane County wildfires at least 26 times in three days, repeatedly grounding helicopters and air tankers while three uncontained fires burned homes below. Two operators have been cited, and the cases have been referred to the FAA.
Tampa General Hospital and Hillsborough County Fire Rescue are set to launch the nation's first EMS-driven drone program flying whole blood to trauma scenes in under three minutes, covering 70 square miles of Hillsborough County starting this October.
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