News, deep dives, and analysis — every Drone Companies story, newest first.
This week’s Pilot Institute update covers a Colorado drone pilot facing federal charges after grounding wildfire aircraft, a new FCC request for comment that could restrict some military-grade foreign-made drone imports, and the National Press Photographers Association’s warning that the FAA’s Section 2209 rule could create permanent restrictions with no clear way to challenge them.
DJI confirms the Osmo Pocket 4P worldwide launch for July 30, 2026 at 12:00 GMT. The dual-lens gimbal camera has no US path under the FCC Covered List.
Skydio's X10, Dock for X10, and R10 join the X10D on the Blue UAS Cleared List, unlocking federal grant eligibility and cementing its DFR lead while rivals stay locked out.
The FCC extended Covered List exemptions for trusted drones through January 1, 2028, but in the same move proposed cutting off imports and sales of foreign-made thermal, LiDAR, docking, spraying, swarming, defense-integrated, and 55-pound-plus drones. That combination gives approved U.S.-aligned manufacturers more runway while putting public safety, agriculture, and survey fleets on notice.
League City Police Department plans to launch a Drone as First Responder program by December after city council approved a Motorola Solutions pilot agreement built around BRINC aircraft, with the first year free and a six-year contract value of up to $1,759,980 if the city keeps the program.
Mikhail Svilanov shares the exact Insta360 Luna Ultra settings he uses for more cinematic footage, including why he sticks to 4K, locks ISO at 800 in I-Log, uses ND filters, and switches to Pure Video at night.
Ruston Police Department says its BRINC drone Patsy helped officers identify and arrest a fraud suspect in the agency’s first drone-assisted arrest, underscoring how Drone as First Responder programs are spreading into smaller U.S. departments.
After two months of flying and editing with DJI's Avata 360, Josh Spires says the 455g hybrid FPV drone gets the core pitch right: capture the full sphere, frame the shot later, and still keep a conventional single-lens mode when you want it.
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