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17 November 2025
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On the November 16 episode of Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan, U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll spoke about the threat of combat drones. He appeared to take a Defcon 2 (high readiness) stance.
"This is the threat of humanity's lifetime," he stated. "What's occurring in Ukraine, what's happening in Russia&mdash;if you look at the speed and scale of the devastation that can come from drones, we as a federal government have got to lead on it. This problem is different from nearly anything faced in a long time&mdash; a flying IED [Improvised Explosive Device]. Drones are cheap, you can 3D-print them at home, and they cross borders incredibly quickly."
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Interestingly, the U.S. Army, rather than the Air Force, is leading the charge to counter drone threats for the Pentagon.
"What we are going to do is we are going to invest in things like sensors and brushless motors and circuit boards and a lot of the components that are really hard for the private sector to get right now," said Driscoll, alluding to China's current dominance in drone manufacturing and technology. "The United States Army is going to build those on our bases and empower the private sector to purchase from us. We will make drones. Our private partners will make drones. And we will catch up and surpass the Chinese incredibly quickly."
Thanks to CBS' transcript of Sunday's Face the Nation interview, we have been been able to compile selected quotes from Driscoll regarding drones ...&nbsp;
"The problem with the drone fight is you need all sorts of layered defense. One solution does not work. If you just try to jam them&mdash;if you look at what's happening in Ukraine&mdash;people have started to hard wire drones, and so you can't do RF jamming on a hard wire drone. And so there are things like net guns that are coming back. We're using all sorts of solutions and tools, and it makes it even more complicated. When you're by an airport and you're doing it in your own homeland, you just have different authorities. And so a lot of this is a human problem of communication, command and control, and having a layered set of solutions that you can use for any given problem."
"I'm pretty optimistic that we will be able to figure out a solution where we will know what is in the sky at every moment across our country, all at once. We're not there yet, but under the President's Golden Dome&mdash;I would think about this like a golden mini dome&mdash;if you took one of the sites for the World Cup, we are heavily focused on being able to see everything in the area, have all of the interceptors we will need, have all of the training for all of the different forces that will have to be able to act."
"I don't think I've talked to a single person who has said we shouldn't be learning from what's occurring in Ukraine. All of our equipment, all of the exquisite features we will need, are definitionally going to come. The data set the Ukrainians are getting for their generative AI models of when they have drones&mdash;they're flying, they're learning, and they're doing counter drone&mdash;and they're taking all of this information from their sensors and trying to figure out what's going on. There's not a single person I know that doesn't think that is an incredible treasure trove of information for future warfare."
"We're working on something with Congress called SkyFoundry. And basically the idea is to do it right from the beginning. What the army has historically gotten wrong in the last couple of decades is, we're either all in or all out&mdash;meaning we either use our organic industrial base and we make the drones ourselves, or we say, 'This is too complicated for us, we're going to have private industry do it.' We are not doing that with drones. Because Ukraine is manufacturing four million a year, China, I think, is at 12 to 14 million drones a year. We, as a nation, will have to have our private sector able to help us."
<h5>Watch the Interview</h5>
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"The Threat of Humanity's Lifetime!"

14 November 2025
<a class="GI370e" data-wiz-uids="V91m5b_a" data-ved="2ahUKEwiw9orUs_KQAxXhFDQIHTxLNS0QgK4QegQIARAB" data-hveid="CAEQAQ">File this under "How Did We Miss This," but</a><a class="GI370e" style="color: #34495e;" data-wiz-uids="V91m5b_a" data-ved="2ahUKEwiw9orUs_KQAxXhFDQIHTxLNS0QgK4QegQIARAB" data-hveid="CAEQAQ"> </a><a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://sifly.co/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SiFly</a> of Santa Clara, California, set a new&nbsp;<a class="GI370e" style="color: #ba372a;" data-wiz-uids="V91m5b_b" data-ved="2ahUKEwiw9orUs_KQAxXhFDQIHTxLNS0QgK4QegQIARAC" data-hveid="CAEQAg">Guinness World Record</a><a class="GI370e" data-wiz-uids="V91m5b_a" data-ved="2ahUKEwiw9orUs_KQAxXhFDQIHTxLNS0QgK4QegQIARAB" data-hveid="CAEQAQ"> for the "longest flight of an electrically powered prototype multirotor drone in the 5kg&ndash;20kg category" on July 26, 2025.</a>
On that date, the company's <a class="GI370e" data-wiz-uids="V91m5b_a" data-ved="2ahUKEwiw9orUs_KQAxXhFDQIHTxLNS0QgK4QegQIARAB" data-hveid="CAEQAQ">Q12 drone stayed aloft for 3 hours, 11 minutes, and 54 seconds at Amaral Ranches in California's Salinas Valley&mdash;a period that was officially recognized by Guinness World Records.&nbsp;</a>
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/mXEbEL28ZWdtGTgTYcS7Tly6GJIwaRckFl8RLbzH.png" alt="" width="684" height="384" />
"Up until now, most drones have been used in visual line-of-sight applications, short distances, flying for 20 or 30 minutes," said SiFly Aviation founder and CEO Brian Hinman. "But now, with the introduction of Part 108 regulations, we have a framework for flying beyond visual line of sight.&rdquo;
<h5>See the Guinness World Record Breaker!</h5>
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SiFly Q12 drone sets Guinness World Record

13 November 2025
<a href="https://www.inskyphoto.com/about.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">By&nbsp;David Cooke</a>
Listen up. We have a problem. Despite all our advanced technology, AI, and shiny new pilot&rsquo;s license, the commercial drone sector has a critical blind spot. We are all neglecting airmanship. I mean REAL Airmanship. Not the stuff of celebrity dare devils, rather aviators like Apollo Astronaut, Frank Borman.&nbsp; He&rsquo;s often cited as having said &ldquo;A superior pilot always relies on his superior judgement to avoid situations that might require the use of his superior skills.&rdquo; &nbsp;
In traditional aviation, airmanship is the unseen backbone of every safe operation. In UAS, across the board, we are failing to educate, prepare, and assess our pilots in this fundamental dimension.
