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Drone News Update: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Pilot Institute
Weekly episodes discussing the latest drone news in the United States. Whether you're a hobbyist or a Part 107 Remote Pilot, staying up to date is important, especially in such a fast-changing industry.
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- Today5 min
Drone News: 2026 World Cup TFRs, BVLOS Waiver Times, Flock Safety, Walmart Drone Delivery
Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, We have four stories for you this week: the FAA publishes TFRs for the 2026 World Cup, North Dakota cuts BVLOS waiver times down to just 23 days, Flock Safety pushes the limits of police drone cameras, and a Walmart drone delivery pad sparks a local zoning fight in North Carolina. Let's get to it.First up this week, the FAA has officially published the venue list, dates, and airspace dimensions for the FIFA World Cup 2026 flight restrictions. If you're flying in any of the host cities, you'll want to pay attention to this.Eleven U.S. stadiums are getting three-nautical-mile radius restriction up to 3,000 feet above ground level on every match day. Twelve fan festivals are getting a tighter one-nautical-mile ring up to 1,000 feet, and several of these stay active continuously for weeks! In addition, hotels and practice sites are also getting a 1NM TFRs, even in cities that won’t be hosting games. This is a reminder that LAANC authorization buys you absolutely NO exemption inside an active TFR, this is for both Part 107 operators and Recreational pilots. The FAA is also using their DETER program to fast-track enforcement.Next up, North Dakota has managed to cut Beyond Visual Line of Sight waiver times from months down to just 23 business days. This is happening through the state's Vantis network, which covers more than 5,000 square miles of managed airspace. They recently activated the FAA's Federal Radar Enclave, which feeds the network the exact same real-time radar data that federal air traffic controllers use. Because the network handles the detect-and-avoid safety case, operators who join inherit that approval work instead of starting from scratch. Frontier Precision just joined as an operator, and their waiver covers any NDAA-compliant platform under 55 pounds flying within the Vantis service volumes.In our third story this week, Flock Safety is pushing the camera specs on its American-made Alpha drone as the Drone as First Responder market heats up. Flock claims the Alpha's gimbaled camera can read a vehicle license plate from up to 2,000 feet away. The payload combines multi-sensor optics, high-definition thermal imaging, low-light sensors, and a laser rangefinder. If you aren’t familiar, the Alpha tops out at 60 mph and claims a flight time of up to 45 minutes. It also features a dual battery-swapping dock with climate control that gets the drone airborne again in under 90 seconds. In addition, the drone is designed and assembled in Atlanta, Georgia, and is fully NDAA-compliant. Last up, a Walmart drone delivery pad has turned into a major zoning fight in Lincoln County, North Carolina. Walmart wants to build a small drone launch area in the parking lot of its Denver, North Carolina store to expand its Wing-operated delivery service. However, more than 200 neighbors have signed a petition to stop it, citing concerns over privacy, noise, and wildlife. The Wing delivery drones are hybrid aircraft that take off vertically and then fly on fixed wings. They weigh about 11 pounds and carry a 2.5-pound payload, though a newer model can carry up to 5 pounds. They cruise at 60 mph at about 150 feet above the ground with a 6-mile radius. When they arrive, they don't land, but instead hover at about 23 feet and lower the package on a tether. While the FAA already governs the airspace and has cleared this kind of delivery, local county commissioners control the land-use zoning for the launchpad itself.That’s it for this week, see you next week for Post flight where we’ll discuss these stories uncensored, live Q&A on Monday, and News update on Friday! https://dronexl.co/2026/06/02/flock-alpha-camera-drone-dfr-push/https://dronexl.co/2026/06/02/north-dakota-bvlos-waivers-23/https://dronexl.co/2026/05/31/faa-publishes-world-cup-tfr-venue-list/https://dronexl.co/2026/06/02/walmart-drone-pad-zoning-fight-in-nc/
- 1 weeks ago6 min
Drone News: DJI Cybersecurity Audit, FPV Drone hits 730 km/h, SkyeBrowse Major Update
Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, we have three stories for you this week; DJI audited by US-Based Cybersecurity firm OnDefend, a custom FPV drone hits 730 kilometers per hour, and SkyeBrowse rolls out another major product update. Let's get to it.First up this week, DJI released the findings of an independent security assessment conducted by U.S.