On December 22, 2025, the American Security Drone Act (ASDA) and FCC Covered List took effect, followed by OMB Memorandum M-26-02. DJI and Autel platforms are now prohibited on federal projects, federally funded state work, and — as of March 2026 — Alaska DOT&PF operations.

If you’re a contractor or subcontractor on any state or federally funded project, the restriction applies to you too.

According to the NASAO/Oregon DOT white paper (February 28, 2026), surveying 25 state transportation departments:

Alaska DOT&PF confirmed to the House Transportation Committee on March 4, 2026 that they are phasing out DJI drones. UAF issued its prohibition notice in April 2025. California has banned DJI/Autel on all projects — not just federally funded work.

Every platform in AKDRONE’s rental fleet is Blue UAS listed, Green UAS certified, and NDAA compliant under Section 848. No Chinese components, no covered list manufacturers, no waivers needed. Our Inspired Flight platforms are American-made; our Wingtra platforms are Swiss-engineered — both manufactured outside restricted supply chains.

Source: NASAO/Oregon DOT White Paper, February 28, 2026. Alaska House Transportation Committee testimony, March 4, 2026.

AKDRONE rentals are for qualified operators. We don’t rent to hobbyists — we equip professionals. All operators must meet the following requirements before equipment ships:

Minimum Requirements:

• Active FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate (verified before shipment)
• Documented flight experience on enterprise-grade multirotor or fixed-wing VTOL platforms
• Familiarity with PPK/RTK survey workflows (for mapping missions)
• Valid Certificate of Insurance naming AKDRONE LLC as additional insured
• Completion of AKDRONE platform-specific checkout (included with every rental)

Transitioning from DJI?

Most of Alaska’s grounded fleet was DJI. If that’s your background, you already understand airspace management, weather constraints, and mission planning fundamentals. Our platforms handle differently — industrial-grade redundancy, modular payloads, different flight controllers and ground station software — but the core principles transfer.

Most experienced DJI operators can transition within our 2-day training program. We handle the learning curve so your pilots stay productive and your project stays on schedule.

Why we require this: These platforms cost $40,000–$180,000. You’re flying in Alaska — short seasons, unpredictable weather, high-stakes missions. We protect your project timeline by making sure you’re proficient before you’re on the clock. This isn’t gatekeeping — it’s quality assurance for your data and your investment.

IF800 Tomcat — American-made quadcopter. ArduPilot-based flight controller with Herelink ground station. ~45 minute flight time, ~10 kg payload capacity. NDAA compliant, Blue UAS listed. Ideal for industrial inspections, LiDAR surveys, and multispectral imaging.

IF1200A Hexacopter — Heavy-lift hexacopter for larger payloads. ~30 minute flight time, ~15 kg payload capacity. Available with Blue Herelink or GS-ONE ground control stations. Purpose-built for LiDAR, photogrammetry, and specialized sensor integration.

WingtraRay — Swiss-engineered fixed-wing VTOL survey drone. 61MP Survey61 full-frame nadir camera. ~55 minute flight time, covers up to 310 hectares per flight at 120m AGL. PPK-enabled for ~3cm RMS absolute accuracy without ground control points. Ideal for civil engineering, construction monitoring, topographic basemapping, and large-area surveying.

WingtraGROUND — EMLID Reach RS3 multi-band GNSS base/rover station kit. Two receivers with IMU-based tilt compensation, mini-tripods, flexible targets, survey nails, and hardcase. Survey-grade RTK precision with LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and LoRa connectivity. Requires active WingtraCLOUD Pro subscription for processing.

We protect your mission. You protect our equipment.

Our commitment:

• Platform delivered flight-ready, tested, and calibrated
• Technical support throughout your rental (phone, email, emergency)
• No hidden fees — your quote is your price
• Monthly rental terms (4-week periods)

Your commitment:

• Operate within manufacturer specifications and Alaska airspace regulations
• Maintain equipment per our pre-flight checklist (provided with every rental)
• Report damage or malfunction immediately
• Return equipment in the same hard case it shipped in

Insurance: Certificate of Insurance required — minimum $1M general liability, AKDRONE LLC listed as additional insured. Hull coverage for replacement value of rented equipment required.

Dangerous Goods Shipping: Lithium batteries require specialized dangerous goods (DG) air freight packaging under federal regulations. DG air shipping quoted per shipment based on destination and carrier. Ground shipping available for Alaska destinations.

Alaska’s construction and survey season runs roughly May through September. If you’re a project lead who just learned your DJI fleet is grounded, you have weeks — not months — to source compliant platforms before field season opens.

Federal procurement cycles typically run 6-18 months. That timeline doesn’t align with Alaska’s short operating window. AKDRONE’s rental program exists specifically to bridge this gap: deploy compliant platforms immediately while your purchase order works through channels.

We’re based in Valdez and operate year-round in Alaska’s conditions. We understand weather delays, equipment challenges in extreme cold, and last-minute project changes. If something goes wrong that’s not your fault, we’ll work with you.

Field season starts in weeks. Your fleet compliance can’t wait for a 6-month procurement cycle.