So much for HoverAir’s seeming loophole in the drone ban.
So much for HoverAir’s seeming loophole in the drone ban.
bySean Hollister Aug 21, 2026, 6:14 PM EDT
The HoverAir Versa.Image: HoverAir
Part Of DJI ban: how the world’s biggest dronemaker is getting shoved out of the US see all updates
Sean Hollisteris a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.
I am so sorry, fellow US gadget fans: the FCC’s drone ban appears to have struck again. The HoverAir Versa — a baby steadycam with snap-on propeller wings that transform it into a drone — has already stopped taking US orders just three days after its Indiegogo debut, and may be forced to abandon shipping plans in the US.
HoverAir is now telling backers it’s only shipping its camera to the US, not the piece that turns it into a drone, “due to a few remaining logistics updates with the Flight Kit.” But those “logistics” may actually be a euphemism for “we’ve been banned by the federal government.” The FCC’s database no longer has an entry for the HoverAir Versa at all, suggesting that its authorization grant has been pulled.
Image: Indiegogo
On Wednesday, I told you how giving a camera wings probably wasn’t a good enough loophole to keep the FCC from feeling tricked. Even though the HoverAir Versa did make it through the FCC on August 9th, we confirmed, that approval was for a camera, not a drone. The Chinese company, Zero Zero Robotics, told the FCC’s agent the camera shouldn’t be blocked because Zero Zero isn’t on the FCC’s Covered List for cameras — which is true.
But all companies are automatically on the FCC’s covered list for drones and critical drone components, and the FCC explicitly defines cameras as one of those components.
Early buyers may need refunds.
More in: DJI ban: how the world’s biggest dronemaker is getting shoved out of the US
I bought DJI’s banned camera — it was cheap and easy Sean HollisterAug 20
Does giving a camera wings dodge the FCC’s drone ban? Sean HollisterAug 19
Trump declares 100 percent tariffs on many drones and all aircraft parts Sean HollisterAug 13
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