Drone News: Drone Light Show Injury in Orlando, XTEND Wins DOD Drone Contract, & TFRs in NY and NJ

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update we have 3 stories for you: Drone Light Show injures kid in Orlando, Israeli drone company wins big DOD drone contract, and navigating TFRs in New York and New Jersey.

First story this week is a bit of a sad one. A child was injured at an Orlando drone show last week after a drone hit him in the chest during a show near Lake Eola Park. The 7-year old boy was taken to the hospital and it was later reported that he required emergency cardiac surgery due to damage to a heart valve. Approximately 15 minutes into the performance, drones started falling out of the sky, according to a video and witness statements. The show was put on by SkyElement, a very reputable company that has a long-standing of safe operation. SkyElement puts out dozens of shows around the country yearly, and even holds 11 Guiness world records, including flying a show with 5000 drones a month ago during Thanksgiving. It's unclear exactly what happened, but it would be out of touch for me to speculate at the moment. We will follow up when the NTSB concludes its investigation and releases its findings. We wish the young boy a prompt recovery. Second story this week, XTEND, an Israeli defense tech company, has secured an $8.8 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense. The contract is to deliver advanced AI-powered drones called PSIO sUAS. These tactical drones, capable of operating indoors and outdoors, combine artificial intelligence with real-time precision strike capabilities. The drones are designed for rapid deployment in urban and open-field settings, and reduce risks for soldiers while enhancing operational flexibility. Manufactured in the U.S., these drones align with defense production standards and are set for delivery in early 2025, following extensive testing. XTEND’s systems are already in use globally, including by the Israel Defense Forces, showcasing their value in modern warfare. For our last story, I want to discuss the recent temporary flight restrictions that were put in place in New Jersey and New York. Most of those are 1 nautical mile in radius and around sensitive infrastructures, such as substations, railroad depots, or even nuclear power plants. Part 107 operators who have a valid statement of work and show a need to be in the restricted airspace are eligible to request SGI waivers. SGI stands the Special Governmental Interest and is typically used by public safety agencies, but is also available to "regular" part 107 operators. According to the FAA website, "To apply for a waiver through the SGI process, you must be an existing Part 107 remote pilot with a current certificate OR a public agency with an existing Certificate of Waiver or Authorization or COA." I will put a link in the description for those who are interested in applying (https://www.faa.gov/uas/advanced_operations/emergency_situations) Last note before we go, we have the winner of the Community photo contest for December! Congratulations to Bill Heiser won with this photo titled "Highway to the Pass". And that's it for this week and even this year. I want to thank you all for tuning in every single week. We are getting close to 300 consecutive weeks of news update, and we couldn't do this without all of you. I and the entire team at Pilot Institute wish everybody a Happy New Year. I hope it will be full of growth for your company if that's what you do, but more importantly I hope it is filled with many hours of flying. Please continue to be safe and vigilant, and remember to be a mentor to those who got their first drone under the tree.