The Drone Pilot Brief
Part 107 Commercial UAS Operator, former manned aviation journalist, and Editor-in-Chief of The Drone Pilot Brief. Specializing in regulatory workflows, GIS mapping telemetry, and advanced fleet operations.
California lawmakers passed AB 2113, establishing a $500 fine for flying within 400 feet of outdoor concerts and sporting events. With Governor Newsom facing a September 30 deadline, the bill reignites the legal battle over federal airspace preemption....
USNDA and OUSW(R&E) establish National Drone Wars as the central venue for evaluating U.S. military drone operator proficiency, signaling a major shift in UAS modernization, procurement, and doctrine....
The FCC granted a temporary nationwide waiver for DOT’s Mobile Network Aviation Assessment Program. It bypasses decades of cellular airborne restrictions across 14 spectrum bands — but Part 107 pilots cannot fly on it yet....
Proclamation 11055 put additional ad valorem duties on certain UAS and UAS components entered or withdrawn for consumption on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time September 3, 2026. That is a customs cost and lead-time story. It is not a Part 107 grounding order, not a Remote ID change, and not “every small drone at 100 percent.”...
TSA is soliciting operators and associations for closed technical roundtables that will help shape model language for TSA-approved UAS BVLOS security programs. Requests are due October 19, 2026, unless TSA shifts that window after its final rule publishes. This notice is not a final rule and does not authorize BVLOS flight....
FAA expands BEYOND while Part 108 remains under review. Plus: the FAA's national drone-delivery environmental decision and what pilots should not assume....
A simulator is a cheap place to fail at an unfamiliar stick. It is not proof you can fly the aircraft you will take to a job. Treat simulation as a gate for basic control, then prove the same maneuvers on the real airframe....
Amazon says Prime Air will reach nearly 500 U.S. cities and towns by the end of 2026 — about a sixfold increase from its current footprint. That is a company target, not an FAA authorization for anyone else. Prime Air flies under Part 135. Your next mapping job still flies Part 107 unless you have something in writing that says otherwise....
The UK Ministry of Defence awarded development contracts under LCADE to three SMEs. It is development money, not a fielded production system....
Six heavy-lift drones completed a coordinated 780 kg sling lift in Yunnan across ~700m in three minutes. An industrial utility demo, not a Part 107 blueprint....
Joint Interagency Task Force 401 published a 90-page orientation handbook establishing the Four Ps and Five Ds. It is a shared vocabulary, not domestic scanning or an FAA rule....
An Army instructor explains why flying through goggles lacks vestibular feedback, presenting a hurdle for crewed pilots. A training observation, not a new syllabus....
The weekly operational-intelligence briefing for drone pilots. Filtered down to what actually matters before your next mission.
