It Looks Like HoverAir’s Flying Gimbal Camera Already Got Banned in the U.S.

The HoverAir Versa, which was announced in July, was advertised as the world’s first “flying pocket camera.” The first word in that description may have gotten the company caught up in a recent drone ban, as it appears to already be pulled for U.S. customers.

Last December, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said that “following a thorough review by an Executive Branch interagency body with appropriate national security expertise that was convened by the White House,” it received instruction that drones and critical drone components produced in foreign countries pose “unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States and to the safety and security of U.S. persons” and should therefore be added to the FCC’s Covered List. It is not quite the same as the ban that DJI is currently fighting in court, but it is related.

Effectively, that rule means any new drone produced outside of the U.S. would not be allowed to be sold domestically.

“I welcome this Executive Branch national security determination, and I am pleased that the FCC has now added foreign drones and related components, which pose an unacceptable national security risk, to the FCC’s Covered List. Following President Trump’s leadership, the FCC will work closely with U.S. drone makers to unleash American drone dominance,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said at the time.

In its default, handheld configuration, the HoverAir Versa looks very similar to the likes of the Osmo Pocket 4 or Insta360 Luna thanks to its stabilized three-axis gimbal camera, a small built-in screen, and controls below that. However, unlike a camera like an Osmo Pocket or Luna, users can snap wings onto the HoverAir Versa, turning it into a dedicated aerial camera that automatically follows the user around.

The wing-snapping portion turns the Versa into a drone, and that seems to have run afoul of the FCC. HoverAir has already been pulling plans to ship the flying version in the U.S., as noted by comments on the company’s IndieGoGo campaign.

“Due to a few remaining logistics updates with the Flight Kit, we’re currently only shipping our PocketOnly and PocketCombo combos to the US. We’ll keep everyone updated on full availability,” the company says.

At the time of publication, no version of the camera that included the drone portion could be backed by those with U.S.-based internet connections.

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Image creditsHoverAir