Drone Ban

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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 Ban · 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

Captain Kyle Nordfors in a grey Weber County Sheriff's Office uniform stands between two other award recipients, each holding a glass trophy, in front of a blue and white backdrop.

DOCKET 26-189

Utah SAR Captain To FCC: Your Drone Ban Will Cost American Lives

Weber County rescue pilot Kyle Nordfors told the FCC no US-made drone matches what his team flies, and offered to prove it. His full comments, and how to file yours before midnight.

Haye KestelooSep 2

A DJI Mini 5 Pro hovering head-on at eye level, its forward LiDAR sensor visible above the camera gimbal, against an out-of-focus green lawn and trees.

DOCKET 26-189

FCC Drone Ban Comments Close Tonight. Here's What I Filed

DroneXL filed comments in FCC docket 26-189 today. Read the filing in full, and use the step-by-step guide to submit your own before the window closes.

Haye KestelooSep 2

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

Hundreds of illuminated drones form glowing purple clusters in the night sky above the treeline of Central Park in New York, with rows of lit launch pads and spectators in the foreground.

FCC BAN

FCC Labels Drone Light Shows Military-Grade While US Operators Fly Korean And Chinese Fleets

The FCC's swarm rule names drone light shows as military-grade. The US industry flies Korean and Chinese hardware. Comments close September 2.

Haye KestelooAug 22

DJI Air 3 drone behind a red prohibition symbol under a pink BANNED? banner

FAA

The FCC's 'Military-Grade' Drone Definition Is Broad Enough to Catch Your DJI Neo 2

The FCC wants to redefine 'military-grade' drones so broadly it could stop sales of thermal, LiDAR, and dock-equipped models already on the market — including the LiDAR sensor in a 151-gram DJI Neo 2. Pilot Institute's Greg Reverdiau breaks down all seven categories and how to file a comment before September 2.

Greg ReverdiauAug 22

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

AUVSI President and CEO Michael Robbins speaking on stage at XPONENTIAL Detroit in May 2026.

LOBBYING

AUVSI's Robbins Exits For SIA As The Drone Ban He Backed Rolls On

Michael Robbins leaves AUVSI September 30 to run the Semiconductor Industry Association, the industry he spent three years telling drone makers to copy.

Haye KestelooAug 18

Drone Ban

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