Disclaimer: Before reading this blog post, please reference my related article written for The Droning Company by clicking here.
We are at a critical moment in the world of drones, my American friends. The decisions made over the next year are going to dictate what kind of industry we have here in the States, but more importantly they are going to dictate who has access to drone technology and the ability to utilize it however they please. The institution of the American Drone Security Act of 2023 prohibits the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by the United States federal government that are manufactured or assembled by certain foreign entities, including entities subject to influence or control by China — beginning in 2026.
While this may not seem like a big deal to you, likely a consumer/hobbyist or a privatized prosumer/commercial remote pilot, the ripple effects have the potential to be dire. Admittedly, if the ban on use of Chinese drone technology stops at the federal level, the overall well-being of the industry should remain mostly unaffected. And while I wish I could tell you that everything would be alright and that we won’t see any further legislation prohibiting the use of Chinese drones in the United States at any level…I can’t say that…especially when looking at the looming threat that is House Bill 2864.
As the anti-Chinese sentiment runs rampant and largely unchecked in the United States, the drone industry is at risk of a total collapse. The two main players based out of China are, of course, DJI and Autel Robotics, which own approximately 77% and 15% of the industry’s total market share, respectively. When considering that, combined, the two drone giants own 92% of the market, it’s easy to see that complete banishment of their technology in the United States would result in a catastrophic collapse of the industry as we know it and would drive the price of obtaining high-quality, high-performance UAV technology to exponentially higher levels (think Mavic 3T Enterprise vs. Teledyne FLIR SIRAS…a $4,000 price difference).
All of that said, when you consider the increasing limitations on the use of Chinese drone technology at the federal and state level, the potential prohibition of DJI communication systems via a proposed House Bill, and the financial consequences of eliminating the drones that account for approximately 92% of the total UAV market, you may also be wondering why we as a country would be leaning into this ideology and passing laws to support it. And to be honest with you, I have been wondering the same thing myself.
My journey to better understanding the issue at-hand has lead me down a paper and money trail that screams a few things at me from the top of their metaphoric little lungs. Here is what has my tinnitus acting up:
Lobbyists are vying to eradicate competitors by any means necessary…with exception to the honest variety.
I touched on this in my article written for The Droning Company, so I won’t get too deep into the weeds with the “what” and “when” and will focus primarily on the “who.” As of the writing of this blog, the main offenders identified as lobbyists attempting to woo politicians on Capitol Hill include AUVSI, BRINC, and Skydio. I have my suspicions about the likes of Parrot, Teal (lobbying data discovered), and Teledyne FLIR (lobbying data discovered) as well. These lobbying efforts have been prevalent for the better-part of 3 years or so and are, in my educated opinion, spurred on by the shortcomings and failures of the companies involved in the legislative push to ban Chinese technology.
When you look at the verticals these entities are attempting to serve, the UAV solutions manufactured by the entities as an answer to the challenges faced by said verticals, and their DJI and Autel counterparts, it becomes obvious that western companies cannot keep-up. And while I am sympathizing with DJI and Autel and the folks working for them, I cannot write this article and pretend they are perfect angels either. China does not have the same labor laws we have here in the United States and they also do not observe the intellectual property laws we observe internationally. Their economy is also built differently than ours in that they are governed under a communist system while the United States is a democratic republic. Additionally, DJI has been “caught” with their hand in the lobbyist cookie jar too, but to this point there are no indicators that they were attempting to lobby western-based drone manufacturers out of the market.
And that, my friends, is the difference — the motivations for lobbying within the United States government system are completely different for US-based drone manufacturers and those of the Chinese variety. While I cannot say for certain what happens behind closed doors, I can say that I see a lot of reasons for the likes of AUVSI, BRINC, and Skydio to attempt to push DJI and Autel out of the free market of the United States…and very few the other way around.
The Feds and big business are trying to thin-out the airspace of easily-accessible consumer drones.
The introduction of drone technology to United States airspace had been gradual in nature initially, but found a head of steam that has proven difficult to mitigate for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in recent years. Combine those challenges with the interest in potential drone delivery services from big businesses such as Amazon and Walmart, and it leaves one to wonder if a lot of this push for banning DJI and Autel drones is because it is the most sure-fire way to clear the airspace for these money-generating services. This one may sound conspiratorial, but hear me out before you dismiss it.
First, when one considers the initial challenge of integrating drones into an airspace that had largely been ruled by the nearly 16.5-million manned aviation flights that occur each year, the task seems monumental. Yet, the gradual introduction of unmanned aircraft systems has allowed for the “sussing out” of initially unseen problems to be seen and largely addressed by the FAA. Then came along DJI (and not long after that, Autel) who had given consumers access to unmanned systems that dogged the capabilities of many fixed wing and single-or-dual-rotor aircraft being flown by hobby RC folks. These new multi-rotor systems were capable of unimaginable heights and unheard of distances all via a digital and easy-to-use system.
