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A blockchain startup is offering property owners the chance to monetize low-altitude airspace for drone operations. Legal experts say the underlying property rights don’t exist under current law. SkyTrade, a Delaware-based startup, is building what it calls the world’s first marketplace for air rights, promising property owners they can earn passive income by renting airspace…
The era of personal flying vehicles isn’t coming—it’s already here. The Pivotal BlackFly, a single-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, has quietly become the first ultralight “flying car” to reach actual consumers in the United States, racking up over 1,000 crewed flights and proving that personal aviation is no longer science fiction. The…
The Texas Department of Public Safety has become the first law enforcement agency in the United States to deploy helicopter-mounted drone detection technology, marking a significant shift in how agencies protect their aircraft from unauthorized drones during high-risk operations. The system went fully operational in August 2025. The move comes just months after a rescue…
A DJI Mavic 4 Pro, DJI’s newest flagship drone, suffered catastrophic propeller failure just eight seconds into a hover test, crashing from approximately 10 feet and breaking an arm. The drone incident serves as a stark reminder that even high-end drones can fail without warning, and that pre-flight inspections alone aren’t enough to guarantee safe…
Dutch drone manufacturer Acecore Technologies has launched the next generation of its flagship Noa heavy-lift hexacopter, bringing significant upgrades to deployment speed and flight efficiency while maintaining the 20kg (44-lb) payload capacity that made the original a workhorse for professional operators. The redesigned Noa addresses a critical pain point for field operators: setup time. The…
A popular tech YouTuber has reverse-engineered a $40,000 military-grade reconnaissance drone for just $120.07 using open-source hardware and off-the-shelf components. The DIY system successfully streams live FPV video directly into ATAK—the same tactical mapping software used by the U.S. military—proving that cutting-edge surveillance capabilities don’t require defense contractor budgets. Data Sla
Think Media has published an in-depth hands-on review of DJI’s new Mic 3 wireless microphone system, praising its compact design and professional features while uncovering a surprising design flaw with the magnetic mount—and offering a simple free fix. In this video review, the creator walks through the Mic 3’s impressive feature set, from its half-size…
Good day, folks. Shawn here from Air Photography. I’ve been working on a series of videos for those brand new to the Mini 5 Pro to help familiarize them with some of the drone’s features and capabilities. The other day, I uploaded a beginner’s guide on how to create waypoint missions. In today’s video, we’re…
Welcome to your weekly UAS news update, and we have three stories for you this week. The FCC is set to vote on new rules that could impact covered list entities. DJI is appealing a Chinese military company court ruling. And finally, we have a drones for good story in New York State. So, let’s…
Iran summoned Poland’s ambassador in Tehran on Thursday to formally protest Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski’s participation in a UK Parliament display of a captured Shahed-136 drone allegedly used by Russia in Ukraine, according to Press TV. The diplomatic summons escalates tensions over Western accusations that Iran supplies attack drones to Moscow’s military campaign. The…
A DJI Matrice 4T thermal drone helped the Westwood Police Dept. quickly locate a missing and endangered person in a densely wooded area
Skyways has successfully completed the world’s first repeated autonomous cargo drone deliveries directly to offshore wind turbines, proving that long-range unmanned aircraft can handle the harsh conditions and precision requirements of real-world renewable energy operations. In partnership with German energy operator RWE and BVLOS specialist Skyports Drone Services, the Austin-based autonomous air
Terra Drone Indonesia has secured a strategic advantage in the world’s largest palm oil market by obtaining local content certification for its G20 agricultural spray drone. The certification from Indonesia’s Ministry of Industry opens doors to lucrative government contracts in a country that produces 60% of the world’s palm oil. The Japan-based drone service provider…
German mobility systems provider DEUTZ is becoming the lead investor in defense technology company ARX Robotics' strategic funding round
DJI has removed its Mavic 4 Pro promotional video featuring footage from U.S. National Parks and Navajo tribal lands, just days after DroneXL and others in the drone community questioned how the company legally obtained permission to fly in these heavily restricted areas. The silent removal comes without explanation from the world’s largest drone manufacturer,…
A 56-year-old former television producer has built Ukraine’s most lethal drone unit, destroying an estimated 12 billion dollars’ worth of Russian military equipment—including a significant share of Russian tanks lost since the 2022 invasion. Colonel Pavlo Yelizarov, who once produced Ukraine’s most popular political talk show, now commands Lasar’s Group—a previously secretive National Guard unit…
The European Union’s ambitious plan to build a continent-wide anti-drone defense system is hitting major political turbulence, with Germany and France blocking progress despite urgent security threats from repeated Russian drone incursions across NATO airspace. The project, originally pitched as a “drone wall” to protect the EU’s eastern border, has been rebranded as the “European…
The future of autonomous aviation just got a major boost. Reliable Robotics has secured a $17.4 million contract with the US Air Force to integrate its fully autonomous flight system onto a Cessna 208B Caravan, marking a significant milestone in the push toward certifiable pilotless aircraft operations. The California-based company successfully completed FAA-approved test flights…
Since I ditched my Air 2S and went all-in on the DJI Mini 5 Pro series, a lot of customers have started asking me, "What happened to your drone?"
The DJI Power 2000 portable power station has dropped to its lowest price ever at Amazon, now available for $939. That’s a 28% discount off the $1,299 list price, putting $360 back in your pocket for a power solution that could make or break your next drone mission. For drone pilots who’ve ever watched their…
Taiwan’s newly unveiled “T-Dome” air defense system places counter-drone capabilities at the heart of the island’s military modernization, responding to escalating Chinese drone incursions with an integrated approach that combines traditional missile defense with cutting-edge anti-UAV technology. Defense Minister Wellington Koo announced Monday that the system will establish a more efficient “sens
China dramatically increased exports of fiber-optic cables and lithium-ion batteries to Russia over the summer, sending 328,000 miles of cable in August while Ukraine received just 72 miles—a 456-to-1 disparity that’s helping Moscow overwhelm Ukrainian defenses with jamming-resistant drones, reports The Washington Post. The explosive growth in Chinese component exports to Russia—fiber-optic cable
The British Parliament hosted the first public display in Europe of a captured Iranian-made Shahed-136 attack drone on Monday, showcasing the weapon system that has become Russia’s primary tool for striking Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure. The event at Speaker’s Court in the House of Commons drew Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski and senior UK…
The Trump administration is rolling out a $500 million counter-drone security initiative ahead of next summer’s FIFA World Cup, providing state and local governments with funding to detect and disable unauthorized drones over stadiums and major events. The program, funded through the Department of Homeland Security, represents the largest domestic counter-drone deployment in U.S. history,…
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