DJI Mavic 4 Leaks, AVSS on M30, Tariff Drone Prices, Drone at MLB Game, TX Drone Ban Bill

Welcome to your Weekly UAS News Update! We have five stories for you this week. First, potential leaks give us a glimpse of the DJI Mavic 4 Pro and the new RC Pro 2 controller. Second, the DJI M30 series gets clearance for flight over people using an AVSS parachute system. Third, tariff changes mean DJI products will likely increase in price. Fourth, an MLB bat boy took down a drone during a baseball game—I’ll give you three chances to guess what he used. Finally, a Texas bill aims to ban Chinese drones and drone components. Let’s get to it!

Greg and Jason are running our booth at Sun ‘n Fun this week, so the Pilot Institute production team is hosting the news update today. Greg will be back next week.

Potential Leaks of DJI Mavic 4 Pro and RC Pro 2

For the first story, some potential leaks show what looks like the DJI Mavic 4 Pro and its new controller. Until we see an official announcement, these are still unconfirmed rumors, but the images look pretty convincing. There’s a lot of buzz around potential upgrades over the Mavic 3, with improvements to camera sensors, obstacle avoidance, and possibly longer flight times. There’s also a suggestion of a potential delay to the expected April release date, but again, that’s unconfirmed. The RC Pro 2 controller hints at upgrades for users who rely on higher-end remotes. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this one, as a Mavic 4 Pro would be a big release for the prosumer market. As always, we’ll keep you posted with any updates.

DJI M30 Series Cleared for Flights Over People

Next up, good news for commercial operators using the DJI M30 series. The Canadian company AVSS has completed ASTM testing for their PRS-M30 parachute recovery system for DJI M30 and M30T drones. This means operators using an M30 equipped with the AVSS parachute system now have a way to legally conduct operations over people and moving vehicles under Part 107. This is a big deal because it opens up more complex operational capabilities, especially in urban environments, for things like public safety missions, inspections, and media gathering. The ASTM standard ensures the parachute system meets specific safety and reliability criteria for mitigating risk in case of a drone failure. Having this validated system provides regulatory compliance and peace of mind for operators looking to expand their flights beyond what was previously allowed without waivers or exemptions.

Tariffs Could Increase DJI Product Prices

In our third story this week, a report from DroneXL suggests that new tariffs on Chinese goods could soon hit the U.S. market, potentially causing a major price jump for DJI drones and accessories. According to the report, an additional 10% to 24% tariff could be added on top of existing ones, leading to a total increase of 34% on these imports. This means that a DJI Mini 4 Pro Fly More Combo could jump from $1,149 to $1,539. As of recording, these tariffs have been announced, but it’s unclear if they will be implemented immediately or on a specific date. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more.

MLB Bat Boy Takes Down Drone with a Bat

Fourth, we have a pretty unusual Drone Incident that happened during a Major League Baseball game. Instead of waiting for security or officials, veteran bat boy, 22-year-old Stuart Falum, decided to take matters into his own hands. According to reports from ESPN and the Associated Press, Falum approached the drone, which was reportedly hovering near the ground. He mentioned concerns about the spinning blades, saying he’d seen news stories about injuries. He apparently tried to grab it from the bottom, but the drone attempted to fly away. So, Falum used a baseball bat to whack the drone’s props, effectively disabling it before handing it over to security. Please, don’t be that guy.

Texas Bill Proposes Ban on Chinese Drones

Last up, there’s significant concern in Texas over proposed legislation known as House Bill 41. It’s currently presented as a cybersecurity measure, but critics like Lita are sounding the alarm, calling it a sweeping drone ban that could impact public safety operations across the state. HB 41 could effectively ban the purchase and use of drones made in certain Countries, like China, and even American-made drones if they contain parts from those countries. It’s estimated that around 95% of public safety drone teams nationwide rely on technology that could fall under this ban. The bill could also force agencies to retire existing, usable drones, regardless of their proven safety and effectiveness in the field. Public safety agencies use these drones daily for critical tasks like searching for missing persons, de-escalating high-risk situations, providing overwatch for officers, assisting in disaster response, and securing borders. Removing these tools without readily available, capable, and affordable alternatives could, as Rob Robertson put it, leave officers “out-teched” in critical moments—similar to being outgunned. Furthermore, the financial burden could be substantial, with agencies forced to replace their fleets with drones costing three to twelve times more. For smaller departments, this could mean shutting down their drone programs entirely. If you’re in Texas, please reach out to your state representatives and let them know this bill may not be a good idea.

Closing Notes

These bills and drone bans continue to be a hot topic, which Greg discusses in more detail on Postflight. If you haven’t already, tune in to pilotinstitute.com/community to hear more. No happy hour today—we’ll be back to business as usual next week. Greg will host the live Q&A on Monday, we’ll have Postflight in the premium community, and we’ll see you next week!