I am here to tell you that regulatory compliance and technical skill are not enough. Without structured cognitive restraint&mdash;what we in aviation call &ldquo;airmanship&rdquo;&mdash;this industry will remain vulnerable to safety events and human factors breakdowns.
As a former combat flying instructor and UAS test pilot, I am not here to just rant on he diagnosis but offer a solution from the cockpit, not the classroom. This isn&rsquo;t about more regulation. It&rsquo;s about building a better drone pilot corps.
<h5>An Erosion of Pilot Judgment</h5>
In unmanned aviation, the checklist has become a symbol of professionalism. But it is misunderstood. It's treated as a safety valve, not a living tool for judgment. This overreliance on a pieces of paper like a license or a checklist is a symptom of a deeper disease: the erosion of pilot judgement and decision-making.
From my perspective, the illusion of procedural compliance masks a lethal lack of disciplined airmanship. Operator stress distorts decision-making as well as crew cohesion, and without resilience training, small mistakes become accidents.
The current licensing system fails to assess judgment training and the psychology of command. Basic flight schools produce certified pilots who know the rules but make bad decisions. Operational training is left to corporations focused on sensors and software, not self-awareness, resilience, or discipline. This is a serious cultural drift from traditional aviation norms. We need a new training model that puts human factors, decision-making, judgment and accountability back into the heart of the mission.
<h5>The Problem: Procedural Compliance Without Cognitive Engagement</h5>
A checklist, properly used, is a cognitive aid often used as a crutch. In practice, drone pilots treat it as a bureaucratic hurdle. They read it without reflection. This rote behavior creates a dangerous illusion: that safety lies in the document, not the mindset of the operator.
Their training reinforces this. Pilots are taught to &ldquo;use a checklist,&rdquo; but never challenged to ask&nbsp;why.&nbsp;The result is a generation of operators who can recite procedures but can&rsquo;t adapt under pressure.
The low entry bar of drone tech and automation has created a paradox. The platforms are easy to fly, but the required psychological discipline has not kept pace. Even many regular pilots equate technical proficiency with airmanship, but UAS pilots mistake the ability to launch and land for mastery. This is reinforced by the absence of personal risk and the seductive reliability of automation.
Hence, Apollo Commander Frank Borman&rsquo;s famous quote. Yeah, go back and read it again. It&rsquo;s okay, I&rsquo;ll wait. . . .&nbsp;
Understand the depth of that sentiment better now?
Airmanship is not defined by the absence of accidents. It is defined by the presence of discipline. It is the quiet commitment to preparation and self-awareness that prevents incidents. This is what&rsquo;s missing.
The consequences are persistent. Many pilots don&rsquo;t prepare or conduct proper mission briefs, they under estimate weather, and many blindly trust return-to-home functions. They operate fatigued or distracted. When things go wrong, they blame the system, not their own decision-making breakdown.
This isn't due to malice. It is the natural outcome of a training culture that prizes compliance over self-awareness. Pilots follow orders, and don&rsquo;t prioritize their own judgment.
<h5>The Distortion of Judgment Under Stress</h5>
Stress is not a hypothetical condition. It is a constant companion. It alters how pilots perceive and act. Under stress, the brain narrows its focus and often distracts it too. This is when checklists and Initial Actions or IA&rsquo;s are most needed. (should have been practiced recently) &mdash;and too often fumbled.
In drone ops, where the pilot is removed from the aircraft and often alone, these effects are magnified. A lack of prepared emergency responses precipitates instinctive, often wrong, reactions.
Stress erodes the core of airmanship: humility and accountability. A stressed pilot skips steps. A resilient pilot acknowledges their limits. This is where Adversity Quotient (AQ) training is critical. It measures your ability to adapt to the unexpected across four areas: Control, Ownership, Reach, and Endurance (C.O.R.E.). Knowing how you personally respond to stress teaches you how to be prepared and resilient under pressure, to make better decisions&nbsp;before&nbsp;it becomes an emergency.
<h5>When Checklists Fail to Protect</h5>
Multiple factors erode airmanship. The Dunning-Kruger effect is the classic response when &nbsp;inexperienced operators overestimating their skill. Outcome bias has them judging decisions by results, not process. Automation bias further fosters complacency.
Worst of all, the cultural drift means many drone pilots have never been exposed to the discipline that defines professional aviation. Unlike the manned world, with its culture of briefing and self-assessment, drone ops are all too often spontaneous, solitary and unstructured. Also, the absence of a cockpit and risk of imminent death, removes the psychological scaffolding for disciplined decision-making.
Consider these cases:
<ul>
<li>Case 1: The Unmodified SOP.&nbsp;A pilot used a generic checklist that didn&rsquo;t account for ensuring the SD Card was installed and formatted. Now doing it in the air wasting electrons and not pay attention to the drone&rsquo;s behaviour lead to loss of the machine due to a bird strike. Despite the fact he wasn&rsquo;t looking, he continued to claim &nbsp;"well it wasn&rsquo;t on the checklist.&rdquo; The drone crashed. He did not adapt his pre-takeoff routine or exercise judgment.</li>
<li>Case 2: The Stress-Induced Shortcut.&nbsp;During a urgent rescue, a pilot rushed his pre-flight. He missed a battery warning, leading to an auto-landing in the middle of a parking lot - a hazardous area. Stress created tunnel vision, crowding out discipline.</li>
<li>Case 3: The Checklist as an Excuse.&nbsp;A BVLOS pilot encountered bad weather but continued, stating the SOPs "didn't say to abort." The investigation found he was not "Fit-to-Fly"&mdash;his recent flight experience carrying that new sensor was minimal and in different weather conditions. The checklist became his shield for his own poor judgment.</li>
</ul>
In each case, the procedure was followed, but the airmanship was absent.
