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Nov 4

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Rain-soaked gray DJI Matrice 5TD drone with folded propellers sitting on the landing pad of DJI Dock 4, lit red by the dock's lights at dusk

National Parks · Search & Rescue

DJI Docks Put Tatra Rescuers Over Poland's Highest Peak in 6 Minutes

Poland's TOPR tested three DJI Dock 3s and a Dock 4 in the Tatras. A docked drone reaches Rysy in six minutes. US rescue teams can't buy Dock 4.

Haye KestelooNov 44 min read

Snow-streaked peaks of the Teton Range rise behind a valley floor, seen past dark green conifers on a grassy slope of Blacktail Butte

National Parks

Grand Teton Butte in Deleted DJ Drone Video Sits in Airport Airspace

Blacktail Butte, named as the site of a deleted Grand Teton DJ drone video, sits in airport airspace. Flying there needs FAA and park approval.

Haye KestelooOct 25

A hiker with a green backpack stands on a rocky outcrop facing a massive Dolomites rock wall above green alpine meadows

Europe

Dolomites Parks Ban Hobby Drones, DJI Mini 5 Pro Included

Dolomites drone rules for the DJI Mini 5 Pro and Mavic 4 Pro: which parks ban flights, what Italy requires by weight class, and where you can still fly.

Haye KestelooSep 21

A DJI enterprise drone hovers beside the ornate green-tiled eaves of a multi-story wooden Chinese heritage tower, with the gray-roofed old town spread out below.

DJI

DJI Opens Heritage 3D Contest. US National Parks Are Off-Limits.

DJI Enterprise's World Heritage 3D contest runs to October 10. It suggests national parks as subjects. In the US, those are the illegal ones.

Haye KestelooAug 25

DJI

AVSS completes first live avalanche drone testing in Jasper National Park

Canadian drone safety company AVSS has completed its first round of live, on-mountain avalanche control testing using its Precision Avalanche Management System (PAMS) in Jasper National Park, Alberta. The test used AVSS’s SnowDart hardware and flight planning software on an existing avalanche control route inside the national park, with support from Parks Canada, Transport Canada,…

Haye KestelooFeb 5

Underwater drone

Broads Authority deploys underwater drone to monitor UK waterways, slashing inspection costs

The Broads Authority is trialing an underwater drone to inspect lock gates and sunken vessels across its 125-mile waterway network in eastern England. The move signals a growing recognition that remotely operated vehicles can handle jobs that once required expensive dive teams. The authority purchased a Chasing M2 Pro Max ROV for £10,881, funded entirely…

Haye KestelooJan 26

Police

Yosemite Visitors Fly Drones Freely as Ranger Shortage Guts NPS Enforcement

The NYTimes confirms what we reported in 2025: Yosemite's 25% ranger staffing cuts have created an enforcement vacuum for illegal drones

Haye KestelooJan 21

Search & Rescue

Illegal Drone Flight Near Lake Louise Highlights Aviation Risk

A man fined $2,000 for illegally flying a drone near Lake Louise has reignited concerns about the growing danger drones pose to helicopters and rescue crews operating in Canada’s national parks, as CBC reported. The incident occurred last year in Banff National Park, one of the busiest helicopter operating environments in the country. The drone…

Rafael SuárezJan 20

National Parks

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