Drone News Roundup: DJI Neo 2 Hits FCC Database, DJI Mavic 4 Pro Cinematic Journey, and More!

This week we’re covering the DJI Neo 2 hitting the FCC database—and whether you’ll actually be able to buy it.

We’re also covering a cinematic travel video shot on the Mavic 4 Pro, a drone pilot helping first responders find a missing 4-year-old girl in Wisconsin, NYC’s new drone operations committee, and what the FAA’s MOSAIC rule for crewed aircraft can tell us about the future of commercial drone operations.

Now on to the links!

DJI Neo 2 Hits FCC Database—Will You Be Able to Buy It?

The DJI Neo 2 has appeared in the FCC database, signaling that DJI is definitely working on a sequel to its popular selfie drone for vloggers. One big improvement we see in the filing is a larger 1606mAh battery, up from the Neo’s 1435mAh. The bigger battery hints at a longer flight time, potentially bringing it up from 18 minutes to around 20. Like the Neo, the Neo 2 will be 135 grams, well below the FAA’s 250 gram registration threshold.

Despite FCC approval, it’s unclear whether DJI will actually launch the Neo 2 here. The Mavic 4 Pro didn’t launch in the U.S. And, what’s more, for over a month now DJI’s drones have been out of stock everywhere in the U.S., with no indication this will change any time soon.

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DJI Mavic 4 Pro Cinematic Journey

DJI recently showcased the Mavic 4 Pro’s cinematic abilities in this beautiful journey across far flung destinations, including Vietnam and Turkey. The video captures lush valleys, vibrant street scenes, soaring hot air balloons, and sweeping grasslands, captured with the Mavic 4 Pro’s 100MP Hasselblad camera and 360° rotating Infinity Gimbal. Take a look if you’re in need of some inspiration—there’s plenty to be found here.

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Drone Pilot Finds Missing 4-Year-Old Girl in Cornfield

Credit: Spectrum News 1/Kathryn Larson

In Milton, Wisconsin, 4-year-old Lou Easton, who is autistic and non-verbal, went missing from her backyard, sparking a large-scale search. After four tense hours of searching, authorities called in Jeremy Harring-Spoerl, a drone pilot at Wisconsin’s Wisco Aerial and Ground Services. Using a DJI Matrice 30, Harring-Spoerl located the missing child in 40 minutes in a dense cornfield, then guided rescuers to her safe recovery.

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NYC Launches Drone Operations Committee to Enhance Public Safety

Credit: New York City Mayoral Photography Office / Michael Appleton

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has established the first-ever Drone Operations Committee to coordinate drone programs across NYC agencies like the NYPD and Fire Department. The committee aims to improve governance and innovation in urban drone use, building on initiatives like the NYPD’s Drone as First Responder program. The creation of the committee underscores the growing role of drones throughout NYC’s vast operations, providing a coordinated approach to using drones that could serve as a national model for responsible drone integration in complex city environments.

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FAA’s New MOSAIC Rule Overhauls Light-Sport Aviation, Opening Doors for Drone Pilots

The FAA’s new MOSAIC (Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification) rule brings a major overhaul to the Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) category, allowing for bigger, faster, and more versatile aircraft with expanded pilot privileges. To be clear, MOSAIC is not about drone operations. But it’s important because it signals a shift toward performance-based, flexible standards that could influence future drone rules.

Notably, MOSAIC welcomes new aerial work, like infrastructure inspections and agricultural surveillance—activities where drones currently dominate—hinting at competitive and collaborative opportunities ahead. MOSAIC also calls for collaboration between crewed and uncrewed aviation standards committees, pointing to a future where drone certification and operations may adopt some of these more flexible, performance-based frameworks

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