Archive
Page 5 of 15 from the publication archive.
The DOJ and DHS interim final rule implementing the SAFER SKIES Act took effect July 1 and closes for comment September 4. It gives trained local agencies detection, warning and, under tighter conditions, mitigation authority over drones.
Transport Canada's August newsletter put national flight reviewer numbers at 1,385 against 23,427 Advanced certificates, with a flight review required for both Advanced and Level 1 Complex. Fall scheduling is a capacity problem.
The FCC is taking comment until September 2 on prohibiting continued importation and marketing of previously authorized foreign-produced drones and components it defines as military-grade. Thermal sensors, LiDAR and docking stations are on the list.
Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner replaced its 2012 police drone guidance on August 17, 2026, setting out lawful authority, privacy impact assessment and public disclosure expectations. Commercial crews flying for public sector clients inherit part of that paperwork.
Transport Canada reported 709 Level 1 Complex pilot certificates and 615 active operator certificates as of mid August. The pilot credential is being issued faster than the organizational authority that actually permits lower-risk BVLOS work.
Transport Canada's NPA 2026-005 proposes designated RPAS airspace published as digital geo-zones. For operators, the practical questions concern near real-time data, compatible equipment, transition planning, and how restrictions would be requested.
Two new FAA UAS test sites bring the U.S. network to nine locations. The practical lesson for commercial drone teams is not that a capability is automatically approved, but that evidence, operating context, and the boundary between testing and routine operations matter.
The new U.S. UAS tariff schedule is not only a manufacturer issue. For operators and program managers, it makes configuration-level component records a practical control for quotes, spares, and fleet continuity.
Transport Canada's first pre-validated declaration acceptance letters let applicants move into verification activities. They do not mean a product already meets Standard 922, a distinction that should shape how commercial RPAS teams plan evidence and prepare advanced or Level 1 Complex operations.
