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28 April 2025
<a href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/pilot/malik-norman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">By Malik Norman</a>
When I first set foot in flight school, my mind was set on one thing: becoming a commercial pilot. Like many others who dream of flying for a living, I was chasing altitude, runway lights, and that unmistakable rumble of a turboprop firing to life. I wanted to wear the stripes, command an aircraft, and look out at the horizon from 30,000 feet. Drones? At that point, they weren&rsquo;t even on my radar&mdash;no pun intended.
My journey into aviation began like most student pilots: with a deep passion for flight and a desire to master the skies. I enrolled in flight school full of excitement and maybe a little nervousness. The syllabus was intense, filled with aerodynamics, airspace classes, FAA regulations, and endless hours of ground school. Every day was a new lesson, every night a study session. I was completely immersed in the world of manned aviation.
The camaraderie at school was also something special&mdash;being surrounded by other aspiring pilots created a strong sense of purpose and motivation. We pushed each other to stay sharp, and although the curriculum was tough, there was something truly fulfilling about being part of a community united by the same dream.
Then came an unexpected turn.
One day, during course selection for electives, I noticed an option to take a Part 107 drone pilot certification course. It wasn&rsquo;t something I had planned on, but what caught my attention was the incentive&mdash;if I completed the course, I&rsquo;d get a free drone. That alone piqued my interest. At the time, the idea of flying a drone sounded like a fun side hobby, nothing more than a cool toy I could mess around with during downtime. It definitely didn&rsquo;t seem like anything I&rsquo;d pursue seriously.
So I signed up, half-curious and half-motivated by the prospect of scoring a free DJI drone.
To my surprise, the drone ground school wasn&rsquo;t all that different from what I was already studying. In fact, there was a remarkable overlap between manned and unmanned flight training. Concepts like airspace classifications, weather patterns, METARs and TAFs, sectional charts, radio communications, and FAA regulations were all part of the Part 107 curriculum too. What I thought would be a light, easygoing elective ended up being a full-fledged educational experience&mdash;and one that was far more demanding than I expected.
But here&rsquo;s where things started to shift.
The more I learned about drone operations, the more I realized how wrong I had been. Drones weren&rsquo;t just high-tech toys you flew around the backyard. The level of precision, situational awareness, and knowledge required to legally and safely operate one in national airspace was far greater than I had ever imagined. The FAA wasn&rsquo;t handing out licenses for weekend hobbyists&mdash;this was serious aviation.
I found myself starting to respect drone pilots in a way I hadn&rsquo;t before. It wasn&rsquo;t about just pushing a joystick and watching a screen&mdash;it was about mission planning, risk assessment, understanding the weather, respecting privacy laws, and navigating real-world airspace. I began to see drone aviation not as a side branch of aviation, but as a specialized skill set with its own challenges and rewards.
Going through the rigors of Part 107 ground school gave me a whole new appreciation for what drone pilots do. I gained a better understanding of how drones are used in industries like cinematography, search and rescue, agriculture, infrastructure inspection, and more. I saw how UAVs could capture perspectives no human could reach, and how much discipline it took to fly them professionally.
When I finally passed the Part 107 exam, that certificate meant something very different to me than it did when I first signed up. It wasn&rsquo;t about a free drone anymore. It was about adding another set of wings to my aviation journey&mdash;just a different kind than I originally envisioned.
