As we approach Commercial UAV Expo 2025 in a few weeks, it is a good time to review the agenda and prepare ourselves for these three busy days in the Nevada desert from September 2nd to the 4th. This year I will be moderating a panel called “Everything You Need to Know Before You Fly” or EYNTKBYF for short, no pun intended.

The session is intended for all those independent pilots and operators that are thinking about entering the fascinating world of earning a living with uncrewed aviation. Every year I meet people at this event that are attracted to the idea of starting a career with drones and they come to Las Vegas in early September to learn more about the details of the trade.

In this session we will address the three main non-technological topics that rule the business. Why are we focusing on the non-sexy stuff? Very simple, there will be hundreds of booths in our exhibit hall that will have vendors showing the latest and greatest in terms of technological advances and the main differences between the available aerial platforms.

The main issue is that we tend to fall in love with technology and forget the intricacies of the business and in some cases, ignoring these small nuances leads to a negative outcome. This is particularly true in aviation, because most people attracted to flying machines are fascinated by the promise of seeing the Earth from above and that tends to blur the business vision. I have been involved with traditional aviation for 50 years and with drones for 13, so I have a bit of experience with this exhilarating sense of euphoria that guides most aviation entrepreneurs.

Unfortunately, aviation is one of the riskiest and most heavily regulated businesses on the planet and therefore it is not easy, but not impossible, to succeed.

In this session we will provide a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the critical drone regulations that every commercial drone service provider and pilot must understand before taking to the skies. Presenters will cut through the complexity and deliver clear, actionable information to ensure your operations are safe, legal, and compliant, protecting you and your business from potential penalties and liabilities. These specifics include:

  • A clear and concise breakdown of the key FAA regulations around commercial drone operations, including Part 107 and other recent updates.
  • What it means to obtain authorizations, utilizing LAANC, and understanding temporary flight restrictions (TFRs).
  • How to apply for waivers to Part 107 regulations for operations such as nighttime, BVLOS, and operations over people.
  • The ways in which FAA/federal regulations connect with state and local requirements.
  • Why record-keeping and documentation requirements are so essential.

This one-hour session will begin with my presentation about Operational Safety and how we have arrived at the great safety record of modern aviation and how the lessons learned over 120 years of crewed aviation are helping uncrewed aviation get off the ground, once again, no pun intended. The last six months have seen an increase in the number of headlines involving commercial airliner accidents with multiple fatalities, including two in North America. This new reality is telling us that the air traffic control (ATC) system, aircraft manufacturers and crews are reaching the limit of what they can accomplish with current technology and regulation. Adding thousands of uncrewed aircraft to the skies will only make things more stressed, so it is very important that any new people arriving in our industry behave like a professional and understand the risks.

Then it will be Josh Olds’ turn with his presentation “Global Approaches to Standardizing BVLOS Operations and Maintenance Training.” Josh is the CEO of USI and he will talk about the fact that the absence of standardized regulations for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations presents significant challenges for safety and risk management with the integration of drones and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into the global airspace. Aligning with internationally recognized standards by establishing consistent safety protocols, operational guidelines, and best practices offers a clear path to address these gaps. Additionally, it supports job creation, strengthens workforce capabilities, and ensures greater airworthiness and uptime for drone platforms, enabling organizations to optimize their operations and expand their impact across industries. By adopting comprehensive standards and prioritizing specialized training, the industry can unlock its full potential while maintaining the highest levels of safety and reliability.

After that we will have Tyler Hazen, drone attorney and author from Angulo McGhee with a presentation titled “Updates and Developments in Drone Law”, in which he will explore current drone law and how it is evolving almost as rapidly as the technology. In addition to developing FAA and federal regulations, state and local regulations are undergoing significant development and revision. State and local regulations can be inconsistent, making it difficult to implement a consistent policy across markets. Further, ongoing challenges to state laws on constitutional and other grounds are currently being litigated. How can businesses, industry groups, and communities work together to establish and implement plans for urban and regional air mobility in the face of this uncertainty? Attendees will be able to have these questions, as well as their own, answered.

And last but not least, the important issue of insurance. Nothing happens in aviation without insurance and drones are no exception. Alistair Blundy, CEO and Chief Underwriter at Advanced Technologies at ATA Insurance will present “The Hidden Costs of UAV Incidents: Lessons from Insurance Claims” in which he will explore real-world UAV-related insurance claims, uncovering the hidden risks and financial impacts that operators often overlook. Attendees will gain insights into the most common causes of UAV-related incidents, the true costs beyond simple damages, and how to mitigate risks through smarter operational practices and insurance solutions.

Finally, we will open the floor to a Q&A session with the audience to answer questions and exchange views about the business of making a living with drones.

I hope to see you all there!