<h5>The Solution: Airmanship as a Human Discipline</h5>
To fix this, we must move beyond just licensing. We need operational airmanship training that emphasizes disciplined decision-making, judgement and personal readiness. This requires a shift from procedural instruction to cognitive development. Pilots must be taught not just&nbsp;what&nbsp;to do, but&nbsp;why,&nbsp;when&nbsp;to adapt, and&nbsp;how&nbsp;to own and improve their own limitations.
This means:
&bull; Checklist Customization:&nbsp;Pilots must personalize checklists ( not just Pre-takeoff but Mission Checklists) for their type of mission. This fosters engagement and accountability.
&bull; Stress Inoculation:&nbsp;Train pilots to recognize how their own response to stress distorts their perception and judgment. Give them the tools to improve resilience and maintain clarity.
&bull; Judgment Drills:&nbsp;Make emergency IA drills mandatory. Pre-Brief and interrupt flights with simulated emergencies. Force pilots to exercise discretion in ambiguous scenarios where the checklist fails.
&bull; Brief/Debrief Culture:&nbsp;Embed structured reflection into every mission. This &ldquo;de-brief&rdquo; feedback loop is non-negotiable for improvement, including the wildly successful flights.
&bull; Fit-to-Fly Readiness:&nbsp;Integrate a 30-second self-assessment into every pre-flight that includes more than IAMSAFE (ask me how). The human must be as mission-ready as the machine.
Airmanship must be reframed as a mindset&mdash;disciplined, decisive, and deliberate. This training must address human performance: physiology, psychology, cognitive bias and metabolism. It must develop personal accountability through tools like AQ and mindfulness tuning of your own situational awareness skills and experience.
This is not theory. These rock solid principles are being taught now in programs built on Discipline, Accountability, Fit-to-Fly, and C.O.R.E. readiness. They are grounded in the lived experience of combat aviation, where the cost of failure is final.
<h5>Conclusion</h5>
The checklist is a symptom. The disease is how we teach drone pilots to fly. When a license is treated as rule compliance, it becomes a hollow ritual. When discipline becomes central, airmanship becomes the cornerstone of safety.
In this age of AI and self-flying drones, where the cockpit is virtual but the risks are real, we must reclaim human discipline. We must teach UAS crews how to think, to adapt, and to take responsibility for every decision that shapes a flight.
The future of unmanned aviation depends on not just better technology, but on better humans. The margin for error is shrinking. The only way to ensure safety is to cultivate a generation of UAS pilots who think like aviators&mdash;even if their feet never leave the ground.
Stop asking if a pilot is licensed. Start asking if they are disciplined and resilient. Reclaim airmanship. It has always been the foundation of flight.
<h5>About David Cooke</h5>
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/nUwYYlGvuAnDvY2CYCgun4ouWbLMrSTB1KNl5L2u.png" alt="" width="173" height="186" />
David Cooke, is a former Combat Flying Instructor and UAS Test Pilot with over 30 years of experience in manned and unmanned aviation. He has served in both military and civilian capacities, including operational deployments and advanced flight test programs. He is the founder of <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.inskyphoto.com/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3DAirmanship.com</a>, and author of the <a href="https://www.inskyphoto.com/program-information.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3D Airmanship Program</a> ( a 60 day transformational program for developing good judgement and Airmanship), where he continues to advocate for professional standards in drone operations and airmanship education throughout the aviation community.

The License Illusion

12 November 2025
As Russia continues to increase drone and missile attacks against Ukraine's infrastructure, the assaults may be overwhelming the Ukrainian military's ability to stop them.
Data released by the Ukrainian Air Force regarding bombardments in October show that just under 80 percent of Russian drone launches were stopped (4,242 defenses against 5,312 drone attacks), and suppression of Russian missiles dropped to 54 percent (146 defenses against 270 missile attacks).
Though interception rates of airborne threats are not the only factor in assessing strengths and weaknesses in the Russia-Ukraine war, the slipping success percentages are concerning. For example, during rhe early months of 2025, Ukraine was able to stop 90 percent of Russia drones from reaching their targets. However, that rate dropped to 85 percent in August and September. October's 80 percent interception rate is the lowest of the year so far.
Accurate data on defenses&mdash;whether Russian or Ukrainian&mdash;is difficult to verfiy, however, as each country may inflate the effectiveness of their "air sentries," and comprehensive info is also compromised as each side provides overall statistics, rather than detailed reports of specific defensive actions.
The reasons for Ukraine's dropping interception rates are hard to pinpoint, but Russia's increased drone attacks, the Ukrainian military's ebbing supply of munitions, and even the weather could all contribute. But one thing is certain&mdash;Russia is expanding its focus on crippling energy and other Ukrainian infrastructure as winter begins to descend. Already, Ukrainian citizens are dealing with massive blackouts as energy production in some regions has been reduced to near zero, due to Russian attacks.
"These days, in most regions, repair crews, power engineers, and utility services are virtually working around the clock," reported Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the weekend. "The Russians have increased their striking power."