Soon after, I received my DJI Mini 3 Pro. At first, I flew just to practice, experimenting with different maneuvers, learning the controls, studying how the drone responded to weather, wind, and terrain. The more I flew, the more confident I became. That confidence turned into creativity. I started taking shots, exploring camera settings, and trying out different angles and perspectives that I never imagined I could achieve. The footage I was capturing wasn&rsquo;t just &ldquo;good for a drone,&rdquo; it was good&mdash;period.
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/WCzlL4B1fq2XYJJWAz3IMX2N0JzZKMM7K16m079o.jpg" alt="" width="460" height="613" />
It&rsquo;s incredible how something that started as an afterthought quickly became a central part of my life. The more I flew, the more I realized this wasn&rsquo;t just another tool&mdash;it was an extension of myself as a pilot and as a creator. Drones opened up a new kind of freedom. Unlike traditional aircraft, which require airports and long flight plans, drones could lift off almost anywhere. I could be in the middle of a forest, on a construction site, or at the edge of the ocean, and still be airborne in minutes.
Eventually, flying drones evolved from a side interest to a professional pursuit.
Now, I fly commercially using my Mavic 2 Pro, and it has become an integral part of my career. I&rsquo;ve also logged significant hours on the DJI Mini 3 Pro and the Matrice series, which opened up even more possibilities in terms of payloads and applications. Each drone has its own strengths&mdash;whether it&rsquo;s the lightweight flexibility of the Mini 3 Pro, the cinematic precision of the Mavic 2 Pro, or the industrial power of the Matrice.
Every project I take on is a new challenge. Whether I&rsquo;m shooting real estate footage, mapping terrain, documenting a construction site, or capturing a sunset over a coastline, I&rsquo;m always looking to push myself creatively and technically. I never stop learning&mdash;there&rsquo;s always a new maneuver, a new camera technique, a new airspace regulation to adapt to. And I welcome all of it.
One of the most rewarding parts of being a drone pilot is seeing how my work helps others. Whether it&rsquo;s delivering stunning aerial footage for a business, assisting with site surveys that save hours of labor, or even just giving someone a new perspective of a familiar place, there&rsquo;s a satisfaction that comes from creating value through flight.
Sometimes, I think back to when I first saw the Part 107 elective on that course list and laughed at how casually I brushed it off. I never imagined that drones would play such a major role in my professional life. But I&rsquo;m glad they did. They&rsquo;ve allowed me to merge my passion for flight with a growing fascination for visual storytelling and remote aviation technology.
What I love most about being a drone pilot is the freedom it offers&mdash;both creatively and professionally. Drones have a way of showing the world from a perspective that people rarely get to see. When I&rsquo;m in the air, framing the perfect shot or flying over an area I&rsquo;ve never explored before, there&rsquo;s a kind of thrill that&rsquo;s hard to describe. It&rsquo;s like painting with motion, using light and elevation instead of brushes and canvas.
At the same time, I never forget the responsibility that comes with the license. Flying drones&mdash;especially commercially&mdash;isn&rsquo;t just about cool footage or flying for fun. It&rsquo;s about safety, awareness, and respect for the airspace and the people around you. That&rsquo;s something I carry with me every time I lift off.
My background in manned aviation gave me a solid foundation, but it&rsquo;s my experience as a drone pilot that&rsquo;s helped me grow in ways I didn&rsquo;t expect. I&rsquo;ve learned to appreciate not just the technology behind drones, but the discipline and professionalism required to fly them. And perhaps more importantly, I&rsquo;ve learned never to underestimate an opportunity&mdash;even one that starts out with just a free drone.
Today, I consider myself lucky to be a part of the ever-evolving drone industry. I&rsquo;m proud of the work I do, the skills I&rsquo;ve developed, and the journey that brought me here. And while I still love the idea of flying commercial jets one day, I can honestly say that drones have earned their own place in my heart&mdash;and in my future.
<h5>Learn More</h5>
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&nbsp;

