Drone News: Drone Light Show Injury in Orlando, XTEND Wins DOD Drone Contract, & TFRs in NY and NJ

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update we have 3 stories for you:
Drone Light Show injures kid in Orlando, Israeli drone company
wins big DOD drone contract, and navigating TFRs in New York and
New Jersey.





First story this week is a bit of a sad one. A child was injured
at an Orlando drone show last week after a drone hit him in the
chest during a show near Lake Eola Park. The 7-year old boy was
taken to the hospital and it was later reported that he required
emergency cardiac surgery due to damage to a heart valve.
Approximately 15 minutes into the performance, drones started
falling out of the sky, according to a video and witness
statements. The show was put on by SkyElement, a very reputable
company that has a long-standing of safe operation. SkyElement
puts out dozens of shows around the country yearly, and even
holds 11 Guiness world records, including flying a show with 5000
drones a month ago during Thanksgiving. It's unclear exactly what
happened, but it would be out of touch for me to speculate at the
moment. We will follow up when the NTSB concludes its
investigation and releases its findings. We wish the young boy a
prompt recovery. Second story this week, XTEND, an Israeli
defense tech company, has secured an $8.8 million contract with
the U.S. Department of Defense. The contract is to deliver
advanced AI-powered drones called PSIO sUAS. These tactical
drones, capable of operating indoors and outdoors, combine
artificial intelligence with real-time precision strike
capabilities. The drones are designed for rapid deployment in
urban and open-field settings, and reduce risks for soldiers
while enhancing operational flexibility. Manufactured in the
U.S., these drones align with defense production standards and
are set for delivery in early 2025, following extensive testing.
XTEND’s systems are already in use globally, including by the
Israel Defense Forces, showcasing their value in modern warfare.
For our last story, I want to discuss the recent temporary flight
restrictions that were put in place in New Jersey and New York.
Most of those are 1 nautical mile in radius and around sensitive
infrastructures, such as substations, railroad depots, or even
nuclear power plants. Part 107 operators who have a valid
statement of work and show a need to be in the restricted
airspace are eligible to request SGI waivers. SGI stands the
Special Governmental Interest and is typically used by public
safety agencies, but is also available to "regular" part 107
operators. According to the FAA website, "To apply for a waiver
through the SGI process, you must be an existing Part 107 remote
pilot with a current certificate OR a public agency with an
existing Certificate of Waiver or Authorization or COA." I will
put a link in the description for those who are interested in
applying
(https://www.faa.gov/uas/advanced_operations/emergency_situations)
Last note before we go, we have the winner of the Community photo
contest for December! Congratulations to Bill Heiser won with
this photo titled "Highway to the Pass". And that's it for this
week and even this year. I want to thank you all for tuning in
every single week. We are getting close to 300 consecutive weeks
of news update, and we couldn't do this without all of you. I and
the entire team at Pilot Institute wish everybody a Happy New
Year. I hope it will be full of growth for your company if that's
what you do, but more importantly I hope it is filled with many
hours of flying. Please continue to be safe and vigilant, and
remember to be a mentor to those who got their first drone under
the tree.