Drone News: World Cup NOTAMs, Helicopter Dodges Unauthorized Drone, AirData x LeoSight

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week. First, the FAA adds a new DHS authorization path for World Cup NOTAMs, a firefighting helicopter in Utah dodges an unauthorized drone, and AirData and LeoSight team up to bring live drone data to DFR programs. Let's get to it.First up this week, the FAA is modifying all of its FIFA World Cup 2026 drone NOTAMs to add an authorization pathway through the Department of Homeland Security. If you're flying commercial jobs where these TFRs are, you'll want to pay attention to this. The sweeping flight restrictions took effect on June 1st and immediately started grounding commercial drone operators who already held airspace authorizations. The stadium rings alone run 3 nautical miles wide and 3,000 feet tall on every match day, plus there are 1-nautical-mile rings over base camps in cities, hundreds of miles from any match. To fix this, the FAA is adding language that allows operations inside the Special Security Instruction airspace with DHS authorization. For Part 107 and Part 135 operations, you can now email your request to drones@dhs.gov. You'll need to include which flight restricted zone you plan to fly in, the cities covered, and a 24/7 point of contact. They're starting with the Texas locations first, like Houston and Dallas, before rolling it out to other states. If you don’t have permission, or are denied, don’t fly… Civil penalties for violating these TFRs can reach $75,000 per violation. And remember, until the amended language actually appears on a specific NOTAM at tfr.faa.gov, the existing restriction stands. So please, check before you fly.Speaking of TFRs, a firefighting helicopter working a brush fire near Moab, Utah, had to dodge an unauthorized drone over the active fire area. Thankfully, nobody was hurt and nothing collided this time, but the drone's presence alone created a serious safety hazard and forced the crew to clear the airspace. This incident comes 17 months after a DJI Mini 3 Pro struck the left wing of a Canadair CL-415 Super Scooper over the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. That sub-250-gram drone punched a 3-by-6-inch hole in the wing, grounding the aircraft for five days during a massive emergency. The pilot in that case was sentenced to 14 days in federal prison and ordered to pay $156,000 in restitution. This is your reminder as we get into wildfire season, don't be that guy…Last up, LeoSight, a unified command software platform for public safety, has integrated with AirData UAV. This integration streams real-time drone telemetry, flight data, and operational insights directly into LeoSight's LeoCommand system, which includes more than just drones. If you aren’t familiar, AirData is a platform that supports logging and live flight streaming. Now, mutual customers can stream drone data straight to dispatchers, command staff, and field personnel all at the exact same time. This means moving beyond isolated drone operations and into a fully coordinated response across multi-agency events. It’ll be interesting to see if the sharing of data overwhelms folks who have other responsibilities or leads to better in-the-field decision making. No post flight this week, we’ll see you on Monday for the live! Have a good one!https://dronexl.co/2026/06/09/faa-world-cup-notam-dhs-drone-authorization/https://dronexl.co/2026/06/09/moab-helicopter-drone-near-miss-super-scooper/https://dronelife.com/2026/06/10/airdata-uav-and-leosight-bring-live-drone-data-for-dfr-programs/