Pilot Story: Malik Norman

28 April 2025
<div class="mb-4 clearfix">
Chances are you may have missed the FAA's annual Drone Safety Day celebrations on April 26, but that doesn't mean you should avoid the opportunity to "Fly Right" every day of the year.
In fact, every 12 months, the FAA uses the day to remind the&nbsp;drone community of the importance of safe flying, as well as the contributions of drones to our communities. Educational events aligned with Drone Safety Day typically highlight education, environment, and emergency services.&nbsp;
The Fly Right theme stands for:
<ul>
<li>Register your drone&nbsp;</li>
<li>Interact with others</li>
<li>Gain knowledge</li>
<li>Have a safety plan</li>
<li><abbr>TRUST</abbr>&nbsp;and Train</li>
</ul>
</div>

Did You Miss Drone Safety Day?

25 April 2025
Houthi militants in Yemen managed to take down three U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drones this past week, bringing the militant group's kill score against Reapers to seven since March of this year, and a total of 15 since October 2023..
Since the Trump Administration's expanded air strikes again the Houthis a couple of weeks back, it is estimated, by White House press secretary Karoline Leavit, that more than 200 sorties have been launched. However, the Pentagon has said the air strikes have reached around 750 since March 15.
The military goal of what the United States has titled "Operation Rough Rider" is to stop the Houthis from continuing its attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
The loss of the U.S. Reaper drones isn't a huge number, of course, but given the fact that each MQ-9 costs $28 million&mdash;and the Air Force has a current inventory of just 280 of these drones&mdash;the destroyed combat UAVs can be considered significant.
In early April, the Operation Rough Rider air battle cost the United States approximately $200 million dollars in additional munitions, and it is estimated the figure may rise to $1 billion.
"The objective of these strikes was to degrade the economic source of power of the Houthis, who continue to exploit and bring great pain upon their fellow countrymen," said a spokesperson from U.S. Central Command regarding a recent strike at the Houthi-controlled Ras Isa Fuel Port. "This strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen, who rightly want to throw off the yoke of Houthi subjugation and live peacefully."
However, the U.S. military has had very limited success in obliterating Houthi drones, missiles, and command operations, as these combat supplies are protected in underground bunkers.
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U.S. Drones Shot out of the Sky by Houthis

24 April 2025
The next measure of America's trade war with China is now looming for drone technology, as U.S. authorities continue to consider a ban on Chinese manufacturers.
Companies such as Nvidia, Broadcom, AMD and the Dutch machine manufacturer ASML have already felt the effects of this in recent years. The USA wants to prevent China from catching up with the latest AI chips. Bans have already been imposed on the export of certain computer chips, as well as the machines used to produce them. Accordingly, companies must be prepared for the fact that the Chinese market has become a no-go area for some of them.
The race for technological leadership between the USA and China seems to be rapidly entering the next round. The U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) of the Department of Commerce is examining a new regulation to restrict or even ban Chinese drones in the United States of America due to national security concerns. To date, Chinese companies, in particular DJI, have a market share of over 75 percent of the U.S. drone market. China's share of privately used hobby drones is more than 90 percent.
A ban on the products of these companies would completely transform the industry in the U.S. market and create a huge gap in America's drone market.
However, there is also opportunity.
With Chinese drones and accessories commanding such a high market share in the U.S., a new market worth billions would open up for Western companies if America outright bans or significantly restricts technology and products from China.
<a href="https://www.zenatech.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ZenaTech</a>, for example, offers AI-equipped drones, plans to leverage quantum computing, and is set to offer a Drone as a Service division, where the company will offer drone solutions on a pay-for-use bases such as for crop spraying and inventory management. In addition, ZenaTech took another step towards NDAA (National Defense Act Administration) compliance for its entire supply chain, as well as seeking applications for Green UAS and Blue UAS in order to be on the supplier list for the US defense complex and NATO.
ZenaTech is also expanding rapidly in the USA. Most recently, the subsidiary ZenaDrone moved into a production facility in Arizona to produce drones for the U.S. Department of Defense and NATO.
The facility produces and assembles ZenaDrone 1000 multifunctional autonomous AI drones for the U.S. military. ZenaTech has already expanded its market position through three acquisitions in the field of land surveying. The current focus is on the defense, warehouse-and-logistics, and agriculture sectors.
However, any bans or restrictions on Chinese providers could suddenly open the window to a larger accessible market accross government and commercial potential customers.&nbsp;
<h5>Learn More</h5>
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How Will Tariffs on China affect the U.S. drone industry?