-based cybersecurity firm OnDefend on May 28, 2026. The assessment evaluated the DJI Air 3S with RC 2 controller and the Matrice 4E with RC Plus 2 Enterprise controller. Test units were procured from retail outlets and dealer stock without pre-notification to DJI.The assessment ran from October 2025 through March 2026 and produced zero critical, high, or medium-risk findings. Specifically, OnDefend reported no evidence of data transmission outside the United States, no backdoors or unauthorized remote access mechanisms, no unexplained radio frequency emissions, and no supply chain tampering or unauthorized hardware modifications. Controllers also resisted jailbreak and firmware modification attempts. Ten low-risk findings and thirteen observations were identified, primarily related to application security configurations, session handling, and wireless hardening. DJI stated it is working to address remaining items in subsequent software releases.DJI cited the findings in connection with its ongoing appeal of its December 2025 inclusion on the FCC Covered List, which was not accompanied by a documented security vulnerability. The release noted that more than 80% of the 1,800-plus state and local law enforcement agencies operating drones use DJI platforms, and that 43% of drone business users surveyed indicated DJI restrictions would have an extremely negative or business-ending impact on operations. This comes just a few weeks after the FCC's request for comment closed on reconsidering DJI's addition to the entity list, prohibiting them from introducing new models in the US.Next up, Australian aerospace engineer Benjamin Biggs just pushed his custom Blackbird drone to an absolutely blistering 730 kilometers per hour, or 454 miles per hour, on a downwind run! Flying back into the wind, the drone hit 640 kilometers per hour, giving it a two-direction average of 685 kilometers per hour, or 426 miles per hour. Unfortunately, this incredible speed run won't count for the record books. The team didn't have accredited Guinness observers on site, the winds were gusting up to 60 kilometers per hour, and the drone didn't land on a clean battery. They also lost one of their two drones at 630 kilometers per hour when the video feed completely dropped out. The team reportedly believes this was caused by the Doppler effect messing with the digital video link as the drone screamed past the pilot. Last up, SkyeBrowse has rolled out a major update to their core videogrammetry engine. If you use their software for 3D modeling, you'll want to pay attention to this. Every plan on their platform now has upgraded accuracy, better texture rendering, and faster tooling at no additional charge. According to their internal benchmarks, there is a 3X improvement in matching accuracy when you combine multiple video sources. They also upgraded their AI Floor Plans, which are now twice as accurate and can be exported from any interior model in about 20 seconds. On top of that, their Image Walkthroughs feature, which lets you navigate through structured spaces using high-quality photos, is now available to everyone for free. That’s it for this week, see you next week for Post flight where we’ll discuss these stories uncensored, live Q&A on Monday, and News update on Friday! https://www.dji.com/ca/trust-centerhttps://dronexl.co/2026/05/22/blackbird-biggs-730-kmh-drone-speed-record/https://www.skyebrowse.com/news/posts/major-product-update
- 2 weeks ago2 min
Drone News: Autel Fights Back Against FCC, MI House Passes Two Drone Bills, Thermal Drone Saves Life
Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week; Autel fights back against the FCC's Covered List, the Michigan House passes two drone procurement bills while stalling on airspace restrictions, a drones-for-good story where a thermal drone saves a life in freezing temperatures. Let's get to it.And first up this week, Autel Robotics has filed a reply with the FCC, arguing that their addition to the Covered List is based on secret evidence and allegations that were actually aimed at DJI. Autel claims they were never given a chance to see the classified material used against them, which they argue violates their Fifth Amendment right to due process. What's really interesting here is that Autel is finally putting their technical operations on the public record. They stated under oath that their flight data is stored locally by default and isn't automatically uploaded to company servers. They also specified that their drone communications and stored data use AES-128 or AES-256 encryption, and that no third party has access to their software. We’ll be watching this closely. Next up, let's talk about some state-level regulations. The Michigan House just passed two out of the 15 bills in the SHIELD Michigan drone package. House Bills 5329 and 5331 both focus on procurement. They basically stop state agencies from using state funds to buy drones from companies on federal concern lists, like the DOD's 1260H list. But here's the real story for you as a Part 107 or recreational pilot. The other 13 bills didn't pass. Those were the bills that had us really worried about federal preemption. They included things like criminal penalties for flying over critical infrastructure, giving local police the authority to shoot down or disable drones, and even a mandatory state-run geofencing app. Seeing those 13 bills stall in the House is a huge win for our drone industry. And there’s still time to fight the other two, as the bills now go to the Senate for consideration. If you’re in Michigan, make your voice heard by reaching out to your State Senator! Last up, the Corman Park Police Service in Saskatchewan, Canada, used their DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise to save a man's life in brutal conditions. Officers were looking for an intoxicated man in minus 20 degree Celsius or minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit weather. The officers deployed their Mavic 3T and were able to pick up the man's heat signature inside a roadside dumpster. Officers were able to get to him before hypothermia set in. Great job to Corman Park Police Service!Join us later for Post Flight in the community, and for the Live Q&A! We'll see you then!https://dronexl.co/2026/05/19/autel-fcc-reply-covered-list-secret-evidence-dji/https://dronexl.co/2026/05/21/dji-mavic-3-enterprise-man-dumpster-20/https://dronexl.co/2026/05/14/michigan-house-passes-2-of-15-shield-drone-bills/
