New review from Aerotas discussing the new M350 RTK, what new features it brings to the table, and what that means for surveyors. We also discuss what this means for current M300 RTK users.
What is your take on the potential banning of DJI drones in some states and potentially nationally?
Great question! We’ve actually received a lot of customer inbound on this. I’ve listed a few related FAQs and our thoughts on each.
Which states have enacted drone bans?
Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi have passed legislation that prohibits law enforcement, state agencies, and local agencies from utilizing Chinese drones.
Can these states ban flying Chinese drones?
States can’t regulate what types of drones individuals can fly because the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) controls all airspace in the US. States could ban ownership of certain drones, but we haven’t heard news of any plans to do so.
What is the current state of a potential drone ban on the national level?
The DoD prohibited procurement and use of DJI drones by its staff in 2021 and the Department of Commerce added DJI to a blacklist in 2022. Much like with individual states however, we’ve heard no rumor of a federal ban for individual citizens. In general, we think the rhetoric around bans is much harsher than the rather narrow prohibitions that actually go into effect.
What non-Chinese made drones would you recommend for surveying?
We’re in the process of putting together our top picks! These drones unfortunately tend to cost more and be generally worse than their Chinese counterparts. We’ll be releasing our list of recommendations and reviews later this year - you can subscribe to our newsletter here to stay up to date.
