Drone News Update Pilot Institute

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update, we have 3 stories for you this week: Drone Shop Owner arrested for prison drops, Baltimore bridge collapse, possible Avata release next week?
First up, next week appears to have two DJI releases!
The first release appears to be a possible gimbal which is set to release on the 9th.
Leaks on the new gimbal suggest an RS4 Pro and suggest battery compatibility and new accessories.
Unlike the possible RS4 Pro, the next release has several leaks.
Set to release on the 11th appears to be a new DJI Avata!
Leaked specs and pricing from DroneXL suggest a 1/1.3” CMOS sensor, D-Log, O4, and 23 minute battery life.
Pricing has also been leaked, with the drone only coming in at $410 and the fly more combo at $960.
We’ll keep you updated if we see anything else about either of these releases!

https://dronexl.co/2024/04/03/dji-avata-2-leaks-specs-prices-features/
https://dronexl.co/2024/03/28/dji-rs-4-pro-gimbal-leaked-photo/

Next up, the bridge collapse in Baltimore is a No Drone Zone.
If you’re unfamiliar, a container ship hit a bridge pylon on the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore resulting in the bridge collapsing.
To reduce possible airspace congestion, a TFR has been issued for the area surrounding the bridge.
Authorities including as the NTSB are using drones and helicopters as part of the investigation, with the NTSB releasing videos and images of the collapse.
The FBI has issued a statement saying: “The FBI's message is simple: All drones are to stay away from the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. This is to ensure the safety of all first responders and crews in the area as well as to not interfere with their work," said William J. DelBagno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Baltimore Field Office. "You will be charged federally if you fly a drone in a restricted area. It is harmful to the recovery operations, and it is illegal”
Don’t be that guy…

https://dronexl.co/2024/03/31/fbi-no-drone-zone-baltimore-bridge-collapse/

Last up this week, a drone shop owner in Georgia was arrested for using drones to smuggle contraband into Prison.
Georgia Department of Corrections arrested business owner Robert Schwartz from Thunder Drones on charges including contraband drops and inmate communications.
Police said during the investigation they stopped over 170 prison drops, seized more than 50 drones, 51 lbs of ecstasy, 22 firearms, and 273 cellphones.
The investigation began in November of 2022 and has led to 146 arrests.
We’ll keep you updated if we see anything else about this story.

https://dronexl.co/2024/03/29/drone-shop-arrested-georgia-prison-contraband/

Alright, that’s it, have a great weekend and we’ll see you next week on Monday for the live!

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update, we have 3 stories for you this week: DJI Dock 2 Release, Hylio gets approval for drone swarms, and DroneUp announces new delivery system.

First up is DJI’s new Dock 2.
The Dock 2 is a smaller more compact version of the DJI dock, with similar capabilities.
The Dock 2 is 75% smaller and 68% lighter than the Dock 1, and comes with two available aircraft.
DJI also released the Matrice 3D and 3DT with the Dock 2, allowing for nearly any mission to be completed using the Dock system.
The Matrice 3D is set up much like the Mavic 3 Enterprise, with a 4/3 CMOS wide camera and a 1/2” CMOS tele camera.
The Matrice 3DT mimics the Mavic 3 Enterprise Thermal, with a 1/1.32” CMOS wide camera, a 1/2” CMOS tele camera, and a 640x512 Thermal camera.
Batteries on both aircraft are advertised to last for 50 minutes and for 400 charge cycles.
DJI also advertised that the control of the docks was through US Based AWS servers for maximum security.
Let us know in the comments what you think about this new dock!

https://enterprise.dji.com/dock-2?site=enterprise&from=nav
https://dronexl.co/2024/03/26/dji-unveils-dock-2-automated-drone-ops/

Next up, Hylio has gotten approval to operate drone swarms!
Hylio makes several spray drones from small 2.5 gallon up to 18 gallon drones.
Prices range from $18,000 to $56,000 respectively, with additional accessories further increasing the price.
Hylio’s latest FAA approval allows them to operate several drones larger than 55lbs simultaneously.
It’s unclear the specifics of the waiver/authorization but this is a pretty huge breakthrough for those working in agriculture.

https://dronexl.co/2024/03/26/faa-green-light-agricultural-drone-swarms/

Last up is DroneUp.
DroneUp this week released a locker system, called the DBX, that will replace the operations centers currently in use.
The DBX acts as a location that a company can use to send packages out of, with a capacity of up to 50 packages per hour.
A drone then delivers the package to the customer and returns to a different location to either charge or to get a battery swap.
This allows a network of drones to operate from a “Hub” and pick up packages at stores and other locations to deliver to customers.
What do you think about this? Let us know in the comments!


https://www.droneup.com/introducing-the-droneup-ecosystem
https://dronexl.co/2024/03/26/droneup-autonomous-drone-delivery/

Alright, that’s it, have a great weekend and we’ll see you next week on Monday for the live!