- 3 weeks ago5 min
Drone News: FCC Extends Firmware Waiver, FIFA World Cup No-Fly Zones, Remote ID Network for NASA
Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week. First, the FCC extends the firmware waiver for foreign drones, the FAA announces strict No Drone Zones for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and lastly, Pierce Aerospace is building a massive Remote ID network for NASA. Let's get to it.First up this week, we have some interesting news regarding the FCC and foreign-made drones. The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology just released Public Notice DA 26-454. This notice extends the waiver for software and firmware updates on previously authorized foreign-made drones, including DJI and Autel, until at least January 1, 2029. The original deadline was January 1, 2027, meaning after this deadline, foreign-made drones that were previously approved by the FCC, would not have been able to get software updates. This is your Mavic, Air, Mini drones that you currently have on the shelf. This extension basically allows for updates not until early 2029. The waiver covers Class I changes, which are your standard security patches and bug fixes. But it now also includes Class II changes, which are more substantial software updates intended to prevent consumer harm. The FCC is basically admitting that blocking security patches on the millions of DJI and Autel drones already sitting in American homes would create a worse cybersecurity problem than the ban was meant to allegedly fix. Ban foreign drones because they allegedly are a security risk, but allow them to get updates so they don't become a security risk.Next up, if you are planning to fly anywhere near the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, you'll want to pay close attention to this next story. The FAA and law enforcement have officially designated all World Cup stadiums and surrounding event spaces as strict No Drone Zones. During the matches, the FAA will be putting Temporary Flight Restrictions, or TFRs, in place to secure the airspace. This means taking off, landing, or flying a drone within these restricted areas is a serious violation of federal rules. The FAA is working closely with the FBI and local law enforcement, and they will be actively monitoring the airspace to detect and track unauthorized drones. Even if you are an experienced Part 107 pilot or you have a standard airspace authorization, you are not permitted to fly during these active TFR windows. The penalties for violating these restrictions are severe, including heavy fines, potential criminal charges, and having your drone confiscated.And in our third story this week, Pierce Aerospace has been selected to deploy a large Remote ID sensor network throughout Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. They were chosen by Metis Technology, the prime contractor for NASA's Aerospace Research Technology and Simulation contract. Pierce Aerospace will be deploying their YR1 and YR2S Remote ID sensors in a layered network to support NASA's Air Traffic Management and Safety project. As a reminder, Remote ID is the FAA's requirement that drones broadcast their location via telemetry data. This new sensor network will provide regional coverage to help NASA figure out how to safely integrate new technologies like package delivery drones and electric air taxis into our National Airspace System.We’ll see you on Monday for the live and on post flight in the premium community where I’m sure this week we’ll be sharing some opinions… Have a great weekend! https://dronexl.co/2026/05/11/fcc-extends-foreign-drone-firmware-waiver-2029-da-26-454/https://www.faa.gov/fifaworldcup2026https://www.pierceaerospace.net/blogs/news/pierce-aerospace-selected-to-build-remote-id-network-for-nasa-paving-the-way-for-drone-and-air-taxi-flight-in-the-bay-area
- 4 weeks ago7 min
Drone News: Section 2209, Public Comments, Drone Incursions, ACSL x Draganfly, 7 yrs of News Update
Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have five stories for you this week; the FAA dropped Section 2209 NPRM, the public comment window is closing on DJI's FCC Covered List challenge, a record-breaking 218 drone incursions over wildfires last year, ACSL is Partnering with Draganfly, and today marks 7 years of uninterrupted drone news! First up this week, the FAA has finally filed its long-overdue Section 2209 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, or NPRM. This opens a 60-day comment window that will determine how fixed-site facilities can apply for permanent drone restrictions over their property. The 181-page rule creates a new 14 CFR Part 74 framework with two tiers: a Standard Unmanned Aircraft Flight Restriction and a Special UAFR. The FAA proposes limiting eligibility to 16 critical infrastructure sectors, which could encompass more than 9,000 eligible facilities. The proposed rule includes a transit lane for commercial operators! Drones operating under Parts 91, 107, 108, 135, and 137 will be allowed to transit a Standard UAFR if they broadcast Remote ID, transit in the shortest practicable time, and