Drone News Roundup: DJI Seeks Urgent Review Before Dec. 23 Deadline, Antigravity A1 Tour of Hong Kong, and More!

This week we’re covering DJI’s plea for a national security review ahead of the December 23 deadline, after which the company will automatically be banned from importing new products.

We’re also covering a tour of Hong Kong with the new Antigravity A1 360 drone, our in-person drone training as a gift idea, how ‘point and fly’ works on the A1, and Voliro’s new partnership with MontiPower for treating surfaces by drone.

Now on to the links!

DJI Pleads for National Security Review Ahead of Dec. 23 Deadline

Credit: DJI

DJI is urging federal agencies to begin the national security review required under the 2025 NDAA. Without a review by December 23, the company faces an automatic ban. DJI told regulators that it has already submitted the documentation needed for the audit and is asking for clarity as the cutoff approaches. The stakes are incredibly high. Landing on the FCC Covered List—the move that will happen if DJI isn’t reviewed—would block new DJI authorizations and imports, with big impacts on public safety, infrastructure, and inspection programs that rely on DJI platforms.

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Hong Kong by Air with the Antigravity A1

Creator Andras Ra took the Antigravity A1 to Hong Kong, capturing sweeping 360 shots over Victoria Harbour, rooftop corridors, and dense urban canyons. The footage shows how the A1’s compact frame and 360 camera make it possible to thread tight spaces while still pulling off big, cinematic moves, which is something traditional forward-facing drones can’t match. The video is one of the strongest real-world demos yet of what 360 flight can do in complex city environments—watch it to see for yourself.

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A Great Drone Gift: In-Person Flight Instruction

Shopping for a drone gift? In-person flight training is one of the most valuable investments a new pilot can get. Our hands-on classes pair you with an expert instructor for a full day of structured flying, covering fundamentals, safety, airspace, and stick time that accelerates learning far faster than online tutorials alone. It’s a good fit for beginners, returning pilots, or anyone who wants more confidence before taking on real projects.

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How ‘Point and Fly’ Works on the Antigravity A1

The new Antigravity A1 uses a control mode called “point and fly,” which lets you physically point the drone’s 360 camera toward your subject and have the aircraft orient and move in that direction automatically. Instead of managing yaw and gimbal tilt, you simply aim the camera, and the drone follows. The approach is ideal for dynamic shots or quick reframing in tight spaces—for example, tracking a subject through a corridor or lining up a smooth orbit without juggling multiple stick inputs. It’s similar to DJI’s “look and fly,” but the A1’s fully spherical camera reportedly makes the experience more intuitive, since every direction is a valid forward path. Pilots say it reduces workload while opening up creative flight angles that would normally take multiple stick inputs.

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Voliro Announces Drone-Enabled Surface Treatment

Voliro unveiled a new industrial use case for its drone this week: cleaning surfaces by drone. The payload that does the cleaning is made by MontiPower, a company known for high-precision surface preparation tools. The collaboration pairs Voliro’s omnidirectional tilting drone with MontiPower’s Bristle Blaster technology, letting you clean coatings, rust, or weld areas at height without scaffolding or lifts. You fly to the spot where you need to clean, and use the cleaning payload to do the job. For maintenance, drones have always held a data collection role. This new launch points toward a future where they also actively prepare surfaces for repairs or recoating, making them even more useful on worksites.

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