FBI Seizes Over 600 Drones at World Cup Venues, DJI Launches M400 Parachute, $100K Prize Offered for Mach 1 RC Aircraft

FBI Seizes Over 600 Drones at FIFA World Cup Venues

The FBI has confiscated more than 600 drones found operating inside temporary flight restriction (TFR) zones surrounding FIFA World Cup venues. Since the tournament opened on June 11, violations have been recorded across all 11 host cities — a volume that has stunned enforcement officials. Miami leads the count with 99 seizures, followed by Atlanta with 77 and Dallas with 63.

Operators caught flying inside World Cup TFRs face civil penalties of up to $75,000, criminal fines of up to $100,000, imprisonment of up to one year, and the permanent confiscation of their aircraft. At least three men in Texas are already facing federal criminal charges.

As a reminder, each venue is surrounded by a 3-nautical-mile, 3,000-foot TFR that takes effect three hours before kickoff and remains in place until three hours after the final whistle. Fan Fest sites carry a 1-nautical-mile, 1,000-foot restriction, while flight bans around team hotels and training facilities remain in effect through July 21.

Reports indicate that many of those caught hold Part 107 certifications. Don't be that operator — every confiscated drone hands lawmakers further ammunition to push for stricter counter-drone legislation. Before flying anywhere in the United States, always check tfr.faa.gov for the latest restriction information.

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DJI Launches AP100 Parachute for the Matrice 400

DJI has officially introduced the AP100 parachute for the Matrice 400 (M400). Weighing 935 grams and mounted on the drone's back, the system limits descent speed to no more than 5 metres per second (approximately 11 mph).

The addition allows the Matrice 400 to qualify for EASA's C5 or C6 category classifications in Europe, as well as the equivalent UK5 or UK6 certifications in the United Kingdom. The AP100 will, however, not be available in the United States — for reasons that require little elaboration.

The unit is self-contained: an onboard capacitor charges fully in just one hour, and the system includes an integrated flight termination function. It can also be configured via DJI FlightHub to deploy automatically if the aircraft breaches a geofence. The parachute itself is equipped with an audible alarm and a flashing light to help ground crews locate the landing point and alert bystanders below.

It is an impressive piece of engineering — and a shame that U.S. operators currently have no path to benefit from it.

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Boom Supersonic Offers $100,000 Prize for First Amateur RC Aircraft to Break Mach 1

Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, has announced a $100,000 prize for the first person to build an amateur remote-controlled aircraft capable of breaking Mach 1. The prize is split equally: $50,000 in cash and $50,000 in Boom Supersonic equity.

The challenge was inspired by a college student who went viral online after claiming his self-built, 5-kilogram carbon-fibre jet-powered drone had reached 500 mph in his dormitory workshop. For context, Mach 1 at sea level is approximately 761 mph — a significant gap remains. The current verified speed record for a jet-powered RC aircraft stands at 465 mph.

Breaking the sound barrier presents extreme aerodynamic drag, control challenges, and a labyrinth of regulatory hurdles. In the United States, Part 107 caps drone speeds at 100 mph, while the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) turbine waiver programme limits participants to 200 mph. Any serious contender would need to secure airspace waivers and navigate extensive approval processes.

Nevertheless, it is refreshing to see a major aerospace CEO channel viral engineering enthusiasm into a concrete, high-stakes challenge for the amateur builder community.

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