From October 17 to 19, 2025, Litchfield Hills Analyst Barry Sine said he attended Unusual Machines Inc.'s (UMAC:NYSEAMERICAN) annual Rotor Riot Rampage, often referred to as the "Burning Man for Drones," at the Barnwell Nuclear Fuel Plant in Barnwell County, South Carolina.
This distinctive event attracted around 250 FPV (first-person view) drone enthusiasts for racing, freestyle flying, and community interaction, said Sine in an updated research note on October 23.
"We interacted with dozens of customers and key UMAC executives, gaining insights into the company’s retail e-commerce strategy, which, despite the spotlight on its burgeoning enterprise business (e.g., a recent 3,500-unit U.S. Army order), accounted for the majority of Q2 2025 revenue," Sine wrote. "UMAC's investment in this event underscores its commitment to balancing its retail roots with defense-sector ambitions."
Event Venue: Barnwell Nuclear Fuel Plant
The Rotor Riot Rampage was held on the 1,622-acre BNFP site, originally developed by Allied-General Nuclear Services, a consortium of Allied Chemical, Gulf Oil, and Royal Dutch Shell. Locally known as Agnes, the facility was built in the 1970s to reprocess spent nuclear fuel rods but was abandoned after policy changes halted operations in 1983, Sine said.
Today, it serves as a training ground for government and military exercises, with empty containers used for police and military rappelling. During Rampage, these structures and ponds became a dynamic playground for drone pilots, featuring obstacles like a nighttime "ring of fire," the analyst noted.
Collisions were common, but UMAC's Rotor Riot brand ensured a plentiful supply of popular drone parts (such as props and antennas) for on-site repairs, reinforcing its retail presence.
Event Highlights
Limited to around 250 pilots, the event offered a premium VIP experience, including gift bags with UMAC's Brave F7 flight controller. The analyst said pilots integrated these NDAA-compliant components into their drones, enhancing brand visibility.
UMAC also utilized the site's on-site dormitory, private trailers, and a makeshift RV park, Sine said. Courtesy golf carts, often driven by executives, transported attendees across the vast site.
The event featured day-long drone racing, freestyle flying, and obstacle courses alongside networking opportunities, the analyst wrote. While operating near breakeven, it served as a powerful marketing platform for Rotor Riot’s e-commerce site.
Rotor Riot's Market Position
In the FPV ecosystem, rotorriot.com ranks just behind GetFPV.com (owned by private equity along with Lumenier drones) in retail revenue. However, Rotor Riot’s Rampage stands out as the premier FPV hobbyist event, exclusively branded and operated by UMAC, Sine said.
Its website features a dedicated section for NDAA-compliant (Section 889) parts, appealing to both hobbyists and defense clients. Notably, members of the 101st Airborne Division recently used rotorriot.com to source parts for a prototype drone showcased at the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) conference in October 2025, resulting in a 3,500-unit enterprise order for NDAA-compliant motors, the analyst wrote.
Regulatory Environment and Advocacy
FPV pilots at Rampage voiced concerns about increasingly stringent FCC and FAA regulations, influenced by commercial drone operations such as Amazon's delivery initiatives. These regulations, primarily targeting corporate users, threaten to restrict the freedoms of hobbyists.
Rotor Riot's focus on community-building and UMAC's backing of the FPV Freedom Coalition (FPVFC) — a non-profit advocating for fair FPV regulations — are essential, Sine wrote. FPVFC’s guidelines, including visual observer protocols and Remote ID compliance, assist pilots in navigating FAA regulations while opposing overly restrictive policies.
Rotor Riot Rampage exemplifies UMAC's dual-track strategy: sustaining retail leadership through rotorriot.com while expanding enterprise sales, the analyst noted. The event's success, driven by proactive leaders like Wright and Davis, underscores operational efficiency.
With NDAA-compliant parts gaining popularity, as evidenced by orders from the 101st Airborne Division, UMAC is well-positioned to secure defense contracts while fostering its FPV community.
"We recommend monitoring rotorriot.com's sales metrics and future event expansions for retail upside," Sine said in the report.
The analyst rated the stock a Buy with a US$25 per share target price, a 115% return from the US$11.67 per share at the time the note was written.
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Important Disclosures:
- Unusual Machines Inc. is a billboard sponsor of Streetwise Reports and pays SWR a monthly sponsorship fee between US$3,000 and US$6,000.
- As of the date of this article, officers, contractors, shareholders, and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Unusual Machines Inc.
- Steve Sobek wrote this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an employee.
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