{"id":5744,"date":"2026-08-19T23:43:49","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T23:43:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=5744"},"modified":"2026-08-19T23:43:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T23:43:49","slug":"hoverair-versa-drone-camera-fcc-loophole-indiegogo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=5744","title":{"rendered":"Does giving a camera wings dodge the FCC\u2019s drone ban?"},"content":{"rendered":"


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HoverAir drones always have intriguing gimmicks. This one<\/a> folds flat to fit in your pocket. This one<\/a> can land on water. Another can<\/a> charge inside its carrying case. But the brand\u2019s latest trick might be its riskiest: it\u2019s attempting to sneak a drone past the FCC.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In December 2025, the US government banned future foreign drones from reaching our shores, and HoverAir\u2019s floating Aqua drone was one of the first casualties<\/a>. But this time, brand owner Zero Zero Robotics might have found a loophole: its latest $750 Versa drone<\/a> isn\u2019t a drone, it claims, but rather a DJI Pocket-style mini steadycam with optional snap-on propellers that let it fly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThe Flight Kit is an accessory that extends VERSA\u2019s capabilities. Therefore, HOVERAir is in full compliance with the applicable regulatory requirements for the full product configuration offered to US customers,\u201d global marketing director Anita Facundo tells The Verge<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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As far as HoverAir is publicly concerned, the gambit has already worked. The FCC already approved the new HoverAir Versa on August 9th, public records show, and the company just launched it on Indiegogo this week<\/a> while telling customers it\u2019s good to go.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But the reality is more complicated. I\u2019ve read through the full text of the FCC\u2019s orders, and there\u2019s reason to believe the loophole is real. But there\u2019s also reason to believe the FCC was fooled and could easily reject this drone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Zero<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Zero Zero got its authorization grant for the Versa on August 9th. <\/em><\/figcaption>Images: FCC<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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When the FCC\u2019s foreign drone ban came down in December, it blocked the FCC from automatically approving the radios of any<\/em> foreign-made drone \u2014 each company now has to convince the FCC that its drone is either made in the United States, or doesn\u2019t pose a threat to national security. (Or, lie on the paperwork<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But while the ban automatically creates friction for every kind of drone, it doesn\u2019t affect every dronemaker\u2019s cameras<\/em> \u2014 only those from DJI and Autel Robotics, because those were the two specifically named in the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"HoverAir<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

HoverAir effectively says \u201cwe\u2019re not on the Covered List\u2026for cameras.\u201d<\/em><\/figcaption>Image: FCC<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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So when HoverAir submitted its paperwork to the FCC, it only did so for the camera portion of its drone. It told the FCC\u2019s agent, truthfully, that HoverAir has not been banned from getting cameras certified in the US. The FCC\u2019s agent, one of the private companies known as Telecommunications Certification Bodies (TCB), signed off on that basis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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What about the propeller wings that turn it into a drone? Well, the FCC only certifies gadgets that have a wireless radio inside \u2014 the propellers almost certainly don\u2019t, since they physically connect to the camera using copper contacts. HoverAir might not have to submit them to the FCC at all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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That\u2019s the loophole, but it might not be so simple. See, the FCC\u2019s foreign drone ban isn\u2019t just on \u201cdrones\u201d but also \u201cUAS critical components,\u201d and the camera clearly contains many of the critical components that make HoverAir\u2019s drone fly. The FCC has explicitly said<\/a> that cameras are one of those critical components. And because HoverAir\u2019s camera has radios, it is under the FCC\u2019s jurisdiction.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Like usual, the FCC outsourced its original decision to certify the HoverAir Versa to a private company, but it\u2019s likely to take a second look itself now that HoverAir is trying this loophole. And if it decides that the Versa is a \u201cUAS critical component,\u201d it has a little-known tool to quickly reverse the decision.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The FCC can easily nix a certification within 30 days<\/a>, and we\u2019re not outside that period for HoverAir yet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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To be fair to HoverAir, it did begin offering refunds when it became clear the Aqua would not ship in the US. It\u2019s also selling the Versa camera by itself, though only 12 Indiegogo backers seem to be opting for that as I type these words.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I badly want to try this flying camera. It looks fun! But here in the US, I wouldn\u2019t personally put money towards a Versa till I know the FCC\u2019s OK with it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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With new drones, routers<\/a>, robots, and Roombas<\/a> all at the FCC\u2019s whims, we sure do live in interesting times.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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