What a 12 months it’s been within the drone trade. From groundbreaking rules to private milestones, 2025 introduced transformations that can form the way forward for aviation for years to come back. Right here’s my look again on the tales that outlined the 12 months with my 2025 drone 12 months in assessment:
The largest drone information tales of 2025
The proposed BVLOS rule lastly arrived
Let’s begin with controversial the most important drone information story of 2025. After years of anticipation, August 2025 delivered what the trade had been ready for: a proposal of the FAA’s long-awaited BVLOS rule. As drone trade followers know, that is the important thing to unlocking industrial drone operations at scale.
Past Visible Line of Sight operations have been the holy grail of economic drone use for years. The flexibility to fly drones past the place the pilot can see them opens up purposes that merely aren’t potential beneath present restrictions: infrastructure inspections throughout huge distances, agricultural monitoring of huge farms, bundle supply networks, and emergency response operations that may cowl wider areas. The rule represents a elementary shift in how regulators view drone know-how, from a novelty requiring tight restrictions to a reputable device for commerce and public security.
In 2026, anticipate to see a closing rule.
Trump’s govt orders set a stage
One key piece for the BVLOS rule got here partly earlier within the 12 months when President Trump signed two vital govt orders in June. The primary, “Unleashing American Drone Dominance,” targeted on enabling Past Visible Line of Sight operations for industrial and public security use. In brief, the aim of this govt order was to say: “America must compete globally within the drone economic system, and outdated rules had been holding us again.”
The safety focus intensified
The second govt order Trump signed in June, “Making certain American Sovereignty Over Its Skies,” took a unique strategy. This one was all about drone safety, addressing considerations about foreign-made drones probably compromising American safety and privateness.
The order directed federal companies to evaluate safety dangers posed by drones manufactured in international locations thought-about adversaries, set up requirements for presidency procurement, and develop frameworks for safeguarding essential infrastructure from drone threats. It was a transparent sign that — alongside enabling the drone economic system — the federal government was specializing in the safety implications of getting foreign-manufactured plane filling American skies.
The safety-focused govt order foreshadowed what would turn into one of many 12 months’s most controversial moments, establishing the regulatory rigidity that will outline the ultimate days of 2025.
The FCC dropped a bombshell
Then, simply days earlier than Christmas, the FCC dropped a bombshell: a ban on foreign-made drones. The timing couldn’t have been extra dramatic — proper earlier than the vacations, when many individuals had been contemplating drone purchases as items, and simply because the trade was celebrating the progress made with BVLOS rules.
The ban represents a seismic shift within the American drone market. With DJI commanding the overwhelming majority of the patron and prosumer drone market, the implications are monumental. What occurs to present drones? How shortly can American producers scale as much as meet demand? Will third-party retailers discover workarounds? As I write this, we’re nonetheless sorting by the solutions.
The regulatory whiplash — from “let’s unleash drones” in June to “however not these drones” in December — captures the complexity of the coverage second we’re in. Drones are concurrently seen as important financial instruments and potential safety threats, and reconciling these two views is proving messy.
DJI stored innovating (however entry bought difficult)
DJI didn’t decelerate in 2025. The Chinese language drone manufacturing large launched a number of spectacular merchandise, together with the DJI Flip in January, the Mavic 4 Professional in Might, and the DJI Neo 2 in November. Every introduced significant enhancements to their respective classes.
However there’s a catch: DJI stopped transport lots of its newer merchandise on to U.S. prospects. If you wish to get your fingers on the most recent fashions, you’ll have to undergo third-party retailers like Amazon, B&H Picture, or Drone Nerds. It’s an additional step that displays the more and more advanced relationship between Chinese language producers and the American market.
DJI additionally continued diversifying past drones, increasing into handheld cameras, microphones (the DJI Mic has turn into important gear for content material creators), and even automotive chargers. The rise of the influencer economic system has created completely new markets for the corporate — which is useful for DJI if drones gross sales drop off resulting from a U.S. ban on future merchandise.
Drone supply continued to realize momentum
Whereas drone supply would possibly nonetheless be shifting slower than some anticipated, it’s rising. For instance, Wing launched operations in Atlanta in December, partnering with Walmart to convey packages to prospects’ doorsteps.
It could be gradual progress, however it’s regular progress.
Associated learn: Find out how to turn into a drone supply pilot: Inside Wing’s flight coaching academy
Competitors arrived with the Antigravity A1
After a lot anticipation, the Antigravity A1 lastly launched in December. This drone introduced a essentially totally different option to flying, capturing every little thing and letting customers reframe photographs later. And there’s no actual controller concerned both. The concept with that is you utilize a movement controller for the drone to observe.
Ukraine modified trendy warfare
The battle in Ukraine continued to exhibit how small drones are essentially altering navy technique. With this, we noticed a rewriting of the playbook for contemporary warfare, with small drones influencing protection methods worldwide.
In March, we noticed one thing new: the primary Palm Springs Drone Fest, bringing collectively drone fanatics, professionals and trade leaders. It’s the form of occasion we’d like extra of — an opportunity to attach in particular person and have fun this know-how all of us love.
Drone reveals turned mainstream leisure
Drone gentle reveals developed from novelty to necessity in 2025. Theme parks embraced them as the brand new fireworks various, and the know-how turned so accessible that colleges began instructing drone present programs.
The second that had Disney followers (myself very a lot included) dropping their minds was when Disney examined a secret drone present in Southern California. And we proceed to see greater and higher drone reveals.
A present with 1,000 is not utterly extraordinary primarily based on at this time’s requirements (and so they’ve turn into extra accessible resulting from choices just like the FAB rental system from UVify), and firms like Sky Components (which was a finalist on America’s Obtained Expertise in late 2024) continued to push the boundaries with greater reveals.
We misplaced two heroes
This 12 months introduced heartbreaking losses to our neighborhood. We stated goodbye to Romeo Durscher, whose contributions to the drone trade had been immeasurable, together with careers at each DJI and Auterion. His legacy lives on within the requirements and practices he helped set up.
And on September 30, I misplaced my mother, Cheryl La Manna. She was my greatest supporter, my cheerleader, and the explanation The Drone Lady exists within the kind it does at this time. This web site wouldn’t be what it’s with out her unwavering perception in me. I miss her each day.
A private spotlight: I bought married!
However 2025 additionally introduced unimaginable pleasure. On September 20, I married Hamilton Nguyen (whom you’ll have seen all through The Drone Lady as my photographer, enterprise supervisor and web site tech man!) in a celebration that featured — what else? — a 200-drone gentle present placed on by Electrical Sky Drone Exhibits with assist from UVify.
And sure, The New York Instances coated it.
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