21 April 2025
<a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.thedroningcompany.com/news/categories/brazzel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">By Timothy Brazzel</a>
Are you feeling stuck on your journey to becoming a certified Part 107 Drone Pilot? Overwhelmed by the amount of information, resources, or self-doubt clouding your path?
Let me assure you&mdash;you&rsquo;re not alone.
In this article, I want to speak directly to the discouraged, the unmotivated, the overwhelmed&hellip; the dreamers who feel like giving up.
After more than three years as a certified drone pilot, I&rsquo;ve experienced the highs and the lows, the setbacks and the victories. And I&rsquo;ve learned a few lessons that just might be what you need to hear right now. This isn't just about drones. It's about stepping fully into your purpose.
Let&rsquo;s dive into the three key truths I wish someone had told me when I started.
<h5 class="p3">Certification is Just the Beginning</h5>
Let&rsquo;s rewind the clock a bit.
I remember how I used to talk about my journey&mdash;how I spent four years preparing to take my Part 107 exam. Yep, four years. Not because I didn&rsquo;t want it badly&hellip; but because I allowed fear and self-doubt to delay my progress. I was overwhelmed by how much I needed to learn, and I was doing it all on my own&mdash;piecing together scattered YouTube videos and online content.
Now, don&rsquo;t get me wrong. There&rsquo;s tons of helpful information out there. But for my learning style, it wasn&rsquo;t structured or consistent enough. I needed something that walked me through the process, step-by-step, with clarity.
In January 2022, everything changed. I made a decision&mdash;I was all in. I discovered a platform called Remote Pilot 101, and I committed myself to finishing the course in one month. I dove into the lessons, took as many practice tests as possible, and when I felt confident, I scheduled my exam. February came, and I passed!
I share that with you because I want to remind you that the certification process is just the starting point. It&rsquo;s an amazing milestone, yes. But it&rsquo;s not the finish line. You don&rsquo;t want to stop at just getting certified.
Instead, use that momentum to position yourself for more. Continue learning, keep exploring, and put yourself out there to gain real experience. That&rsquo;s where growth happens. Add to your r&eacute;sum&eacute;, build your portfolio, and start creating opportunities that didn&rsquo;t exist before.
<h5 class="p3">You Don&rsquo;t Have to Know Everything&nbsp;</h5>
This one right here is big.
So many people&mdash;especially aspiring drone pilots&mdash;get caught in a perfectionist trap. You feel like you have to know everything before you can even begin. You tell yourself, "Once I finish this course&hellip; once I learn that technique&hellip; then I&rsquo;ll start."
But here&rsquo;s the truth: You don&rsquo;t need to know it all.
You just need to start.
When I first got certified, I didn't have a clue about LiDAR, 3D mapping, thermal imaging, or even drone inspections. But over time, I learned. I took jobs I felt under-qualified for and educated myself along the way. I made mistakes, sure&mdash;but those mistakes became lessons that leveled me up.
Knowledge is valuable, yes&mdash;but applied knowledge is what makes the difference. So if all you're doing is gathering information but never taking action, you're missing the point.
Start with what you know and grow from there.
Here&rsquo;s what I learned: every job, every client, every flight taught me something new. And when I didn&rsquo;t know something, I found out. That&rsquo;s how you build confidence.
Don&rsquo;t let the idea of &ldquo;not being ready&rdquo; stop you from becoming who you&rsquo;re called to be.
<h5 class="p3">Your Future Is Bigger Than Your Fear</h5>
I need you to hear this loud and clear:
Your fear is lying to you.
Fear tells you you&rsquo;re not good enough. That you&rsquo;ll fail. That you don&rsquo;t have what it takes. But let me remind you&mdash;your future is bigger than your fear.
Fear paralyzes. Confidence frees. And confidence is essential to becoming a skilled drone pilot.
If you let fear take the wheel, you&rsquo;ll never apply for that job, never take on that project, never launch that business. You&rsquo;ll remain stuck, standing on the edge of something amazing, too afraid to leap.
I&rsquo;ve been there. I get it. But if I hadn&rsquo;t taken the leap&mdash;if I let fear win&mdash;I never would have experienced what I&rsquo;m doing today.
Let me share this with you: Right now, I&rsquo;m working with a company called DronePower1. We clean solar panels using commercial drones tethered to a pressurized water line. It&rsquo;s a totally new venture for me&mdash;and let me tell you, it&rsquo;s nothing like flying a DJI Mavic. Different size. Different weight. Different flight dynamics. Different software. I had to learn new terminology, understand new systems, and get used to new safety protocols.
But because I had previous experience doing visual roof inspections with drones, I wasn't intimidated. I knew I had what it takes&mdash;and what I didn&rsquo;t know, I would learn.
So I stepped in with confidence&hellip; and it&rsquo;s been one of the most exciting learning experiences of my career.
And guess what? That opportunity came because I didn&rsquo;t let fear stop me. I didn&rsquo;t know it all. I wasn&rsquo;t an expert. But I said yes&mdash;and I grew into the role.
So now I&rsquo;m telling you: Say, yes.
Yes to the opportunity. Yes to the dream. Yes to the learning curve. Yes to the growth.
Everything begins with a decision. A decision to believe in yourself&mdash;even when it&rsquo;s hard. A decision to show up&mdash;even when it&rsquo;s uncomfortable. A decision to take action&mdash;even when fear says otherwise.
If you want to succeed in this drone space&mdash;or any space&mdash;it starts with what&rsquo;s happening in your mind.
You don&rsquo;t need all the gear. You don&rsquo;t need a million followers. You don&rsquo;t need to be the top expert in your field.
What you need is belief. Grit. Consistency. A willingness to learn and keep showing up.
Because the truth is ... You already have everything you need to get started.
You&rsquo;ve got this.&nbsp;
Let&rsquo;s fly higher&mdash;together.
<h5 class="p2">Watch This!</h5>
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If you&rsquo;re looking for more content like this&mdash;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Inspirewithdrones3342" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subscribe to my channel. </a>
We&rsquo;re building a community of passionate drone pilots, dreamers, and doers.