In addition, Zelenskyy has warned over and over again that his country's air defense umbrella is not up to the task of taking down Russian drones and missiles, as he asks for more more Western aid.&nbsp;
Ukraine's most sophisticated interception missiles can cost $4 million each, while Russia's Shahed strike drones have a price tag of around $20,000 each. As a result, Ukraine has been developing far more affordable electronic drone-defense technology to meet the challenges of its diminishing munitions capability&mdash;a viable strategy, as Russian drone attacks in 2025 numbered approximately 4,400 per month.&nbsp;

Ukraine Losing War Against Russian Drones and Missiles?

11 November 2025
The Walt Disney Company's seafaring division doesn't "just" christen a new luxury liner with a bottle of champagne smashed across its bow.
For the christening of the new Disney Destiny at its homeport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Disney Live Entertainment used the ship as a canvas, utilizing drones and video projections to celebrate the Destiny's "heroes-and-villains" theme in spectacular fashion.
The Destiny's maiden voyage is set for November 20, 2025.
Please check out the video below for the official, behind-the-scenes story about how drones enhanced the christening ceremony.
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<a href="https://www.wdwmagic.com/other/disney-destiny/news/10nov2025-disney-reveals-more-about-the-disney-destiny-with-lion-king-dining,-cruella-and-doctor-strange-lounges,-pirates-pub,-and-stateroom-tour.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">If you're interesting in taking a peek at the ship itself, there's a nice "walkthrough" article here</a>.
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<h5>Get the Story!</h5>
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Disney Christens its new ship with drone show

10 November 2025
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/timotbrazz/">By Timothy Brazzel</a>
Every once in a while, a comment comes through that hits you right in the heart.
Recently, one of my viewers wrote something that perfectly captured what so many in the drone community have been silently feeling for years. He said: &ldquo;This hobby has been nothing but an uphill battle for me since 2015. It&rsquo;s like walking through a forest of thorns &mdash; every year, they tear us apart piece by piece. It&rsquo;s been emotional and exhausting for all of us, and I&rsquo;m just tired, brother. Really tired.&rdquo; Those words stopped me. Because I could feel the exhaustion behind them &mdash; not just from one pilot, but from thousands of drone enthusiasts, creators, and professionals across the country who&rsquo;ve watched a once joyful hobby and thriving industry slowly become tangled in politics, policies, and profit-driven agendas. Many of us started flying drones because it gave us something beyond the ordinary &mdash; a sense of freedom, creativity, and perspective. Through our lenses, we saw the world differently. We shared beauty, told stories, built businesses, helped communities, and even saved lives. Yet, in recent years, that freedom has felt increasingly fragile.
<h5 class="p1">A Community Under Pressure</h5>
Let&rsquo;s be honest &mdash; the drone community has been carrying a heavy emotional weight. Every few months, new restrictions, policy shifts, and government proposals seem to surface, each one adding another layer of uncertainty. And at the center of it all, there&rsquo;s one name that keeps coming up: DJI. DJI, the leading drone manufacturer, has long been the heartbeat of our industry. From hobbyists flying their first Mini, to professionals using the Mavic 3 Pro, Mavic 4 Pro, or Enterprise series&nbsp; for commercial inspections, or filmmakers capturing breathtaking landscapes &mdash; DJI made innovation accessible. They pushed technology forward and empowered creators to dream bigger. But now, with recent FCC decisions and the looming possibility that DJI could end up on the Covered List, we&rsquo;re standing at a crossroads. If that happens, it won&rsquo;t mean all DJI drones are instantly grounded &mdash; but it could mean something just as devastating: the slow disappearance of access. No new models authorized. No new imports. No new gear to add to our fleets. And as time goes on &mdash; fewer parts, fewer updates, fewer opportunities. For small businesses, creators, educators, and first responders, that kind of change doesn&rsquo;t just disrupt a hobby &mdash; it disrupts livelihoods.
<h5 class="p1">When Policy Overshadows Passion</h5>
Let&rsquo;s be real &mdash; we all understand the importance of protecting national security. No one in this community is dismissing that. We want a safe, secure, and transparent drone ecosystem in the United States. But the growing frustration lies in how these conversations have been handled &mdash; often with fear-based narratives, political agendas, and corporate greed leading the way. What started as a concern for national safety has turned into a battle over profit, power, and control. When policies are crafted not to protect, but to profit &mdash; the people who suffer most aren&rsquo;t the politicians or the corporations; it&rsquo;s the community. The creators. The small business owners. The firefighters and search-and-rescue teams who rely on DJI tools to save lives. As my viewer wrote, it&rsquo;s heartbreaking. Because this country &mdash; the land of opportunity, innovation, and the pursuit of happiness &mdash; should be the last place where creativity feels chained down.
<h5 class="p1">The Emotional Cost of Uncertainty</h5>
Behind every drone pilot is a story &mdash; a father teaching his kids about technology, a student discovering their first aerial shot, a business owner who built something meaningful from a single spark of inspiration. But lately, those stories are overshadowed by anxiety. Many feel drained, not just financially, but emotionally.
It&rsquo;s the weight of always wondering what&rsquo;s next.
&bull; Will I still be able to fly my favorite drone next year? &bull; Will I be forced to switch to gear that doesn&rsquo;t perform as well? &bull; Will my business survive if the technology I depend on disappears? Those are real questions, and they take a toll. It&rsquo;s no longer just about flying drones; it&rsquo;s about fighting to keep something we love alive.
