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Sep 3

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A commercial drone pilot in a lime high-visibility vest holds a controller with both hands while a DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual hovers directly above him against a deep blue sky.

Drone Service Providers · DOCKET 26-189

FCC Drone Ban Comments Counted: 3,770 Against, 16 For

Pilot Institute read and coded all 3,824 filings in FCC docket 26-189. 98.6% oppose the military-grade drone ban as written. Sixteen support it.

Haye KestelooSep 310 min read

DOCKET 26-189

FCC Drone Deadline Is Tomorrow. Fewer Than 3,000 Comments Are In.

Fewer than 3,000 comments have been filed in PS Docket 26-189 against nearly half a million certificated remote pilots. The window closes September 2.

Haye KestelooSep 1

UAV EXPO

Pilot Institute Warns Of A Drone Hiring Cliff In Two To Three Years

Greg Reverdiau told Commercial UAV Expo the affordable drone that created this industry is disappearing, and aviation already ran this experiment once.

Haye KestelooSep 1

Matt Collins presents a bar chart titled The Gap Is Skills, Not Headcount on stage at the Commercial UAV Expo in Las Vegas.

UAV EXPO SURVEY

FCC Covered List Has 45.8% Of Operators Frozen, Expo Survey Finds

A survey of 885 drone professionals at Commercial UAV Expo found 45.8% in wait-and-see mode on fleet procurement, and only 13.8% actually moving.

Haye KestelooSep 1

COVERED LIST

FCC Covered List Doesn't Ground Your Drone. Repair Waits Do.

A Commercial UAV Expo panel spent the morning correcting the word ban. What bites operators is parts, repair queues and six to nine week lead times.

Haye KestelooSep 1

A DJI Mini 5 Pro hovering above a field of goldenrod

State Law

Washington Commercial Drone Fees Jump 10x to $150 After Jet Tax Repeal

Washington will charge commercial drone operators $150 per aircraft a year from January 2027, up from $15, in the bill that repealed its luxury jet tax.

Haye KestelooAug 25

Close-up of a DJI Mini 5 Pro in flight, its gimbal camera and forward sensors facing the viewer against blurred green trees.

OPERATORS

DJI Ban Hits Home: Drone Pilots Ask Whether Their Businesses Survive

A new Part 107 pilot asked Facebook if the DJI ban killed his drone business before launch. 268 comments show what operators face ahead of September 3.

Haye KestelooAug 20

AUVSI President and CEO Michael Robbins on stage at XPONENTIAL Detroit in May 2026, weeks after defending the FCC's expanded Covered List.

ADVOCACY

DSPA Presses AUVSI To Back Operators Over Bans After Robbins Exit

DSPA calls on AUVSI to reset after Michael Robbins' exit: back drone operators, demand evidence, and judge drones on risk, not country of origin.

Haye KestelooAug 20

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