Available grants include Aircraft Pilots Workforce Development Grants, which fund efforts to educate and recruit students to become aircraft pilots or drone operators, and Aviation Maintenance Technical Workers Workforce Development Grants, which support initiatives focused on educating and recruiting future aviation mechanics and maintenance technicians.
drones
The Sky is Getting Crowded — And It’s Only Going to Get Worse
The GAO warns the FAA must set clear milestones for drones to detect and avoid manned aircraft as the number of drones sharing the National Airspace System is expected to near 4 million by 2029.
FAA Cracks Down on Drones in 2025
The FAA levied fines ranging from $1,771 to $36,770, as well as suspended or revoke drone pilot certificates.
FAA Expands UAS Test Site Network for First Time Since 2016
The expansion of the test locations is designed to accelerate the integration of drones into the National Airspace System, including how they will share that space with manned aircraft.
Proposed rules would give drones right of way under 400 feet AGL
An analysis of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking released in August 2025 aimed at enabling enabling autonomous unmanned aerial system (UAS) operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) shows the proposed rule will have implications for all users of the National Airspace System “in ways large and small,” according to officials with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA).
New research warns of drone risks to aircraft
A nationwide analysis of drone activity led by researchers at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University documents increasing growth in the use of drones and reveals “hot spots” where the risk of a mid-air collision with manned aircraft may be higher.
ASA updates drone textbook
The third edition of the textbook is designed to prepare readers for the FAA Knowledge exam, as well as how drones fly, their components and systems, and the requirements to fly in the same airspace as crewed aircraft.
Choctaw Nation opens Emerging Aviation Technology Center
Built on remote land owned by CNO, the facility supports research, development, testing, and evaluation of emerging crewed and uncrewed aerial system technologies in a safe, low-risk environment, according to CNO officials.
New scholarship launches for drone pilots
The Elevate Scholarship Program, targeting individuals between the ages of 16 and 24, provides Part 107 training, as well as resources to equip young individuals with essential drone operation capabilities, according to officials.