Drone News Roundup: Stunning FPV Reel, FCC Makes First-Ever Move to Revoke Drone Company Authorization, and More!

This week we’re covering an impressive cinematic FPV reel from Joshua Turner.

We’re also covering the FCC’s first-ever move to revoke a drone company’s authorization, a drone water rescue at a New Jersey beach, a new Skydio Blue UAS milestone, and a drone equipped with a magnetometer finding signs of tungsten at a historic Nevada mine.

Now let’s get to those links!

Stunning Cinematic FPV Reel from Joshua Turner

FPV drone pilot Joshua Turner recently shared this cinematic reel featuring some of his favorite shots from around the world. The footage includes a range of locations, from the Dolomites in Italy and the skyscrapers of Shanghai to the cliffs of Madeira and the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge in Japan. The video blends sweeping landscape shots with tight stunt flying, showcasing Turner’s skills both as a pilot and videographer. Turner says the video was mainly shot on custom FPV drones with a GoPro and the Sony ZVE10II, and also includes a few shots captured on the DJI Mavic 3 Pro and DJI Mavic 4 Pro.

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FCC Moves to Revoke a Drone Company’s Authorization for the First Time

The FCC has taken what appears to be its first-ever step toward revoking a drone company’s equipment authorization, opening proceedings against Odyssey Robot LLC. According to the agency, the company failed to respond to a formal Letter of Inquiry seeking information about whether its equipment may pose an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security. Odyssey Robot currently has two FCC authorizations, one for its drone (FCC ID 2BSYT-FMAWZOD) and one for its remote controller (FCC ID 2BSYT-YMAWZOD). If the FCC revokes these, the company will be blocked from selling either in the U.S. Last week, we reported on the FCC entering a new enforcement phase in its foreign drone crackdown, and this move against Odyssey Robot is another step in that effort.

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Drone Helps Rescue Swimmer Caught in a Rip Current in New Jersey

A drone helped rescue a swimmer caught in a rip current off Surf City, New Jersey, after lifeguards had gone home for the day. When Detective Jacob Cook of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office heard from dispatch that there were three swimmers in trouble around 6 p.m., he quickly launched a drone carrying a Restube cartridge—a self-inflating flotation device made to be carried by drone—and dropped it to the swimmer in most distress. The cartridge inflated on contact with the water, keeping the swimmer afloat until lifeguards could reach her. Two Good Samaritans and Surf City lifeguards reached the other two swimmers, and all three people were brought safely to shore.

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Skydio’s X10, R10, and Dock Are Cleared for the Blue UAS List

The Skydio R10 | Credit: Skydio

Skydio has announced that its X10 drone, R10 drone, and Dock for X10 have all been added to the Pentagon’s Blue UAS Cleared List. The designation means the systems have completed the Defense Innovation Unit’s cybersecurity and supply chain review process, making them eligible for procurement across the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). According to Skydio, the additions make it the only company with both autonomous drone docks and multiple aircraft on the current Blue UAS Cleared List. The approvals come as more federal agencies look for U.S.-approved alternatives to Chinese-made drones, making the Blue UAS Cleared List increasingly important for manufacturers competing for government contracts.

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Drone with Magnetometer Changes Outlook for Historic Nevada Mine

An aerial magnetic survey flown by drone may have changed the outlook for a historic Nevada mining district. Using a drone equipped with a magnetometer, Guardian Metal Resources commissioned the area’s first modern geophysical map. The resulting map revealed several previously unrecognized magnetic anomalies that could point to additional tungsten-bearing deposits beyond the old mine workings. Further drilling will be needed to confirm the findings, but the survey has already identified new exploration targets in a district that supplied tungsten during World War II. If follow-up drilling confirms these targets, a single drone survey could end up reshaping the future of an entire mining district.

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