Updated
Updated · PetaPixel · Aug 21
HoverAir Pulls Versa Flight Kit From U.S. Sales Under FCC Foreign Drone Ban
Updated
Updated · PetaPixel · Aug 21

HoverAir Pulls Versa Flight Kit From U.S. Sales Under FCC Foreign Drone Ban

3 articles · Updated · PetaPixel · Aug 21

Summary

  • U.S. buyers can no longer back any HoverAir Versa package that includes the detachable flying module, leaving only the handheld PocketOnly and PocketCombo versions available.
  • The restriction stems from the FCC’s December move to add foreign-made drones and critical drone components to its Covered List after a White House-led national security review.
  • HoverAir told Indiegogo backers it was making “logistics updates” to the Flight Kit, but the wing attachment that turns the camera into an auto-follow drone appears to be what triggered the U.S. sales halt.
  • The Versa was unveiled in July as a “flying pocket camera,” and its U.S. setback shows how broadly the FCC’s foreign-drone rules can reach beyond traditional drone makers.

Insights

Did HoverAir's clever modular design accidentally trigger a total US ban on their new drone hybrid?
Will US backers lose their money after this highly anticipated flying camera mysteriously vanished from the FCC database?