Don't Give Up On Your Drone Dreams

18 April 2025
By Michael Molenda, Editor
The impact of the Trump Administration's tariffs&mdash;whether they ultimately turn out to be a good thing for America or not&mdash;are having immediate effect. Perhaps not in pricing yet, as some of the tariffs have been paused, but certainly in corporate strategy, as businesses devise varied plans to manage revenue, manufacturing, inventory control, staffing, and other day-to-day concerns in the brave new world of global tariffs.
Obviously, goods from China are causing stratospheric worry as they touch almost every business.&nbsp;
In the music-product industry, for example, an electronic drum kit that costs around $325 to manufacture in China is looking at approximately $550 in tariffs, making the cost to the consumer more than double once conventional profit margins are calculated. The end result is that many music-industry manufacturers may need to cease Chinese manufacturing entirely&mdash;or significantly reduce their spend on goods from China&mdash;because many musicians will not be able to afford "made in China" instruments and technology.
And, by the way, much of the music-gear manufacturing will probably be shifted to "less tariffed" offshore factories (Indonesia, etc.), rather than brought back to America. The cost of building certain instruments in the United States remains prohibitive.
The drone industry, with its reliance on Chinese tech, products, and parts (batteries, etc.), is not going to be immune to tariffs. Duh.&nbsp;
Here are some ways that the tariffs imposed on China could affect the droning industry...
<h5 style="font-weight: 500;">We're Gonna Pay More for Drones</h5>
DJI is the biggest consumer drone manufacturer in the world. Think about what it means if a DJI dealer is compelled to pay a 145-percent tariff on new models to replace or increase inventory. Yeah. Not good for the pocketbook. And that's just for DJI. Expand the tariff impact to include other Chinese drone manufacturers, as well as accessories made in China. Then, we may be looking at a Defcon 2 scenario for the industry&mdash;speaking in fictional, sci-fi flick terms&mdash;could mean a stalled marketplace, stunted growth, and bankrupted retailers and distributors.
<h5>Supply Chains Won't Be, Well, Supply Chains&nbsp;</h5>
China controls a significant amount of the components U.S. drone makers need to build their products. An ongoing trade war with the United States&mdash;meaning reciprocal tariffs and even an end (or pause) of exported motors, batteries, sensors, and other made-in-China materials essential to drone manufacturing&mdash;would be catastrophic.&nbsp;
<h5>Changes to Where Drone Products Are Built</h5>
As with the music-gear example, some manufacturers may need to get "out of China" in order to ensure they can continue to offer affordable products to consumers. But abandoning factories and an already trained workforce in China won't be an easy decision. Yes, there are potentially less-tariffed options in countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, and Mexico, for instance, but building new manufacturing facilities in those areas&mdash;as well as training workers to produce brand-dedicated products with high quality&mdash;could take years. And will corporations take a leap of faith to relocate manufacturing when a policy change within the Trump administration could make it all for naught by easing China tariffs?
<h5>That Roof Inspection Is Gonna Cost More</h5>
The service providers who offer drone roof inspections, real-estate promotions, and other benefits may need to rethink their business plans to absorb increased hardware and software costs. Higher equipment costs = higher service prices. The uncertainty may also cause, say, a realtor to go, "Yeah, maybe it's not the time right now to hire someone to film drone tours of my home inventory."&nbsp;
<h5>International BVLOS Flights Get Kicked to the Curb</h5>
Geopolitical tensions are seldom good for international cooperation. As rulemaking for beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights are being considered by the FAA and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the China-USA trade war, as well as America's standing with its neighbors north and south, could have an impact on agreed-upon, international regulations for drones that can fly across borders.&nbsp;
<h5>Investment in the Drone Industry Crashes (Temporarily)</h5>
In another, not-so-long-ago time, the swift and massive growth of the drone industry seduced significant investment. Now? Perhaps not so much. Market uncertainty and volatility aren't exactly promoting feel-good moments for investors.&nbsp;
<h5 style="font-weight: 500;">Hang On To Your Controllers</h5>
While the tariffs and trade wars can spell impending doom for the Chicken Littles of the world&mdash;and they obviously have good reason to scream that the sky is falling&mdash;business challenges can also open up business opportunities. Granted, it's probably a bad move to sit back and see how things play out. However, U.S. companies who have relied on technological innovation, need only embrace the potential shifts of a new normal, and transform their corporate strategies to flourish in a post-China business environment.
What are your thoughts?
Write us at <a href="mailto:mmolenda@thedroningcompany.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mmolenda@thedroningcompany.com</a>
&nbsp;

