Part 107, public safety & commercial drone operations
Field-tested guidance on the exam, drone-as-first-responder programs, and turning a certificate into paid, compliant work.
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The BVLOS Rule Is Still Unpublished — But the Industry Is Building Around It
As the FAA's BVLOS rule waits for publication, a flight-data milestone, a new urban delivery aircraft, and a doubled research program show the industry isn't waiting.
The FAA's DETER Program Signals a Tougher Line on Rogue Pilots
A new FAA enforcement program, stubborn airliner near-misses, and maturing Remote ID rules all point the same direction: accountability is tightening for every remote pilot.
Part 107 Turns Ten — and the Classroom Is Now the Front Door
As the FAA's Part 107 rule marks a decade, the story isn't just how far commercial drones have come — it's how thoroughly the certificate has been absorbed into schools and colleges.
The DFR Wins Are Piling Up. So Is the Scrutiny.
New Drone as First Responder deployments in Cleveland, O'Fallon, and Shreveport show the model working — but a collapsed San Francisco case and a new certification portal signal the guardrails are tightening.
The Airspace Is Global Now — But Every Amazon Drone Still Needs Its Own FAA Permit
Seven regulators are building commercial drone airspace worldwide while Amazon's 500-city plan still requires a separate FAA sign-off per location. The gap defines the next year for US pilots.
Two Drone Strikes, One Trust Gap: Why Public Fear Is Now a Compliance Problem
Reported strikes at JFK and San Diego collide with a new poll showing nearly 70% of Americans worried about drone safety. For pilots, that fear is becoming a regulatory force.
One Certificate, Two Doors: Community Colleges vs. the COA Loophole
As community colleges open Part 107 prep courses, a parallel loophole lets some law enforcement fly without the certificate at all. Here's what both trends mean for pilots.
When the Drone Gets Shot: Success and Vulnerability in the Same Week
A run of August reports shows DFR and fire-service drones proving their worth in the field — and getting destroyed by the very suspects they track. Program managers should plan for both.
The Two Rulebooks Behind Autonomous Drones: Part 108 and Part 146
Everyone is watching Part 108, but a second regulatory piece — Part 146 — may decide whether truly autonomous, uncrewed operations actually scale. Here's what pilots need to know.
Remote ID Was Supposed to Fix This. Airport Sightings Just Doubled.
Remote ID is live and enforcement tools are expanding, yet airport drone sightings nearly doubled last quarter. The gap between the rules and the reality is where pilots get caught.
Part 108 Missed Its Deadline. The Right-of-Way Fight Is Why.
The FAA blew past its own Part 108 deadline, and a core dispute over who yields in shared airspace is the reason. Here's what Part 107 pilots need to watch.
Delivery Week: DoorDash Gets Its Wings, Amazon Goes Global, Zipline Enters the Clinic
A single week saw a DoorDash FAA approval, Amazon's first international hub in the UK, and a Cleveland Clinic-Zipline pact — with community pushback trailing close behind.
Same Week, Two Fights: DFR Wins Deployments While Councils Draw Lines
As DFR programs post fast saves and dispatch integrations, Nashville and Lewiston show the oversight fight is now the deciding factor in whether a program flies.
The BVLOS Rule Is Stuck in Final Review — and the Waiting Game Has Costs
The FAA sent its landmark BVLOS rule to final federal review, but DOT calls the delay deliberate — and Zipline warns the uncertainty is freezing drone investment.
The SAFER SKIES Rules Are Here: What Counter-Drone Authority Means for State and Local Law Enforcement
A DOJ–DHS interim final rule effective July 1 lets state and local police and corrections agencies detect — and in defined cases disable — threatening drones. The authority is real, and so is the compliance framework around it.
One Drone Reportedly Hit a JetBlue Jet Near JFK. The Detection Gap Is the Real Story.
A reported drone strike on a JetBlue jet near JFK capped a string of NYC-area encounters — exposing how little we still know about the airspace below approach paths.
More People Are Taking the Part 107 Test — And More Are Failing
Test volume is climbing while scores slip. Here's what's driving the trend, why it matters for your certificate, and how to prepare so you're not part of the statistic.
The Delivery Cracks: Two Rough Drops Test the Scale-Up Story
A parachute landing near a parked truck in Texas and early stumbles in Baton Rouge show what happens when drone delivery expands faster than the operational polish behind it.
The DFR Land Rush: Small Cities Are Now Moving as Fast as Big Ones
Spokane logged 400 drone flights in three weeks while LaGrange, Jacksonville, and Seattle stood up new programs — and the EFF warns hundreds more are coming. Here's what program managers should watch.
Part 108 Nears the Finish Line as Rulemaking and Money Reshape the Field
Part 108 is close to final, a new critical-infrastructure NPRM is open, and defense dollars are flowing. Here's what these overlapping shifts mean for working drone pilots.
Two Airports, Three Days: What the NYC-Area Drone Encounters Mean for Pilots
A reported drone strike on a JetBlue jet at JFK and a near-miss with a United flight at Newark put remote pilots back in the enforcement spotlight. Here's what's known — and how to stay clear.
The Part 107 Pipeline Is Getting Younger — and More Institutional
A new robotics-education partnership and a state-run training framework signal that Part 107 prep is moving from solo self-study into schools and public programs. Here's what that means for candidates.
TFRs and Drone Enforcement Around FIFA Events: What Pilots Must Know
Major FIFA matches trigger stadium TFRs and coordinated federal, state, and local drone enforcement. Here's how it works and how to stay legal.
The Delivery Land Grab: Zipline, Amazon, and Matternet Scale Up
Three delivery operators are racing to build national networks and hire from Tesla, Waymo, and Uber. Here's what the buildout signals for commercial drone businesses.
The Money Is Flowing to DFR — But the Airspace Problem Isn't Solved
A $125M BRINC raise and new radar and mapping integrations show where DFR is headed. But the real bottleneck for scaling programs remains airspace awareness.
Delivery Drones Hit Main Street: Omaha, Cleveland, and London Scale Up
Amazon lands in Nebraska, Cleveland Clinic launches pharmacy drops, and NHS samples fly across London. A single week shows drone delivery moving from pilot to routine — and where the real business is.
Same Week, Two Directions: Why Minneapolis Stalled While Others Launched
A deadlocked Minneapolis council rejected a police drone pilot the same week agencies from Honolulu to Montgomery County pushed programs forward. The gap is governance, not gear.
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