<h5>The Heartbeat of the Sky</h5>
Yet, even in the middle of all this uncertainty, there&rsquo;s something powerful that keeps us grounded &mdash; hope. Because hope isn&rsquo;t blind optimism; it&rsquo;s faith with wings. It&rsquo;s believing that innovation and integrity can coexist. It&rsquo;s knowing that no matter how complicated the politics become, the spirit of this community is unbreakable. Drone pilots are some of the most creative, passionate, and resilient people out there. We&rsquo;re engineers, artists, and storytellers all rolled into one. We troubleshoot, adapt, and innovate every single day &mdash; and that&rsquo;s exactly why we&rsquo;ll rise above this moment too. If anything, these challenges might just push us to become stronger, more unified, and more innovative than ever before.
<h5>A Call to the Drone Community</h5>
To every pilot, creator, and dreamer who feels like they&rsquo;re walking through that same &ldquo;forest of thorns,&rdquo; I want to say this: you&rsquo;re not alone. Your frustration is valid. Your exhaustion is real. But so is your purpose. Don&rsquo;t let the noise from politics and profit drown out the reason you started flying in the first place. This community was built on vision &mdash; the kind that sees beyond limits, beyond fear, and beyond bureaucracy. Whether DJI stays or goes, the spirit of flight cannot be banned. Our creativity cannot be legislated. Our passion cannot be revoked. Together, we can continue to innovate, advocate, and inspire &mdash; one flight at a time. Let&rsquo;s stay informed, support one another, and speak up with integrity and respect. We can challenge policies without losing hope, and we can protect the future of this industry without losing our unity. Because at the end of the day, no matter how high they try to build walls around innovation, we&rsquo;ll always find a way to rise above them.
<h5>Grounded in Hope</h5>
The world may change, rules may tighten, and technology may shift &mdash; but the sky will always belong to dreamers. And as long as there are pilots who believe in possibility, creators who chase the light, and communities that stand together, there will always be hope. We may be grounded at times &mdash; but we are grounded in hope. So to every pilot feeling worn down by uncertainty, remember this:
&bull; You are part of something bigger. &bull; You&rsquo;ve inspired people to see the world differently. &bull; And that spirit &mdash; your spirit &mdash; is the very thing that will keep this community flying, no matter what comes next.
<h5>Looking for Hope</h5>
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Grounded in Hope: The Unbreakable Spirit of the Drone Community

07 November 2025
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicmoss/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">By Vic Moss</a>
It&rsquo;s not the end of the world. There are still forces at work that can make a real difference &mdash; and there&rsquo;s still time to act.
But if we fail to pay attention, the consequences could be severe &mdash; not just for the drone industry, but for businesses, first responders, and public safety across the country.
<h5 class="p2">A Quick Backstory</h5>
In case you&rsquo;ve been living under a rock for the past two years, the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was signed into law on December 23, 2024. That date matters, because tucked inside the bill is Section 1709, titled &ldquo;Analysis of Certain Unmanned Aircraft Systems Entities.&rdquo;
Section 1709 requires a security audit of companies like DJI and Autel, along with any communication or video surveillance devices or services produced under license or agreement with them. Essentially, it&rsquo;s designed to evaluate whether drones and related equipment from these companies pose a security risk.
Here&rsquo;s the critical detail: Section 1709 mandates that this audit must be completed no later than one year after enactment &mdash; meaning by December 23, 2025.
If that deadline is missed, or if Congress does not extend it, all products from DJI, Autel, and their partners could automatically be added to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) &ldquo;covered entity&rdquo; list. This includes drones, cameras, gimbals, and even software or communication devices associated with these companies.
<h5 class="p2">Why That&rsquo;s a Big Deal</h5>
Being on the FCC covered entity list is not just a bureaucratic inconvenience, it has real-world serious consequences. Any company on the list cannot receive an FCC license, which is legally required to operate in the United States. Without that license, their devices would lose permission to use the frequencies controlled by the FCC.
Operating a non-licensed device would violate federal regulations and could result in substantial fines or even criminal penalties. Fines can range from $500 per day per violation to $10,000 for unlicensed operations.
While it&rsquo;s unclear if the FCC would aggressively pursue every individual pilot, businesses with legal departments will almost certainly shut down operations to avoid exposure. Even more concerning is insurance: most policies exclude coverage for unlicensed operations, meaning operators could be financially liable for damages or accidents.
So, before you launch a non-FCC-approved drone, you need to think very carefully about the legal and financial risks.
<h5 class="p2">The FCC&rsquo;s Expanding Power</h5>
In addition to listing entities, the FCC recently voted unanimously to allow the agency to revoke previously approved licenses for any company on the covered entity list. While some legal experts question whether the FCC can legally grant itself this expanded power, in today&rsquo;s Washington, it&rsquo;s difficult to predict how far the agency might go. This expansion means that even drones already operating legally could suddenly be rendered illegal.
With the December 23, 2025 deadline approaching, the stakes are high. As of now, DJI, Autel, and their partners are not yet on the list, but missing the audit deadline could change that overnight.
<h5 class="p2">Why This Could Cripple the Industry</h5>
Drones, like all technology, have a limited serviceable life. Flight hours, battery cycles, environmental exposure, and storage conditions all contribute to wear and tear. Most consumer and professional drones aren&rsquo;t designed to be repaired beyond replacing props, and once a component fails, it often means the drone is finished.
Consider this operational reality: if a drone fails mid-flight, you can&rsquo;t just &ldquo;pull over and fix it.&rdquo;
Gravity instantly takes over. When that happens, the RPIC quickly changes roles and becomes the Visual Observers, recovering what&rsquo;s left of their equipment from the ground. If operators cannot replace aging fleets due to regulatory restrictions, they face two difficult options:
&bull; Fly drones past their safe lifespan, risking in-flight failures and potential accidents.
&bull; Cease operations entirely, shutting down businesses that rely on drones for inspections, surveying, mapping, photography, and more.
