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.
The draft Part 108 BVLOS final rule is under OIRA review under RIN 2120-AL82. It is not currently operative law. Part 107 still governs ordinary commercial small-UAS work, plus whatever waiver you actually hold. Part 135 carriers stay on that certificate until a published Part 108 rule actually applies to them....
Matternet partnered with Beeline UAS under Beeline’s Part 135 certificate to target Bay Area and LA BVLOS delivery. A capacity partnership, not a new FAA regulation....
Public comments on FAA Docket FAA-2026-4558 closed on 5 August 2026. Closing comments did not create new no-fly zones. Operators must plan against active airspace rules....
The Commercial UAV Expo keynote panel concluded on 1–3 September 2026. Conference discussions do not alter sovereign flight rules or establish bilateral reciprocity....
DJI published manufacturer declarations for design-related OSOs under EASA SAIL III. These are manufacturer claims, not an EASA operational approval or U.S. authorization....
Operating in the dark requires more than three-mile strobes. Learn to combat autokinesis, flickering, and depth illusions....
FAA’s own delivery path today is Part 135 plus case-specific approvals — not a finished Part 108 rulebook. Part 108 remains at OIRA under RIN 2120-AL82. A carrier’s OpSpecs do not transfer to ordinary Part 107 work....
The BVLOS ARC report was submitted on 10 March 2022. It led to the Part 108 NPRM on 7 August 2025 and OIRA review on 10 July 2026. ARC recommendations are not operative law....
Selecting the right payload for stockpile audits requires balancing initial equipment cost, processing speed, and site canopy constraints....
Keep your batteries warm and your sensors calibrated. Preflight checks for sub-freezing commercial missions....
Learn how to calculate filter density and maintain the 180-degree shutter rule during bright daylight flights....
A practical, step-by-step workflow for achieving professional dynamic range and rich tones in DaVinci Resolve....
The weekly operational-intelligence briefing for drone pilots. Filtered down to what actually matters before your next mission.
