This year has been an eventful one for the drone industry, and our podcast, Uncrewed Views, has discussed it all. From tariffs disrupting the drone supply chain to the announcement of new regulations around BVLOS flights, there has been plenty to cover over the last twelve months. Our editors have sat down with experts from across the drone industry to share exclusive insights on these topics, along with best practices for running a drone business and strategies for scaling operations amid constant change.

Regulations

This year, the drone industry saw real movement toward normalizing BVLOS flight operations with the release of the FAA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for BVLOS operations. The proposed rule came with a substantial document for the industry to break down and assess what it could mean for different sectors and individual pilots. As part of that effort, Uncrewed Views welcomed a range of industry voices to analyze the NPRM, share initial reactions and takeaways, and offer perspectives on how the uncrewed industry should move forward. These guests included Bill Irby, CEO of AgEagle Aerial Systems, and Timothy Tenne, CEO of American Robotics, who separately discussed how their organizations are navigating the proposed regulations and what the changes could mean for their businesses.

In other regulatory developments, earlier this year before the release of the NPRM, the FAA announced a streamlined waiver process for first responder programs seeking BVLOS authority. This topic was discussed in the episode Drones as First Responders, Tariffs, and New Business Approaches.

Business Advice

The drone market has seen tremendous growth this year, but as a relatively young industry, the focus remains on scaling operations sustainably. The podcast explored several paths to business growth, with a clear theme emerging around the importance of cross-industry collaboration. In the episode The Importance of Collaboration in the Drone Industry, Nitin Gupta, CEO and founder of FlytBase, and Chris Fleming, CEO of Cyberhawk, shared their perspectives on how working beyond individual organizations can help collectively move the drone industry forward.

When new tariffs created supply chain challenges across the industry, the podcast also took a closer look at global drone manufacturing, including key pain points and potential paths forward. The episode The Fragility of Global Drone Manufacturing, featuring Dr. Chris Raabe, global CTO at ACSL Inc., provided real-world examples of how companies are addressing these challenges.

Education

As the industry grows, so does the demand for a larger and more skilled workforce. As a result, there has been a strong push toward expanding drone training and education programs to prepare the next generation of drone professionals.

Two episodes this year took a deep dive into what drone education should look like and how training pathways are evolving. Blake Stringer, director of the Center for Aviation Studies at The Ohio State University, shared his insights in The Future of Drone Education, discussing opportunities for students interested in drone technology, Ohio State’s unique program, and how uncrewed systems are perceived by the public.

The conversation around education continued in the Uncrewed Views Conversations: Will Austin, Warren County Community College / WarrenUAS episode, where Austin shared the success story of the college’s drone program. From humble beginnings with a single drone, the program has grown to include more than 100 drones and provides students with hands-on, real-world piloting experience. The episode serves as a strong case study of what a college-level drone program looks like today and where it is headed in the future.

This overview only scratches the surface of this year’s Uncrewed Views episodes. All episodes are available to listen to on Commercial UAV News, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Explore the full lineup to catch up on the industry conversations that defined the year.