Are We Crewed or Screwed?

16 April 2025
<div class="halfway_hardwall_3">If you're a drone company trying to follow Donald Trump's "America First" mandate&mdash;good luck.</div>
<div class="halfway_hardwall_3">&nbsp;</div>
<div class="halfway_hardwall_3">At present, China controls approximately 90 percent of the commercial drone market across the planet, and the country also makes a significant amount of the airframes, batteries, and other essential hardware needed to manufacture drones.</div>
<div class="halfway_hardwall_3">&nbsp;</div>
<div class="halfway_hardwall_3">China could shut down the drone industry globally for a year,&rdquo; said Trent Emeneker, a team leader at the Pentagon&rsquo;s Defense Innovation Unit.</div>
<div class="halfway_hardwall_3">&nbsp;</div>
<div class="halfway_hardwall_3">Of course, this type of scenario is what the Trump Administration's tariffs are supposed to fight off, as it seeks to encourage American companies to source parts and build drones on U.S. soil. Unfortunately, building American drones here at home using solely U.S.-made parts could take years and a hefty level of investment. In the meantime, a Commerce Department chief legal officer Jai Ramaswamy has stated: &ldquo;Immediately removing all foreign adversary-based sources of supply for critical drone components would have a catastrophic effect on the American drone industry."</div>
<div class="halfway_hardwall_3">&nbsp;</div>
<div class="halfway_hardwall_3">Why are your thoughts...</div>
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Opinion: Can the Drone Industry Erase China?

15 April 2025
Diversified, organizers of <a href="https://www.expouav.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commercial UAV Expo</a>, the world&rsquo;s leading commercial drone trade show and conference, is proud to announce the launch of <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.forumuav.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commercial UAV Forum</a>, taking place 22-23 April 2026 at RAI Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The event marks a new chapter in Europe&rsquo;s drone industry landscape, designed specifically to meet the growing demand for a focused, high-value platform dedicated to uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) in industrial applications. Commercial UAV Forum will bring together drone pilots, project managers, service and solution providers, regulators, and innovators for two days of education, networking, and discovery.
&ldquo;We are thrilled to introduce Commercial UAV Forum as the next expansion of the Commercial UAV brand,&rdquo; said Lee Corkhill, Group Director at Diversified. &ldquo;This new format emphasizes community, actionable content, and strategic connection&mdash;key ingredients to accelerating the safe and effective adoption of drone technology across Europe&rsquo;s core sectors.&rdquo;
Commercial UAV Forum 2026 will feature a focused exhibit floor showcasing cutting-edge UAV hardware, software, and supporting technologies. Attendees will gain insights through solution-focused educational sessions, participate in practical discussions on real-world applications, and engage directly with key stakeholders shaping the future of UAV regulation and innovation across Europe.
This focused forum will serve vertical industries such as construction, energy &amp; utilities, public safety &amp; emergency services, infrastructure, agriculture, ports, mining, and drone delivery, offering professionals the knowledge and relationships needed to thrive in a fast-evolving market.
More details, including the call for speakers and registration information, will be announced in the coming months. Commercial drone professionals are encouraged to fill out the <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.forumuav.com/attend/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Attendee Inquiry form</a> to receive updates about the event.
<img src="https://media.thedroningcompany.com/images/tincy/f741yUS8uQnT0d50tt3MqVYbRaReIcdmiiyQJcHe.png" alt="" width="322" height="105" />
<h5>About Commercial UAV Forum</h5>
Organized by the team behind <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.expouav.com/?utm_source=marketo&amp;utm_medium=pr&amp;utm_campaign=cuavf-announcement&amp;utm_content=attendee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commercial UAV Expo</a> in the United States and presented by <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.commercialuavnews.com/?utm_source=marketo&amp;utm_medium=pr&amp;utm_campaign=cuavf-announcement&amp;utm_content=attendee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commercial UAV News</a>, Commercial UAV Forum is Europe&rsquo;s highly-focused gathering for professionals integrating and operating UAS in industrial applications across Europe. The event will take place 22-23 April at RAI Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Commercial UAV Forum is produced by Diversified&rsquo;s technology portfolio, which also includes Commercial UAV News, Commercial UAV Expo, Geo Week, Geo Week Newsletter, Geo Business (UK), and Digital Construction Week (UK).
For more information about exhibiting at Commercial UAV Forum, visit the <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.forumuav.com/exhibit/?utm_source=marketo&amp;utm_medium=pr&amp;utm_campaign=cuavf-announcement&amp;utm_content=attendee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exhibitor information</a> page or contact Carmella Perrone, Sales Manager, at <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="mailto:CPerrone@divcom.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CPerrone@divcom.com</a>&nbsp;or Dominique Caron, Account Executive, at <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="mailto:DCaron@divcom.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DCaron@divcom.com.</a>