The advent of this new unmanned technology also gave birth to the possibilities of utilizing drones for long distance deliveries, which was identified by the likes of our previously-mentioned big businesses and many other large, medium, and small operations looking for a quick, easy, and affordable method of immediate aerial delivery.
But the question remains…how is the FAA to manage it all?
I believe the first honest attempt by the FAA to help track unmanned operations was the development of applications such as B4UFly, Air Control, and UASidekick to automate authorizations for flight controlled and restricted airspace via the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC). The second honest attempt at managing unmanned traffic came in the form of Remote ID — a controversial but somewhat necessary “digital license plate” system to keep drone pilots accountable and assist in identifying drones and their operators when their operations were less than kosher.
While the LAANC system has been a relative success, giving the FAA greater visibility of some of the more sensitive drone flights taking place in their airspace and making the authorization system seamless for drone pilots, Remote ID has been a total flop. Nearly through quarter-one of 2024 and Remote ID is still an unclear system to even the most seasoned pilots and has largely been ignored all together — especially by hobbyist pilots.
So, it would make logical sense (though I disagree with the practice) for the FAA to take the gloves off and play dirty to get the drone traffic under control. I could absolutely envision a scenario where the FAA is working in conjunction with Amazon, Walmart, and similar players (which is happening for other confirmed reasons, by the way) to take measures to eliminate what they might deem “unnecessary” air traffic. When considering DJI and Autel account for a combined 92% of the total drones flown in the United States…the easiest way to thin the number of drones in the sky down is by eliminating the companies that are making it the easiest for the average person to take unmanned flight.
Again, I know this one sounds a bit conspiratorial, especially since the FAA has largely been an advocate for the rights of drone pilots (I said largely) over the last 10 years. Crazier things have happened in this country though, so one can never be too sure.
The politicians proposing and supporting this type of legislation are either hiding some damning evidence against DJI or have no f*cking clue what they are talking about.
This one is black-and-white and while I would like to believe our elected leaders were acting in our best interest to protect us…I just don’t think I have it in me to muster that faith. Yes, there are only two scenarios at play here:
- The politicians you find authoring the legislation we are seeing attempting to strike-down DJI (as well as Autel and other Chinese drone manufacturers) are sitting on an absolute slam-dunk of a case against that they want to keep under wraps for some reason or another.
- They have no f*cking clue what is going on and are largely just listening to whoever is presenting themselves as an “expert” in information and data security.
I’ll be the first to tell you that political diversity is what keeps our society balanced, fair, and honest. However, what I will also tell you is that a majority of the support behind this anti-China drone legislation is being driven by the conservative-right. Nearly all of the politicians on the list are registered Republicans. Why is this?
An honest assessment of that side of the aisle tells me that they have not entertained the idea of trying to work together with China in a very long time (I’m talking pre-Reagan long time). In a less-critical light, Republicans have also historically opposed a global economy and have tried to support the growth of domestic businesses and the strengthening of our own economy independent of what is going on in the rest of the world. Is it possible they see these Chinese companies standing in the way of those very principles on which they have stood for over 100 years and legislating them out of our market is the only way to ensure we keep our own businesses afloat? Maybe, but that’s an awfully strange way of operating for a party that has touted “smaller government” for the better part of the last 50 years.
Regardless of the motive, I truly think the politicians pushing this agenda are grossly misinformed or under-informed about DJI and Autel and are making decisions irresponsibly as a result. If they had information that could prove Chinese drone manufacturers were stealing sensitive American data, don’t you think they would make it known? Especially in the Trumpian-era of conservative politics we find ourselves in — where political-correctness and discretion are at an all-time low.
It’s hard to say, but what is not hard to say is that our political leaders are not making choices that benefit the larger whole of the drone industry. Maybe they should worry less about the drones spying on American infrastructure and worry more about who they are introducing to their “intimate infrastructure…”
The “boots on the ground” utilizing DJI and Autel technology know this is going to mean they will not be able to do their jobs effectively.
When you are trying to accomplish what I have been trying to accomplish in the drone industry for the last 4 years, you tend to meet and talk to a lot of people that are interested in drone technology — most of whom are already utilizing it for work or play. In the last 24-months I have had the privilege to speak with and get inside the minds of some of the most fascinating people who are using drones to do remarkable things. One sector that comes to mind quite quickly is Emergency Response.
Whether we are examining law enforcement, fire fighters, emergency medical responders, or search and rescue outfits, there are an overwhelming number of drones that are being used to save human lives right here in the United States. While the majority of these are manufactured by DJI and Autel, it would be unfair of me to say these are the only drones doing lifesaving work — there are other companies such as Draganfly, and Skydio who have practical application cases of their drones saving lives and aiding emergency response efforts.