notify the facility. Unfortunately, recreational flyers are not on that list. This rule explicitly does NOT grant facility operators counter-drone authority, such as jamming or drone capture. It is strictly an airspace designation. Next, the deadline to submit public comments on the FCC petition regarding DJI's placement on the Covered List is rapidly approaching on May 11, 2026. DJI is challenging the FCC's December 2025 decision that effectively blocks the authorization of new affected products for sale or import into the United States. DJI has pursued legal action in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. So far, more than 460 comments have been submitted, and the Department of Defense has recently urged the FCC to reject DJI's petition.Third up, the U.S. Forest Service reported a staggering 218 drone sightings over active wildfires in 2025. Most of these happened during the Eaton and Palisades, which includes the one on January 9, 2025 where a privately flown drone actually collided with a Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper aircraft, punching a 3-by-6-inch hole in the left wing. Remember, DJI removed mandatory geofencing enforcement from its consumer drones in early 2025, shifting to advisory warnings. Check for TFRs on tfr.faa.gov.Next up, Draganfly Inc. and ACSL signed an exclusive master distributor agreement on May 7, 2026, making Draganfly the sole Canadian distributor of ACSL's drone technology. The agreement also includes technical integration work between the two companies' platforms. The initial product offering is the ACSL SOTEN. Under the integration component of the agreement, Draganfly's Apex and Commander 3XL drones will be made compatible with SOTEN's swappable payloads and the TAITEN ground control station, allowing operators to mix components across both manufacturers' systems. SOTEN joins Draganfly's existing lineup of Apex, Commander 3XL, and Heavy Lift platforms.And last up, Today marks 7 years of uninterrupted drone news! We’ve covered a ton of ground since we started, with over 460,000 students, over a million enrollments, including 148,000 Part 107 students, 61,000 free stickers, which will continue to be free thanks to community donations, over 28,000 active members in our community, over 365,000 free TRUST certificates issued, and over 19,000 WINGS credits issued on the FAASafety platform. Thank you for your support! We’ll see you on Monday for the live and on post flight in the premium community!https://dronelife.com/2026/05/05/public-comment-window-closing-fcc-weighs-dji-challenge-to-covered-list-ruling/https://dronexl.co/2026/05/01/218-wildfire-drone/https://dronexl.co/2026/05/05/faa-section-2209-nprm-drops/https://acsl-usa.com/https://draganfly.com/
- May 1, 20264 min
Drone News: DJI's Products in Limbo, Autonomous Airplane Flights, Drone Show Makes History
Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, We have three stories for you this week: DJI reveals that 25 unreleased products are stuck in regulatory limbo, Reliable Robotics raises 160 million dollars for autonomous cargo flights, and Starlight Aerial Productions makes history at Sun N Fun. Let's get to it.First up this week, DJI has filed a sharply worded brief in its Ninth Circuit court fight with the FCC, and they finally put specific numbers on how much the current ban is hurting their pipeline. According to the filing, the FCC has already voided authorizations for 14 existing products, which includes five drones and nine other products that are currently unreleased, and 25 planned product launches for 2026… This means a total of 39 DJI projects won’t hit the market this year due to the FCC ban. According to DJI, this will cause a 1.56 billion dollar loss this calendar year alone. DJI's legal team filed a briefing, arguing that the FCC is trying to run out the clock by not making a formal decision. They are also making a major constitutional argument, claiming that FCC staff shouldn't have the power to ban entire product categories without a full Commission vote and judicial review. DJI is asking the court for a six-month pause on the ban to force the FCC to make a formal decision and issue a final ruling. This is obviously a massive deal for our drone industry, specifically consumers, public safety, and even some enterprise. We will keep a close eye on how the court responds.Next up, Reliable Robotics has closed a 160 million dollar funding round, bringing the company's valuation to nearly 1 billion dollars. The company, led by a former SpaceX engineer, is trying to certify an uncrewed Cessna 208 Caravan under Part 23 airworthiness rules. Instead of building a brand new drone from scratch, Reliable's system retrofits an already-certified Cessna 208 with a continuous autopilot that handles taxi, takeoff, cruise, and landing, all while a ground operator monitors the flight. They actually flew a Cessna with no one on board for 12 minutes back in November 2023. Now, they are planning to run autonomous cargo routes between airports in New Mexico and Colorado starting this summer. This is a huge step for large Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations. By putting autonomy into an airframe the FAA already knows and trusts, they are cutting a clear pathway for autonomous commercial cargo. If they actually start moving paying freight in US-controlled airspace this summer, that will be another major jump forward, and will set a massive precedent for every commercial operator out