UAV News Talk – Drone News, eVTOLs, UAS Policy & Air Mobility

In episode 444 of UAV News Talk, Max Trescott and David Vanderhoof announce that the show is returning to a weekly schedule, then dive into a packed week of drone and eVTOL news. Video of the Week: Max taxiing by the Archer Midnight during testing at Salinas, CA. They begin with how aerial robotics supported Venezuela after devastating earthquakes, including bridge inspections, thermal imaging for...

Max Trescott and David Vanderhoof open episode 443 with their Video of the Week . It's a remarkable Sacramento Sheriff’s Office video showing a drone carrying a magnet into a cluttered house to remove a knife from the hand of an apparently unconscious armed suspect. They discuss the flying challenges of carrying a suspended load indoors and whether the magnet could affect the drone. The episode th...

Can American drone technology compete with DJI? In this episode of UAV News Talk , Max Trescott and David Vanderhoof talk with Mike Horton , CEO and co-founder of HYFIX Spatial Intelligence , about U.S.-made drone chips, AI drones, RTK GPS, and the HYFIX H1D drone module. Mike explains that one of DJI’s biggest advantages is deep electronics integration. Many American drone manufacturers still bui...

In this episode of UAV News Talk , Max Trescott and David Vanderhoof cover a wide range of drone, UAS, counter-drone, and eVTOL stories. They begin with their video-of-the-week : an unusual drone-assisted police story from Louisiana, where officers used a drone to locate a fleeing suspect after he was bitten by an alligator in a swamp. The show then turns to Wing and Walmart, which are adding seve...

Max Trescott and David Vanderhoof cover a packed week of drone and eVTOL news, starting with Eve Air Mobility’s latest hover and low-speed flight testing. They discuss how Eve’s Embraer connection and fixed-lift-rotor design differ from Archer and Joby, and why eVTOL certification, infrastructure, and public acceptance may be harder than the aircraft technology itself. The episode also looks at Ar...

David Vanderhoof returns to UAV News Talk after a six-month medical hiatus, joining Max Trescott for a wide-ranging discussion of drones, counter-UAS challenges, and the future of eVTOL air taxis. Max and David begin with David’s kidney transplant story and his return to the American Helicopter Museum, then move into the Air Force’s planned retirement of the MQ-9 Reaper and the military’s shift to...

Max Trescott talks with David Hall, founder and CEO of Velodyne Space, about a new approach to counter-UAS defense that focuses on capturing drones using LiDAR, nets, and parachutes instead of destroying them. Hall begins by explaining LiDAR—Light Detection and Ranging—and how it measures distance by timing how long it takes for pulses of light to travel out and return. While LiDAR has existed for...

Max Trescott and David Vanderhoof tackle an unexpected reversal in global drone production and a growing crisis for the hobbyist drone community. The show opens with a headline few would have predicted a decade ago: Ukraine negotiating to produce drones for the U.S. military . David explains that after years of battlefield innovation, Ukrainian engineers have become world leaders in low-cost first...

Episode 436 of UAV News Talk dives into global security, emerging automation, and the effects of Washington’s budget stalemate on the future of flight. Hosts Max Trescott and David Vanderhoof examine how nations, defense contractors, and innovators are redefining drone policy and autonomy at the same moment that the FAA’s own progress is slowed by the ongoing government shutdown. Germany authorize...

Max talks with David Vanderhoof in Episode 435 of UAV News Talk about an especially busy week in drone, eVTOL, and military UAV news. The episode covers new FAA certifications, autonomous launch systems, solar-powered endurance flights, Chinese technology in Africa, U.S. counter-drone readiness, and even a domestic security case involving explosives and drones. Together, these stories paint a vivi...

Max and David reunite for UAV News Talk episode 434, bringing listeners a wide-ranging discussion on the latest UAV, eVTOL, and rotorcraft developments. FAA Advisory Circular on Powered-Lift They start with the FAA’s release of AC 21-17-4, the long-awaited certification guidance for powered-lift aircraft . Max explains how this 64-page document emphasizes performance-based outcomes rather than pre...

BVLOS rules, school safety drones, NASA’s Mars helicopters, and Michigan’s 40-mile drone research skyway take center stage in UAV News Talk episode 433, hosted by Max Trescott and David Vanderhoof. The discussion begins with the newly introduced LIFT Act —short for Leading Innovation in Flight Technology Act—proposed by Representative Jen Kiggans of Virginia on July 24, 2025. The bill would compel...