Commercial UAV Forum 2026

11 April 2025
As a horrific tornado destroyed their home in Tylertown, Mississippi, Curtis Bush was on the road while his wife and 17-year-old son were watching the walls come down. Quick thinking to don motorcycle helmets likely saved their lives, but they suffered broken bones severe enough to require a week in the hospital.&nbsp;
But tragedy wasn't done with the Bush family yet. One of their dogs perished in the storm, and another, Linus, a yellow Lab, was missing.
However, help&mdash;and hope&mdash;was on the way.
The <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://www.facebook.com/msanimalproject" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mississippi Animal Project</a> reached out to drone pilot Jason Miller of <a style="color: #ba372a;" href="https://raven6rising.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raven 6 Rising</a> to assist in the search for lost pets, and he started looking for Linus&mdash;a true needle-in-a-haystack operation, even for a drone equipped with thermal imaging.
Working from reported sightings, Miller flew grid patterns in the areas&mdash;places where even downed trees could look like a dog.
But then&mdash;success.
Linus was found just 1,000 yards away from his former home near a Dollar General store.
"Ten days and nobody had seen him. So you kind of lose hope," said Bush, who rushed to the area where Miller's drone had spotted Linus. "The community was constantly searching for him, and then Jason came in and was able to actually find him. It was a blessing."
Seemingly confused over all of the fuss at the time, Linus is now back where he belongs.
This is the story of a miracle. A drone miracle...
<h5>Watch the Story</h5>
<iframe style="width: 672px; height: 378px;" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kgkh0PTWUKM?si=0biHF8u40JBiFwM_" width="672" height="378" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Drone Finds Linus the Dog After Ten Days Missing

09 April 2025
Although President Donald Trump has designated Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations&mdash;and Elon Musk has posted the label means the USA can launch drone strikes against them&mdash;assistant defense secretary for special operations Colby Jenkins informed a Senate committee that isn't exactly the case.
Jenkins clarified that the designation "helps us unlock the doors" for the United States to seek more aggressive approaches to combat the country's drug problem, but it does not automatically provide authority to unleash drone attacks at the cartels in Mexico.
However, while it appears the option remains on the table anyway, unnamed U.S. intelligence officials claim it would be a last resort to send drones to Mexico in an attempt to halt the flow of drugs into American without notifying the Mexican government.
Interestingly, the U.S. is already sharing drone data on the cartels with Mexico. A covert CIA intelligence operation, started during the Biden administration, secretly flew drones over areas in Mexico to track cartel activity and identify fentanyl manufacturing&mdash;which can be discovered due to airborne chemicals. All reconnaissance data from the secret flights was disclosed to Mexican authorities.
Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the U.S. has been running surveillance drones across Mexico's airspace.
While launching drones into another country makes headlines, the commander of U.S. Northern Command, General Gregory Guillot, informed senators he would request authority from Congress for &ldquo;more advise-and-assist types of operations" between special forces units from Mexico and America.
Time will tell what path the U.S. will take to battle the fentanyl crisis.
(A ray of hope is, according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, drug overdose deaths declined 25.5% between October 2023 to October 2024.)
<h5>Learn More</h5>
<iframe style="width: 674px; height: 378px;" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9wllv31IBWk?si=47AjwdpjSTHVy1ck" width="674" height="378" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
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