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update, we have 3 stories for you this week: DJI Releases, AUVSI’s stance on Drone Bans, and an update on the man who flew over an NFL game in Maryland.

First up, DJI has a few rumors out for future releases!
The first is scheduled to come out on March 26th and is titled “Easy Operation, Superior Results”.
Leaks suggest this is most likely the DJI Dock 2, the Matrice 3D, and 3DT drones.
The Dock 2 and the new Matrice series drones popped up on the FCC database in February, but we haven’t seen any updates since then.
Rumors put the new dock at about $10,000 but don’t discuss the price of the drones.
Leaked specs include 50 minute flight times for Matrice 3D series, wind resistances up to 12 m/s (27 mph), and a maximum take off weight of 1610g.
Pretty cool for enterprise customers and public safety!

https://dronexl.co/2024/03/19/dji-dock-2-matrice-3d-drones-launch/

Our next story is about possible hidden agendas by AUVSI.

https://dronexl.co/2024/03/19/auvsi-real-stance-on-dji-drone-ban/

Last up this week is an update on the drone flyover of an NFL game earlier this year.
Matthew Hebert flew a drone over and around the stadium causing a delay during the first quarter of the game.
Police quickly located Hebert, who claimed ignorance of the TFR and relied on the drone’s remote control app for guidance.
Hebert cooperated fully with the investigation and was sentenced to one year of probation and a $500 fine.

https://dronexl.co/2024/03/17/drone-afc-championship-probation-fine-pennsylvania-man/

Alright, that’s it, have a great weekend and we’ll see you next week on Monday for the live!

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update, we have 4 stories for you this week: Remote ID enforcement begins, Bill to control airspace in Illinois Senate, St Louis Drone Bill update, and DJI Avata 2 Leaks.
First up the FAA’s deferred enforcement of remote ID ends this Saturday.
This means that remote ID is now required to operate any drone that is registered or needs to be registered.
If your drone doesn’t have remote ID, you can equip it using a broadcast module or you can fly it at a FRIA.
FRIA information is available in the UAS Facility maps or on Aloft Air aware.

https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-extends-remote-id-enforcement-date-six-months

Next up is an update on the St Louis drone bill that would regulate airspace…
The bill has passed the city’s legislature and is now on the Mayor’s desk.
Like we previously covered, this bill limits commercial operators and attempts to control airspace, including airspace around emergency vehicles, schools, publicly owned buildings, and events.
If these laws are violated, a pilot faces fines and the confiscation of the drone.
This is a perfect example of a municipality over reacting to a proposed drone operation.
We’ll keep you updated if this becomes law.

https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/city-laws/upload/legislative/boardbills/committee-substitute-amended/BB199CSAA%20Combined%20Final%205.pdf


Third this week is an Illinois bill that would also control the airspace.
This bill would allocate the lowest 150’ to of airspace to be controlled by municipalities, who could create their own rules around “public” airspace.
If you’re in IL, please reach out to Senators Julie Morrison and Linda Holmes to let them know this bill goes against the FAA’s sole jurisdiction of the airspace.
It’s also interesting to note that this bill doesn’t specifically attempt to restrict UAS, but instead would apply to all aircraft.
Another one we’ll keep you updated on!


https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocTypeID=SB&DocNum=2849&GAID=17&SessionID=112&LegID=151674

Ending on a better note, ther's leaks for the DJI Avata 2…
Leaded pictures show the Avata 2, which appears to be a streamlined and a bit thinner version of the original Avata.
With the leaked drone images come another set of DJI goggles with forward facing cameras, possibly to allow for an AR Experience.
Leaked specs for the Avata suggest a 1/1.3” CMOS Sensor, 155 degree FOV, f/2.8, and 4K 60/100/120.
Rumors say the drone will be about 480 grams and will fly for 27 minutes in normal/sport mode and 12-15 minutes in manual mode.
We’ll have to see what comes of these leaks!

https://dronexl.co/2024/03/10/dji-avata-2-goggles-3-specifications/

Alright, that’s it, have a great weekend and we’ll see you next week on Monday for the live!

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update, we have 4 stories for you this week: DJI Data breach, FAA Authorization extended, AirData creates public portal for government transparency, and Ohio DOT to use drones for traffic surveillance.

