"Rahman "Ray" Richardson is a 20-year Air Force veteran and founder of HiFly Aerial Drone Services. He publishes The Drone Pilot Brief to give Part 107 pilots clear, credible coverage of the regulations and trends shaping how they fly."
Salt Lake City’s Fourth of July celebration looked different this year. Instead of traditional fireworks, the city leaned into a 500-drone show at Jordan Park for America’s 250th birthday. The shift was not just about spectacle. It came during a statewide personal fireworks ban tied to wildfire
Here’s the DPB-format rewrite: What federal drone priorities signal for Part 107 pilots, small UAS businesses, and future contractors The 30-Second Version The military is telling the drone industry exactly what it wants next. Recent SBIR/STTR topic releases point toward four clear demand signals: collaborative autonomy,
THE 30-SECOND VERSION As of December 23, 2025, DJI and Autel are on the FCC Covered List — along with every foreign-produced drone and critical component. New models can't get FCC authorization, which blocks import and sale. Nothing you currently own is grounded, disabled, or restricted. Firmware
Category: Drone Industry / Defense Tech / Commercial Operations Drone money is moving fast. German drone and defense technology company Quantum Systems just raised $1.2 billion, lifting its valuation to about $8 billion. The round included major backers such as Airbus, and the company says the funding will support production expansion
Category: FAA / Airspace / Part 107 Drone pilots are used to checking airports, stadiums, national parks, and temporary flight restrictions before launching. But the next wave of restricted airspace may come from a different direction: critical infrastructure. The FAA has proposed a new process that would allow certain fixed-site critical
Category: FAA / Airspace / Pilot Safety A reported drone strike near JFK Airport is putting drone enforcement back in the spotlight, and this one is bigger than a single bad flight. According to Reuters, a JetBlue Airbus A321 arriving from Las Vegas reported hitting a drone at approximately 3,000 feet
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