As of November 1, 2025, there are 481,760 Remote Pilots listed in the FAA&rsquo;s Airman Database. Many of these operators are small business owners. Without access to serviceable drones, countless enterprises could face closure. This is not hypothetical, it&rsquo;s a real threat to an entire industry.
<h5 class="p2">First Responders Will Suffer, Too</h5>
The implications go beyond business. Up to 95% of First Responder drone fleets in the U.S. rely on DJI or Autel drones. These tools are critical for emergency response operations such as:
&bull; Search and rescue for lost children or vulnerable adults
&bull; Firefighter situational awareness in active fire zones
&bull; Disaster assessment after floods, hurricanes, or earthquakes
&bull; Tracking wildfires and coordinating evacuation efforts
Banning or restricting access to these drones doesn&rsquo;t just threaten small businesses &mdash; it puts real American lives at risk.
Every week, drones help save lives. Removing them could directly impact the safety of children, elderly patients, and first responders themselves. Policymakers who support anti-DJI measures need to ask themselves a difficult question: are they prepared to explain to grieving families why the most effective tools were taken away from the people trying to save those family members?
<h5 class="p2">&ldquo;Why Not Just Buy American?&rdquo;</h5>
Many people ask why operators don&rsquo;t simply switch to U.S.-made drones.
The answer is straightforward: There are very few American alternatives suitable for enterprise, commercial, or first responder use.
The drones that do exist are often far more expensive and much less capable than DJI or Autel models. Some cost three to ten times as much, and offer less performance and reliability. For businesses and agencies that rely on drones for efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness, this is simply not a viable option.
Even small delays in flight capability, reduced battery life, or limited payload capacity can have major operational impacts for surveyors, emergency responders, and content creators. Paying much more for less performance is not just inconvenient &mdash; it can be dangerous in critical situations.
<h5 class="p2">What You Can Do?</h5>
There is still time to act, and every voice matters.
Congress needs to extend Section 1709&rsquo;s audit deadline to ensure a fair, transparent, and timely process. Both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees and Commerce Committees are currently reviewing the FY2026 NDAA, and this is the vehicle where an extension can be added.
The bill is currently in conference committee, where differences between House and Senate versions are reconciled. This is the critical moment to make your voice heard.
Consider the reality: In what world does Congress pass a law that effectively says, &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t complete the audit, so all your products are now illegal&rdquo;? That&rsquo;s not just poor governance &mdash; it&rsquo;s un-American.
Even DJI supports a fair audit. Adam Welsh, Head of Global Policy at DJI, recently told TechRadar, &ldquo;DJI has repeatedly expressed its readiness to take part in a transparent, timely, and fair audit through official channels.&rdquo;
If the companies being audited are eager to cooperate, shouldn&rsquo;t Congress do its part? The solution is simple:
&bull; Extend Section 1709 to allow time for the audit
&bull; Assign a legitimate security agency to complete it
&bull; Allow manufacturers to address and resolve any issues found
This process protects both national security and the viability of a critical industry.
<h5 class="p2">The Stakes Are High</h5>
Passing an extension is not just about saving businesses &mdash; it&rsquo;s about saving lives and protecting public safety. Tens of thousands of small businesses, countless emergency operations, and hundreds of thousands of drone pilots depend on this legislation being handled responsibly. Failing to act could:
&bull; Drive small businesses out of operation
&bull; Force first responders to use inferior or unavailable equipment
&bull; Increase risks in search and rescue, firefighting, and disaster response
&bull; Create legal liabilities for operators forced to fly unlicensed equipment
This is not fearmongering &mdash; it&rsquo;s a realistic assessment of the consequences of inaction.
<h5 class="p2">How to Take Action</h5>
You can make a difference today. Reach out to your elected officials, specifically members of the House and Senate Armed Services and Commerce Committees. Encourage them to extend the Section 1709 deadline and ensure a transparent and fair audit.
The Drone Advocacy Alliance has made this simple. Visit their Take Action page and follow the &ldquo;Tell Congress &ndash; Agencies Must Conduct the Drone Security Audit!&rdquo; link to send an email directly to your representatives.
For additional guidance, watch Vic's video here:&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/_iqOz1YQudA?si=tkrqWraVvBBrHfoL">https://youtu.be/_iqOz1YQudA?si=tkrqWraVvBBrHfoL</a>
&nbsp;
<h5 class="p2">Final Thoughts</h5>
This is a defining moment for the U.S. drone industry. The actions we take now will determine whether small businesses survive, first responders stay equipped, and public safety is maintained.
Even more importantly, it&rsquo;s a matter of common sense and fairness. A law intended to evaluate potential security risks should not be used to automatically punish the very businesses that comply with regulations. Audits are meant to identify issues, allow corrections, and protect the public, not destroy livelihoods.
We have the opportunity to act responsibly, ensure the audit is conducted properly, and protect an industry that is vital for commerce, safety, and innovation in the United States. Every call, email, and message matters. The clock is ticking &mdash; the deadline is December 23, 2025 &mdash; and the consequences of inaction are real.
<h5 class="p2">Here&rsquo;s a Quick Set of Tips to Make your Outreach to Congress More Effective</h5>
&bull; Keep it short and clear: Congressional staffers read hundreds of messages daily. Aim for 3&ndash;5 short paragraphs with a clear ask.
&bull; State your identity and relevance: Mention if you&rsquo;re a small business owner, remote pilot, or first responder. Personal experience carries weight.
&bull; Make a specific request: Don&rsquo;t just complain about the law. Say exactly what you want, such as: &ldquo;Please support an extension of Section 1709 to ensure a fair and transparent drone security audit.&rdquo;
&bull; Use plain language: Avoid jargon. Congressional staffers are policy-savvy but appreciate messages that are easy to read and digest.
