Something strange – and incredibly dangerous – has been happening in the Arizona skies, where pilots of advanced F-16 and F-35 fighter jets reported 22 sightings and at least one collision with drones in or around restricted US Air Force zones. But beyond the basic details of those encounters, the mystery surrounding them remains total.

So, you’re looking to get into the drone hobby with an affordable entry-level gadget? If you’ve done some research already, you’d know that the Mini 2 SE is the cheapest entry-level drone from DJI today. But this is 2024. And Mini 2 SE gets much of its tech stack from the Mini 2, which first came out in 2020. The most reasonable beginner drone you can grab today is the DJI Mini 3. And the best part? Mini 3 is currently on sale for $469, a significant markdown from its original retail price of $559.

The San Francisco East Bay Area city of Fremont is launching what is being hailed as the nation’s first drone responder program operated jointly by municipal police and fire forces, in an effort backed by specialized UAV operation, training, and security consultancy partner Skyfire.

The UK’s  Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulatory body has taken an important step toward enabling UAV activities to scale, with its proposals to loosen rules for beyond visual line of sight drone operation (BVLOS).

Irrepressible UK startup Skyports Drone Services has landed what – in theory, anyway – could be a gold mine of near- and long-term UAV activity through its new partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. 

A new initiative is set to introduce cross-border drone delivery services between Malaysia and Singapore. The focus will be on critical deliveries such as urgent documents, high-value electronics, medical supplies, and perishable foods.

In a bid to strengthen its global aviation security partnerships, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), an agency of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), recently conducted a counter-drone training in Croatia.

It took New York City ages to get over its aversion to drones, but now that it has its leaders are pushing for their deployment in expanding numbers – including helping beach lifeguards reach drowning victims faster.

Instant logistics pioneer Zipline is expanding its activities with US healthcare clients through a new contract to provide drone deliveries across Pennsylvania for patients and clinics of WellSpan Health.

Drone reality capture platform SkyeBrowse says it is introducing a new, cost-effective tier — SkyeBrowse Lite — that would allow professionals and hobbyists to generate high-quality 3D models without resorting to expensive photogrammetry software.

Anyline, a Vienna-based mobile data capture specialist, says its barcode scanning technology can now be deployed in commercially available drones to autonomously scan inventory across entire warehouses. Packaging and paper powerhouse Mondi recently engaged with Anyline to apply the tech to DJI Mini 3 Pro and successfully counted a full warehouse with flying cameras!

As extreme-right Republican legislators continue blocking passage of additional US aid to Ukraine, Canada has stepped up alongside European countries and the UK to promise quick delivery of thousands of drones to Kyiv for its nearly two-year defensive battle against Russia’s invasion.

UK companies Skyports Drone Services and environmental protection maintenance specialist Ground Control are pairing up to help railroad infrastructure owner Network Rail in spotting and organizing its track clearing activities with greater attention to ecological protection.

Autel Robotics says its EVO Max drone series has received the coveted Class C2 type certificate under the new European drone regulations. For drone operators, Max’s C2 certification involves a firmware update to ensure compliance with the latest regulatory standards of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

This week OpenAI announce Sora, an AI powered realistic video generator that only requires a monthly subscription and an idea. In part of OpenAI’s announcement, it showed off rather convincing drone-like shots of Big Sur and coastal cities that would fool probably anyone but experts. So what does this mean for us drone pilots that hope to make a living doing this same thing?

Swiss drone manufacturing and aerial services company RigiTech is expanding its geographical and healthcare footprint with a new partnership in the Netherlands, where it will trial deployment and eventual integration of its UAVs into routine operation by medical transport and response units.

A firebrand US House of Representatives legislator who usually rails against the size, cost, and over-reach of rights-crushing government is hailing the advance of her bill to deprive perhaps millions of state agency, business, and police, fire, first responder, and private users the ability to fly their DJI drones across the country. And there aren’t even “alternative facts” backing up the motives for the astonishingly repressive effort.

Multiple social media platforms have come down hard on the account of a Colorado-based developer who used his drone to provoke and film homeless people, ultimately setting the videos to mocking music before posting them online.

A Canadian-Russian woman has pleaded guilty in a US court to participating in a multimillion-dollar plot to send American components to Russia for use in drones and guided missile systems.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory (MIT LL) is joining forces with the Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA) so that beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations in the US can scale up safely.

Given the billions of dollars already invested, it’s not exactly “easy come, easy go.” But the decision by the US army to scrap a major combat helicopter program as – for all intents and purposes – obsolete in a world where drone deployment is expanding exponentially offers another example of how UAVs have captured a central role in military planning and activity in the two years since Ukraine was forced into war.

Aviation defense and security company BAE Systems has transformed a productive partnership into ownership of fellow UK-based company Malloy Aeronautics, whose development and production of drones – especially heavy-lift craft – has earned it plaudits over the last few years.

A popular, albeit decidedly quirky drone video enthusiast known as PhillyDroneLife has received a jolt of very conventional reality with US prosecutors filing a case against him for breaking flight regulations, and reportedly seeking nearly $200,000 in fines.