there. Last up, Starlight Aerial Productions and the Red Bull Air Force, staged what they describe as a first in airshow history: three people in wing suits flying through an illuminated drone formation at approximately 2,000 feet AGL during the night show. The demonstration was part of the event's "Red, White & Blue at 52" theme, marking both the 52nd annual expo and the 250th anniversary of the United States. The performance required months of planning, safety validation, and rehearsals coordinated among the FAA, Starlight, and the Red Bull Air Force to integrate crewed human flight with unmanned aerial systems in a live audience setting. The drone formation used American-made Lumenier Arora drones and was choreographed to create a three-dimensional lighted gateway timed to the wingsuiters' flight paths. And let me tell you, it was a great show and super cool to see the wing suits fly through the drone show! Be sure to join us in the Premium Community for Post flight, where we share our opinions that aren’t always suitable for YouTube, and on Monday for the live! We’ll see you next week! https://dronexl.co/2026/04/21/reliable-robotics-160m-nimble-partners-faa-certification/https://dronexl.co/2026/04/22/dji-ninth-circuit-opposition-brief-fcc-ban-1-56-billion/https://starlightdroneshows.com/
- Apr 24, 20266 min
Drone News: FAA DETER Program, DJI Lito Leaks, Two New DJI Drones, SiFly x ADS-B Exchange
Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, we have four stories for you this week: The FAA launches the DETER program, pricing and specs leak for the new DJI Lito 1 and Lito X1, DJI releases the massive FlyCart 200 and T200 heavy-lift drones, and SiFly shares aircraft location on ADS-B Exchange. Let's get to it.And first up this week, the FAA has announced a new drone enforcement program called DETER, which stands for Drone Expedited and Targeted Enforcement Response. This went into effect on April 17th. Under this program, first-time individual violators can get reduced civil penalties or shorter certificate suspensions, but there is a catch. You have to admit liability and completely surrender your right to appeal. If you get a formal notice of violation in the mail, you have just 10 days to sign the acknowledgment, pay the fine, and mail in your Part 107 certificate if you have one. By signing, you waive all your rights to contest the case later. Next up, we have some major leaks regarding the DJI Lito 1 and Lito X1, which reportedly surfaced on an Italian retailer's website just days before their official launch. The entry-level Lito 1 targets the sub-250 gram beginner segment. It features a 1/2-inch sensor that shoots 48-megapixel stills, 4K video, and has a flight time of up to 36 minutes. It also includes omnidirectional obstacle sensing, which is amazing for a drone listed at roughly 400 US dollars. The Lito X1, which steps it up to a 1/1.3-inch sensor for better low-light performance. The really big news here is that the X1 includes forward-facing LIDAR for obstacle avoidance. The leaked price for the X1 with the standard RC-N3 controller is around 500 dollars.DJI has also quietly released two massive new heavy-lift drones in the Chinese market: the DJI FlyCart 200 and the DJI T200. Both drones share the same core airframe and can carry a maximum single-unit payload of 200 kilograms, or about 440 pounds. But it gets crazier, because they support multi-drone collaborative lifting. Two drones can link up to carry up to 360 kilograms, or 794 pounds. And the FlyCart 200 can actually coordinate four drones together to lift up to 600 kilograms, which is over 1,300 pounds! Other features include an 11-sensor intelligent safety system, dual PSDK interfaces, and use the O4 transmission system with a stable connectivity range of up to 40 kilometers, or about 25 miles. The maximum flight range with no load is 36 kilometers. The FlyCart 200 is designed for industrial logistics and construction, with prices starting around 19,700 dollars. The T200 is tailored specifically for agriculture, limited to dual-drone coordination, and starts at a lower price point of about 14,700 dollars. SiFly Aviation and ADS-B Exchange announced a partnership that integrates SiFly's cloud-connected Q12 drones into ADS-B Exchange's live airspace displays. The collaboration aims to provide a unified view of both crewed and uncrewed aircraft operating in shared airspace, a step the companies describe as supporting scalable Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) operations and the broader integration of unmanned aircraft systems into national airspace. Unlike most crewed aircraft, which broadcast ADS-B signals through onboard radios, the Q12 transmits real-time telemetry through a secure cloud connection, which is then surfaced within ADS-B Exchange's airspace views alongside traditional aircraft activity. That’s all for this week, we’ll see you in the premium community for post flight where we share our opinions and on Monday for the live! https://dronexl.co/2026/04/21/dji-lito-1-x1-italian-retailer-pricing-leak/https://dronexl.co/2026/04/21/dji-flycart-200-t200-drones-200kg-payload/https://dronexl.co/2026/04/19/faa-deter-drone-enforcement-program/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sifly-and-ads-b-exchange-debut-first-of-its-kind-shared-airspace-awareness-across-crewed-and-uncrewed-aircraft-302748126.html
- Apr 17, 20266 min
Drone News: ICE Notam Updated, Pentagon Vs. DJI, FAA Clears Anti-Drone Lasers, New DJI Drone!
Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update, we have three stories for you this week, the Pentagon cites classified intelligence to oppose DJI's FCC petition, the FAA clears the military to use anti-drone lasers in U.S. airspace, and DJI officially teases the new Lito drone launch. Let's get to it. First up this week, the Department of Defense has officially filed a memo with the FCC opposing DJI's petition to be removed from the agency's Covered List. The Pentagon stated that their national security decision wasn't just based on public supply chain concerns, but actually relied on both classified and unclassified intelligence. They even submitted a classified document to Congress on April 3rd. DJI has been fighting this on three different legal fronts, including a Ninth Circuit petition and a D.C. Circuit appeal. But this classified intelligence creates a massive hurdle. How do you defend yourself against evidence you aren't allowed to see? Meanwhile, the FCC is pushing forward with new rules to support domestic drone manufacturing under the "Unleashing American Drone Dominance" initiative. They recently gave conditional approvals to four non-Chinese drone systems; all enterprise models. Next up, the FAA has officially given the U.S. military clearance to use high-energy anti-drone lasers in U.S. airspace. This comes after a tense two-month standoff that actually shut down commercial flights over the Texas-Mexico border twice. Back in February, Customs and Border Protection used a Pentagon-owned laser to target what turned out to be metallic balloons. The FAA immediately closed all airspace within a 10-nautical-mile radius of El Paso from the surface up to 18,000 feet. The White House eventually had to step in to lift the shutdown. Then, in a crazy friendly-fire incident on February 26th, soldiers used the same laser to shoot down a drone over Texas. It turns out, the drone belonged to CBP, and it reportedly cost about 30 million dollars! After these incidents, the FAA and Pentagon ran a live test at the White Sands Missile Range. During the test, a commercial aircraft drifted into the laser's tracking angle, and the system's automatic safety shutoff immediately powered the laser down before it could fire. Because of that successful safety feature, the FAA determined the lasers do not present an increased risk to the flying public. If you are flying manned or unmanned aircraft near the southern border, pay attention, because the FAA will be issuing an advisory about increased anti-drone laser activity. And finally this week, after months of leaks, DJI has officially teased a new drone launch for April 23rd. The teaser uses the tagline "Just Fly" and confirms the Lito name with hashtags for the DJI Lito and Lito X1. Now let's talk about the rumored specs. We are reportedly expecting two models, and we’re thinking this will replace the Mini series as the entry level drone. The entry-level Lito 1 is reported to be a sub-250-gram drone with 22 gigabytes of internal storage and a price tag around $330. The higher-end Lito X1 is rumored to have 42 gigabytes of storage and cost around $759. Both drones are expected to feature multi-band connectivity across 2.4, 5.2, and 5.8 gigahertz, along with Wi-Fi 6. Flight times are rumored to be around 30 minutes on the standard battery, pushing up to 50 minutes with a heavier plus battery that will put you over that 250-gram limit. The Lito X1's FCC filing also mentions an "SDR Transmission 2 Transceiver," which has people speculating about O5-class transmission performance. Alright, that’s it for this week, no Post Flight or Live, but if you’re in the Lakeland Florida area, be sure to stop by Sun N Fun to meet the team on Saturday or Sunday! `https://dronexl.co/2026/04/11/faa-clears-military-use-anti-drone-lasers/https://dronexl.co/2026/04/11/pentagon-dod-classified-intelligence-dji-fcc-covered-list-opposition/https://dronexl.co/2026/04/14/dji-teases-lito-drone-launch-for-april-23/
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