First up this week is supposed DJI data breach that turned out to be a complex scam.
The “Mogilevich” group claimed online to have hacked DJI and had a one-terabyte database of information including prototypes and blueprints of new products.
At least one person or group paid for the non-existent database at a price of $85,000.
The scammers then posted their scam online saying “Now the real question is? Why confess all this when we could just run away? This was done to illustrate the process of our scam, We don't think of ourselves as hackers but rather as criminal geniuses, if you can call us that.”
To be clear, DJI has not been hacked, the “hack” was instead a scam to convince people to pay for the non-existent data.
We’ll keep you updated if we see anything else about this.

https://dronexl.co/2024/03/04/hacker-mogilevich-scam-drone-maker-dji/

Second this week, the FAA has gotten another extension in funding until May 10th, 2024.
This is the third extension since the 2018 Reauthorization Act ran out in September of 2023.
The US House Of Representatives passed a bill to reauthorize the FAA for the next 5 years back in July of 2023, but the US Senate has yet to come to any agreement on FAA Reauthorization.
We’ll have to wait and see if this is another “Kicking the can down the road” fix or if we’ll get a 5 year reauthorization.

https://generalaviationnews.com/2024/03/05/faa-reauthorization-extended-yet-again-2/

Next this week, AirData has released their “Public Portal”.
The Public Portal is an integrated product for public safety agencies to publish where drone operations occurred within a city or municipality.
The publishing of these flights allows law enforcement agencies to be transparent about their operations after the operations have occurred.
Flights are filtered automatically to protect confidentiality and a department can tailor what data is released to their needs.
According to AirData, a number of major police departments have assisted with the design and development of the Public Portal including Chula Vista PD, Las Vegas Metro PD, and Sacramento PD.
For more information, check out AirData’s website.

Last up, the Ohio Department of Transportation will be using what appears to be a Censys Sentaero for traffic surveillance along US 33.
Along with the purchase of the Sentaero, the DOT has gotten approval for a BVLOS waiver and an OOP waiver, allowing the drone to be operated over people and traffic beyond line of sight.
Specific safety mitigations are not listed in article nor were they available on the Ohio DOT’s website.
It’s unclear when the traffic surveillance operations will begin, but the drone will also be used for a number of other operations including GIS operations, mapping, emergency management, and construction monitoring.
Another innovative use of UAS!

https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/ohio/odot-to-launch-drone-on-us-route-33/530-1485ea6d-e289-403f-86ed-dc418c306fd8
https://drive.ohio.gov/programs/aam/uas


Alright, that’s it, have a great weekend and we’ll see you next week on Monday for the live!

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update, we have 3 stories for you this week: Man sentenced after shooting down drone, SkyeBrowse Lite, and the AMA has gotten approval for temporary FRIAs.

First up this week is an update on a story we’ve been covering since 2021...
Back in 2021, a sheriff’s drone looking for burglary suspects was shot down by a man who claimed the drone was “Harassing him”.
The $30,000 Matrice 300 crashed onto a nearby building and caught on fire.
The fire was quickly contained and no permanent damage occurred to the structure.
Wendell Goney was identified as a person on interest and was contacted by police shortly after the crash.
Goney claimed the drone was harassing him and admitted to shooting the drone with a .22 rifle.
Deputies then arrested Goney for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
This week, a US District judge gave the 29 time felon a 4 year prison sentence for the incident.
We’ll have to see if this sets a precedent for other courts to follow in drone shoot downs.

https://dronexl.co/2024/02/23/florida-man-sentenced-four-years-shooting-down-sheriffs-drone/

Next up this week is our friends over at SkyeBrowse!
SkyeBrowse released “Lite” this week, adding a monthly plan between free and enterprise!
SkyeBrowse lite adds higher accuracy down to 2 inches and priority processing speeds for $49 a month.
If you’re unfamiliar with SkyeBrowse, it’s an online processing software that uses videos to create 3D models.
Videos can be from nearly any source and don’t require GPS information.
If you don’t want or need to pay for models, SkyeBrowse still has their Freemium plan, which allows you to pay to unlock tools when you need them!

https://www.skyebrowse.com/blog/2023/12/12/introducing-skyebrowse-lite

Last up this week is the AMA, who has gotten approval from the FAA for temporary FRIAs.
The approval is only applicable AMA events though we’ll likely see similar approvals for the FTCA, FPVFC and Stem+C soon.
NOTAMs will be required for these events, which won’t help out the FAA’s NOTAM system unless it gets a major overhaul.
We’ll keep you updated when we see more.

https://amablog.modelaircraft.org/amagov/2024/02/27/faa-grant-national-authorization-for-ama-sanctioned-events/

Alright, that’s it, have a great weekend and we’ll see you next week!