&bull; Include a real-world example: A short anecdote of how drones impact lives or business makes your message memorable.
&bull; Be polite but firm: Respectful tone works best. You want staffers to listen, not dismiss.
&bull; Follow up if possible: If you don&rsquo;t get a response in a week or two, a brief polite follow-up can increase impact.
<h5 class="p2">About Vic Moss </h5>
Moss is the owner of Moss Photography, a Colorado-based photography and videography company serving the AEC industries since 1988. He is also the CEO and Co-Founder of the Drone Service Providers Alliance and a recognized Subject Matter Expert in UAS Regulations.

Don’t Believe Everything You Hear About Chinese Drones in the  U.S.

06 November 2025
It seems like a sci-fi film plot that can't happen, but Venezuelan President Nicol&aacute;s Maduro has been meeting with leaders of Iran, China, and Russia, possibly to secure defensive support in the light of U.S. President Donald Trump's threats the South American dictator&rsquo;s &ldquo;days are numbered&rdquo; as America also launches the biggest military buildup in the Caribbean in more than 35 years.
Since August 29, the United States has deployed eight warships to the waters surrounding Venezuela, and has undertaken approximately 14 strikes on alleged drug boats.&nbsp;
Maduro isn't taking these attacks lightly.
It is suspected he has reached out to Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping for expanded military cooperation between the nations, while lobbying Iran to supply Venezuela with drones that can launch attacks as far away as 600&ndash;1000 miles&mdash;a move that puts U.S. bases in Puerto Rico, St. Croix, Cuba, and other locations at risk.
Are we looking at a war with Venezuela and her "allies"?
Check out the video for context ...
<h5>Are U.S. Bases Really in Danger?</h5>
<iframe style="width: 670px; height: 377px;" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/inmlJ81tirc?si=rU_zzma9R8UUgRUJ" width="670" height="377" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Did Venezuela and Iran Make a "secret drone deal?"

05 October 2025
What started as an internal tool to help Helsinki, Finland's <a href="https://www.flybyguys.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Flyby Guys</a> coordinate their global drone operations has grown into something much bigger.
<a href="https://dronebundle.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DroneBundle</a> is an all-in-one drone management platform built for professionals who live and breathe drone missions.
For years, The Flyby Guys has been on the frontlines of the drone industry, flying complex missions across energy sites, construction zones, and urban environments. As their projects grew, so did the challenges. Miscommunication between teams, scattered project data, and uncertainty around equipment readiness made operations harder than they needed to be.
So, the team built their own solution.
&ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t set out to build software,&rdquo; said Stephen Sutton, CEO of The Flyby Guys. &ldquo;We just needed a better way to stay organized and keep everyone aligned. DroneBundle started as a simple internal tool, but once we saw how much smoother our operations became, we realized we couldn&rsquo;t keep it to ourselves.&rdquo;
DroneBundle brings every part of drone operations under one roof. Pilots, projects, and equipment are all connected to a single platform, making it easy to plan missions, track progress, and keep teams informed, no matter where they are in the world.
Built from real-world experience, DroneBundle is designed to be flexible across different mission types, industries, and regions. Whether it&rsquo;s an inspection, mapping job, or emergency response operation, the platform adapts to how teams actually work in the field.
<h5>Key Features</h5>
<ul>
<li>Mission planning</li>
<li>Auto synchronized flight logs</li>
<li>Fleet management</li>
<li>Document &amp; media vault</li>
<li>Pilot performance &amp; analytics</li>
<li>CRM</li>
<li>Invoicing</li>
</ul>
&ldquo;DroneBundle is built by operators, for operators,&rdquo; Sutton added. &ldquo;Every feature comes from a real challenge we&rsquo;ve faced on the ground. It&rsquo;s the kind of tool we wish existed when we first started scaling operations globally.&rdquo;
The launch of DroneBundle marks a new chapter for The Flyby Guys, one that blends hands-on expertise with software innovation. What began as a tool for their own missions has now become a platform that empowers other drone professionals to run their operations with the same clarity and confidence.&nbsp;

Manage All Your Flight Operations with One Tool

04 November 2025
The skies over the United States are buzzing, but with fewer drone propellers and instead with more weighty implications of a recent, highly significant vote by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
On October 25, 2025, the FCC delivered a decision that could send shockwaves through the drone industry, particularly impacting global giant Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI). By voting to amend its rules to allow the agency to revoke or modify existing Equipment Authorizations (EAs)&mdash;the certifications necessary for devices to transmit in the United States&mdash;the FCC has introduced an unprecedented level of regulatory uncertainty.
This move, framed under the banner of national security, is a clear escalation in the ongoing geopolitical and technological competition between the U.S. and China, and it could fundamentally reshape the commercial and recreational drone landscape in America.
To grasp the magnitude of this vote, one must first understand the FCC's role.
The FCC is the primary authority overseeing interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable in the U.S. Crucially for the drone industry, it is the gatekeeper for the wireless spectrum. Any device that transmits radio frequency (RF) signals&mdash;which includes the controller-to-drone link, video transmission, and telemetry data&mdash;must possess an Equipment Authorization (EA) from the FCC.
Historically, once an EA was granted, it was a permanent certification, essentially a lifetime passport for that specific model to operate in the U.S. market. The FCC&rsquo;s new rule changes this paradigm entirely, introducing a new clause that grants the commission the power to revoke, suspend, or modify an existing EA if the equipment poses an unacceptable risk to national security.
This power is not limited to new applications; the rule is explicitly structured to be retroactive, targeting products that are already certified and actively being sold and operated within the United States. This is the lynchpin of the controversy, as it places manufacturers&mdash;especially those designated as national security risks&mdash;in a precarious position where their entire U.S. product line could be legally nullified overnight.
