Drone News Roundup: Drone-Supported Balloon Rescue, 1,000+ Pyro Drones Win World Record, and More!
BY Zacc Dukowitz
3 March 2026This week we’re covering a drone helping to rescue hot air balloon riders stranded over 900 feet in the air.
We’re also covering a show with over 1,000 pyro drones that set a Guinness World Record, Skydio’s DFR Command hitting a 10 million call milestone, a second FAA airspace closure in Texas due to a CUAS laser, and DJI suing the FCC.
Now on to the links!
Drone Helps Rescue Hot Air Balloon Riders Stranded 920 Feet Up
Recently, a hot air balloon became entangled on a communications tower in Gregg County, Texas, leaving its riders stuck over 900 feet above the ground. Drone footage in the video above shows the moment crews rescued them. But the drone did more than just record the rescue. It gave emergency responders real-time visuals of the situation high above the ground, providing crucial data for assessing the position of the basket and location of the riders to help plan the rescue.
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1,000+ Pyro Drones Set Guinness World Record
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A coordinated show featuring 1,020 “pyro drones”—drones equipped with fireworks—has officially set a Guinness World Record for “Largest Daytime Fireworks Display.” The show was put on in Las Vegas by Pyrotecnico with drones from Firefly Drone Systems as part of the International Fireworks Championship. Each of the pyro drones held two smoke effects, making for over 2,000 burning stacks of smoke in the sky when the drones were in flight. Pyrotecnico is based in Pennsylvania and has been doing fireworks shows for over 135 years. And now, they also do them with drones.
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Skydio DFR Command Surpasses 10 Million Calls
Credit: Skydio
Skydio recently announced that its DFR Command software system has hit a milestone: 10 million calls processed. Skydio says the milestone reflects the growing adoption of drone-as-first-responder (DFR) programs across public safety agencies. DFR Command is designed to integrate with 911 and computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems, allowing drones to launch quickly in response to incoming calls. According to Skydio, the platform has become one of the most integrated DFR systems in use today, as agencies continue looking for ways to shorten response times and improve situational awareness.
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FAA Closes Texas Airspace for 2nd Time in a Month Due to CBP Laser
The FAA has again restricted airspace in far West Texas—this time around Fort Hancock, near the El Paso area—marking the second airspace disruption there in roughly two weeks. The first time, the FAA closed the airspace around the El Paso airport because U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) was using a counter-UAS laser without prior coordination with the FAA. The second closure was also related to the use of a CUAS laser by CBP without FAA coordination, although the restriction didn’t impact commercial flights this time. Both incidents raise safety questions around how CBP is using CUAS technology, and whether more coordination is needed.
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DJI Sues the FCC Over Foreign-Drone Ban
Credit: DJI
DJI has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), challenging what it describes as a ban on its new products in the U.S. market. The company argues that the FCC’s recent move to block approvals for all new foreign-made drones prevents DJI from selling new drones in the U.S. (Drones that already received FCC approval, including DJI drones, can continue to be sold.) However the case unfolds, it’s likely to test whether communications law can be used as a backdoor pathway to limiting drone imports.
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