In Episode 432 of UAV News Talk, Max Trescott and David Vanderhoof explore the evolving role of drones in public events, law enforcement, and emergency response—highlighting both their growing utility and the risks of poor coordination. Titled "Drone Fireworks, Police UAVs, and a Black Hawk Crash in Texas," this episode covers breaking drone news from California and Texas, trends in UAV policing,...

Max Trescott and David Vanderhoof dive into the future of drone delivery in Episode 431 of UAV News Talk. Max shares his firsthand experience receiving multiple packages via drone as part of a pilot program from Matternet, a Mountain View, California-based drone logistics company. After visiting Matternet’s headquarters and observing the behind-the-scenes operations, Max witnessed the packaging, p...

In episode 430 of UAV News Talk , Max Trescott and David Vanderhoof return from vacation with urgent news and safety concerns in the drone industry. The episode opens with a major headline: the DJI Mavic 4 Pro is not available in the United States . Although the drone boasts high-end specs—including a 6K camera and improved flight performance—it’s currently unavailable in the U.S. due to concerns...

Episode 429 marks a major milestone for the podcast formerly known as  The UAV Digest , soon to be relaunched as  UAV News Talk . Max Flight and David Vanderhoof return to the mic after a long hiatus to introduce new co-host  Max Trescott , known for his work on the  Aviation News Talk  podcast and expertise in both fixed-wing and helicopter flying. The episode opens with...

If you’ve been a longtime listener, you know it’s been a while — actually, a couple of years — since our last episode. But the good news is: The UAV Digest is coming back! Since we last released an episode, the world of drones, UAVs, and advanced air mobility has evolved dramatically. And with so many exciting developments in technology, regulations, and industry trends, we want to make sure that...

Drone Safety Day is April 29, a drone that changes shape, jump-starting your car with a drone, Florida bans DJI from government agencies, decision-making for small UAVs, drones that work together without colliding, adding VTOL to a fixed-wing drone, agave farmers saving water, land a drone in Red Square. UAV News Drone Safety Day Drone Safety Day is Saturday, April 29, 2023. The annual campaign is...

uAvionix detects ADS-B spoofing, racing drones are delivering explosives, an aerial tanker that autonomously guides and controls multiple drones, self-flying F-16s that test loyal wingmen, the Condor heavy-lift UAV wins its first customer, a new mini light tactical UAS, and Archer Aviation and United Airlines plan air taxi service in Chicago. UAV News uAvionix Announces truSky ADS-B Spoofing Detec...

Alphabet’s Wing subsidiary wants a drone delivery network, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces consider using drones to intercept aircraft, DJI is reportedly dropping AeroScope, U.S. Senators want an assessment of DJI security risks, cardboard drones from Australia are going to Ukraine, the USAF has plans for 1,000 loyal wingmen drones, Zipline’s next-generation aircraft, and Russian Su-27 fighter je...

Another personal eVTOL, cops flying BVLOS, military drones with facial recognition, a lethal drone designed in Australia, the Lilium Jet eVTOL, and moving air quietly. UAV News Is this one-seat flying saucer the future of flight? ZEVA Aero  designs and builds electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles. The company’s flagship product is the Argon, based on a pre-existing airframe....

Ameriflight plans to purchase cargo drones from Natilus and Saberwing, a plan for autonomous wind turbine inspections and repair, the American Security Drone Act, an arrest made for flying a drone at Dublin airport, a new hydrogen-powered octocopter drone, and Green and Blue UAS. UAV News Ameriflight adds 35 heavy-duty cargo drones to wish list Ameriflight  is a regional cargo airline (Part 1...

A global drone market report, aircraft control with artificial intelligence, a slow start to Amazon drone deliveries, drones disrupt flight operations at Dublin Airport, a testing service for microgravity research. UAV News Chinese drone maker DJI is dominating the market – despite being blacklisted by the U.S. A report by Drone Industry Insights says: the global drone market was $30.6 billion in...

A large autonomous blended-wing cargo drone and a smaller electric cargo drone, the Eaglet takes flight, taser drones at public schools, the GAO recommends the FAA create a comprehensive strategy, the Dronut for inspections, two MQ-9 Reapers for a Dollar, and a BVLOS autonomous inspection solution. UAV News Drones will ‘push the boundaries of what is possible’ in air cargo The  Natilus &...

Toroidal Propellers offer a solution for multirotor noise, layoffs at Prime Air, Valkyrie drones for the US Marines, regulating advanced air mobility in Utah, mapping a radioactive environment with a collision-tolerant drone, and a cargo drone that can carry 100 pounds for 600 miles. UAV News Toroidal Propellers May Quietly Pave the Way to UAM Package Deliveries and More MIT might have a solution...