While the FCC rule is technically brand-neutral, the consensus across the industry and government is that it is squarely aimed at DJI. The Chinese company controls an estimated 70-80% of the global consumer and commercial drone market, making it the dominant supplier in the U.S. as well.
DJI has long been in the crosshairs of U.S. government agencies due to concerns that the company's drones could be used by the Chinese government for espionage, data collection, or infrastructure mapping. The primary security concerns revolve around:
Data Exfiltration: Allegations that flight logs, images, and video data collected by DJI drones could be transmitted back to servers in China, potentially accessible by the Chinese government.
Hardware Backdoors: Suspicions of hidden vulnerabilities in the drone's firmware or hardware that could allow for remote hijacking or surveillance.
&ldquo;Critical Infrastructure&rdquo; Risk: The widespread use of DJI drones by U.S. law enforcement, fire departments, energy companies, and other &ldquo;critical infrastructure&rdquo; operators, raising fears of supply chain compromise.
The FCC vote is the latest in a series of punitive actions against the company. Previous measures include the Department of Defense (DoD) effectively banning the purchase and use of commercial off-the-shelf DJI drones, and the Department of Commerce adding DJI to its Entity List for its alleged role in human rights abuses, restricting U.S. companies from exporting technology to DJI.
The FCC's move, however, is arguably the most potent regulatory weapon deployed to date because it targets the essential legal permission required for the devices to function in the U.S. A revocation of EAs would make it illegal to import, sell, or even potentially operate the affected drone models within the country, effectively killing DJI&rsquo;s U.S. business overnight.
How will the FCC exercise this new power? The rule outlines a process that, while including a measure of due process, grants the commission significant discretion:
Designation: The process would likely begin with another federal agency&mdash;such as the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), or the Director of National Intelligence (DNI)&mdash;designating a company or its equipment as a national security risk.
Notice and Opportunity to Respond: The FCC must then provide the EA holder (the manufacturer) with notice of its intent to revoke and offer them an opportunity to respond and present evidence.
Final Order: After reviewing the evidence and the national security assessment, the FCC will issue a final order, which could result in the full revocation or modification of the Equipment Authorization.
Crucially, the rule allows for the public release of only a redacted version of the national security finding, meaning that manufacturers and the public may not get to see the full, classified basis for the revocation. This raises immediate concerns about the transparency and fairness of the process.
The potential consequences of an FCC revocation extend far beyond DJI's corporate headquarters. This regulatory action threatens to upend the entire U.S. drone ecosystem:
<h5>The Commercial and Enterprise Market Crisis</h5>
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/bYzslhlUxEyV99avzNDIrGmNGPJSj7Cps7hzuCBD.jpg" alt="" width="462" height="462" />
Existing Fleets: Thousands of U.S. businesses, including construction firms, agricultural operations, and energy inspectors, rely on large fleets of DJI drones. An EA revocation would render these expensive assets effectively useless, forcing businesses into costly and immediate transitions.
Maintenance and Support: Even if the operation of existing drones is grandfathered (a key uncertainty), maintenance, replacement, and firmware updates for these models would become problematic, starving the commercial sector of essential tools.
The Law Enforcement and Public Safety Gap: Police and fire departments are among the heaviest users of DJI, utilizing them for search and rescue and scene reconstruction. Their reliance on readily available, affordable, and high-performance technology would be abruptly severed.
<h5>The Consumer Market Vacuum</h5>
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/L5nJaHn07Ls1fh3SxWP0MDrvUbRwzit4I9efle4B.png" alt="" width="457" height="457" />
Price Spike and Availability: DJI's dominance has kept consumer drone prices competitive. Removing the market leader would create a vacuum, likely leading to a significant price increase for comparable drone technology.
Stifled Innovation: Drone deployers, accustomed to the innovative features of the Mavic and Matrice series, would face a limited selection of alternative brands, many of which still lag behind DJI in payload technology, battery life, and integrated software.
<h5>The Rise of "NDAA-Compliance" and Domestic Manufacturing</h5>
Opportunity for Competitors: The crisis is a significant opportunity for manufacturers like Skydio, Teal Drones, Parrot (a French company), and more. The U.S. government has been actively promoting the NDAA-compliance initiative&mdash;a process for identifying companies and products/platforms that operate and manufacture out of American-friendly countries&mdash;and the FCC rule further solidifies the economic incentive to develop secure, American-made (or at least American-friendly) alternatives.
Manufacturing Challenge: While this is a boon for domestic producers, they currently lack the scale to immediately meet the massive demand of the suddenly unserved market. Ramping up production to replace a giant like DJI will take years, creating a supply bottleneck in the interim.
The FCC's vote is not the final word; it is the opening salvo in what is likely to be a protracted legal and legislative battle. DJI will almost certainly mount a vigorous legal challenge to any revocation, arguing that the rule is an unconstitutional overreach and a violation of administrative law. The company could argue that the FCC is acting outside its historical purview of spectrum management to engage in industrial policy under the guise of national security.
For drone pilots, businesses, and hobbyists, the immediate future is one of caution and uncertainty. Organizations should begin to conduct risk assessments on their drone fleets and explore migration strategies to other non-Chinese alternatives. The era of the undisputed, low-cost drone market leader may be nearing an end.
The ultimate outcome will be a more fractured, more expensive, but potentially more secure U.S. drone market. The FCC&rsquo;s vote has shifted the ground beneath the entire industry, making national security a permanent, non-negotiable factor in the cost of doing business and the future of flying in America. The skies are changing, and everyone who operates a drone must pay close attention to the turbulence ahead.

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