Welcome to your weekly UAS news update we have 5 stories for you; A Drone Crash into Uranium Mine, GA bill to ban Chinese Drones, ND Senate rejects Chinese drone ban, Sumas Police Rescue, and New DJI Products!

First up, don’t be this guy.

An alleged drone collision with mine equipment at the Pinyon Plain uranium mine here in AZ caused the mine to temporarily cease operations. 

While the size and type of the drone are unknown at this time, it supposedly struck a safety wire used to transport personnel into the 1,400’ deep mine according to the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office. 

After crashing into the equipment, the suspect, Bobby Mason, allegedly fled in a Ford F-150 leading to a series of incidents including two hit-and-runs near and inside of Grand Canyon National Park. 

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office has charged Mason with offenses including unlawful operation of an unmanned aircraft, Aggravated DUI, criminal damage, hit and run, reckless driving, and harassment. 

So, Don’t be this guy. 

Next up, A Georgia bill would require Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security to create an approved drone list for public safety and government. 

The bill would give agencies a 3-year compliance window to acquire new aircraft that are on the approved list. 

If you live in Georgia, please let your legislators know what you think about House Bill 205. 

On the opposite side of the fence is North Dakota.

North Dakota’s Senate rejected a portion of a bill that would act as a replacement program for state-owned and operated Chinese drones. 

State Senator Kyle Davison led the motion to strip this text from the bill, citing the significant cost difference between Chinese and American-made drones. 

According to Senate Testimony, the M30 currently used by state agencies costs ~$7500 while NDAA-compliant alternatives cost between $20,000 and $50,000. 

The Senate preserved an $11,000,000 allocation to support BVLOS Operations in the same bill. 

A Drone story for good this week, coming from some Pilot Institute students in northern Washington State!

Multiple agencies responded to a report of an elderly woman who'd gone missing during the night.

After several hours of searching, the Sumas Police Department arrived on scene and an M30T was launched, locating the missing person in under 3 minutes.

The woman had fallen down a steep slope near her residence and was hypothermic.

Luckily, she was able to be rescued and was transported to the hospital.

Shout out to Sumas Police Department, Great work, and thanks for what you guys do!

Last up, DJI has released TWO new gimbals this week!

This week we got a new Osmo Mobile 7, with active track 7.0, hand motion control, 10-hour run time, a built-in tripod, and magnetic mounting for accessories.

The Osmo Mobile 7 entry level comes at $89, with the 7P model costing $149. 

DJI also released the RS4 Mini, and we actually got our hands on one to test out.

It’s got a 13-hour run time, a 4.4lb payload, an active track module, and native vertical shooting. 

Check out our full review here

Join us later today for our happy hour in the community, Live Q&A on Monday, and Post Flight Monday in the community! We’ll see you then! 

https://dronexl.co/2025/02/18/drone-strike-grand-canyon-mine/#google_vignette

https://dronexl.co/2025/02/17/georgia-ban-chinese-drones-security/

https://dronexl.co/2025/02/18/north-dakota-senate-rejects-chinese-drone-replacement/

https://dronexl.co/2025/02/18/dji-smartphone-stabilizers-tracking/

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