That said, DJI and Autel do the work with a higher-level of efficacy on a more consistent basis and that is not just my opinion, it’s an opinion shared by the countless heroes I have spoken with regarding the topic.
That reality we are living in means that removing DJI and Autel from the American market will result in lives that would have otherwise been saved being lost because of a lack of visibility that these responders once had with Chinese drones.
Is allowing American drone manufacturers to quickly play catch-up worth potentially thousands of lives per year? I would have to say it is not. This very real scenario is my main reasoning behind pushing back against this legislation and instead supporting implementation of a system that will allow our domestic manufacturers to tap into subsidizations and government funding while still allowing our heroes to use the UAV platforms that they can rely on right now to integrate easily into their workflow and help them to save human life each and every day.
There is immense over-confidence and ego present in the western-portion of the drone market and it is going to end up affecting a ton of people in the worst ways possible.
This is maybe the second-saddest reality of the situation we are facing…a lot of hard-working people would have their asses handed to them should House Bill 2864 be passed into law. This is true on several levels that may not all be obvious to you at first glance:
- Small Business Reliant on Drones
- Drone Resellers
- Drone Training & Education Centers
- American Employees of DJI & Autel
An obvious group that will take a hard shot across the bow with this legislation are the small businesses that are reliant or even built entirely upon DJI and Autel drones. This group includes me, who has personally invested over $15,000 on DJI products over the last 7 years…and overall that’s beans compared to some other people who have been doing it longer and/or better than I have. Unless the government implements some kind of buy-back program (ha), there are a large number of us that will have to just kiss our investment goodbye, wipe our chin, and say “thank you” to Uncle Sam. A very lewd metaphor…but that’s how it feels to be faced with this potential reality.
Drone resellers are sitting on stock that they will no longer be allowed to sell if this legislation is passed and the proposition of going from selling affordable, highly-effective platforms to selling largely clunky, less-efficient, and overpriced platforms instead does not sound lucrative to say the least. I see companies that I know and love such as Multicopter Warehouse feeling these effects the most as the backbone of their sales deal in DJI and Autel products.
While not a long-term problem, there is definitely a short-term challenge potentially being posed to drone training and education centers. Less access to drone technology means less demand for services such as Part 107 courses from the likes of Pilot Institute, DroneU, and Remote Pilot 101. Additionally, UAS programs within high schools, colleges, and technical trade schools will need to retool the fleets they have built-up by replacing them with NDAA-compliant solutions, which will take years even with state funding and grant money.
Finally, perhaps the most overlooked group of people in this ripple-effect are the employees here in the States that work for DJI and Autel. The label of “Chinese company” has been slapped on DJI and Autel so quickly and without any kind of actual dialogue that the general public with even the most obtuse awareness of drones has dismissed anyone associated to these companies. The fact is a percentage of DJI employees are born and raised in America and have no direct ties to China in any capacity beyond their employment status with DJI. It is hard to envision a scenario where the majority of these folks keep their jobs if House Bill 2864 passes. It will be funny (not in a “ha-ha” way, but rather in a sad and depressing way) to see how many of the people who were offended by the #LearnToCode movement are quick to say something to the effect of “well, they’ll just have to get jobs at American drone manufacturers instead!”
Wrapping things up so you can get on with your day…
All this to say, the world of drones is in trouble in the United States. There are a variety of reasons as to why this might be happening, but ultimately the large majority of us will never really know the reason why. Everything nowadays seems to be shrouded in a veil of uncertainty and secrecy. The best thing we can do is protect not just our hobby, but our livelihood to the bone. It does not matter if you fly DJI, Autel, or you utilize Chinese parts in your custom-built drones…this is going to have a widespread impact on everyone and if we neglect to push back and fight the current political trends against drones…we lose everything. I CANNOT state this enough:
DO NOT EXPECT ME OR ANYONE ELSE TO DO ALL OF THE HEAVY LIFTING FOR YOU. PROTECTING OUR ACCESS TO DRONES THAT ALLOW US TO PERFORM OUR JOBS EFFICIENTLY, EFFECTIVELY, AND AT A PRICETAG WE CAN AFFORD IS CRUCIAL. WITHOUT ACCESS TO THIS TECHNOLOGY A LARGE PORTION OF THE INDUSTRY DIES IMMEDIATELY AND THE REST ARE LEFT TO ROT AWAY IN THE FALLOUT.
Please, if not for me, for yourselves or anyone you know that loves flying drones for hobby or profession, take action by writing your congressional representatives today. Do not hesitate on this. Policies move fast when they do not have the pressures of the outside world watching them closely. Once something like this passed into law it is EXTREMELY difficult to undo. Be proactive, not reactive.
FIND YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
FIND YOUR STATE LEGISLATURE OFFICIALS: https://ballotpedia.org/Official_names_of_state_legislatures
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