The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) released its comments on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) proposed Remote Identification Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Rule, emphasizing the importance of remote ID for expanded UAS operations, and also encouraging the FAA to explore ways to incentivize early, voluntary compliance with remote ID prior to the implementation … Continue Reading
Last week, a medical delivery drone flying from the People’s Hospital of Xinchang County to the disease control center there successfully completed the air transport of needed medical quarantine supplies and patient samples in the coronavirus outbreak. This is the first launch of Antwork’s “urban air transportation channel” to help fight the coronavirus outbreak in … Continue Reading
Last week, the U.S. Interior Department (the Department) grounded its fleet of over 800 DJI Mavic Pro drones, citing potential cybersecurity risks and the desire to support U.S. drone production. This suggests that the Department is at least in part concerned with the manufacture of the DJI drones in China. While Interior Secretary David Bernhardt … Continue Reading
This week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued proposed safety standards for specific drones for package deliveries. This is a big step toward allowing routine package delivery by drones. This proposal marks the first time the FAA has presented a formal policy that addresses certain safety and airworthiness requirements for drones making package deliveries. The … Continue Reading
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), along with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is informing drone operators of the restrictions on drone flights before, during and after Super Bowl LIV on Sunday, February 2 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The FAA expects more than 2,500 additional take-offs and landings and almost … Continue Reading
The United States Postal Service (USPS) recently issued a Request for Information (RFI) from industry experts on unmanned aircraft systems used for letter or parcel delivery. USPS says that it is merely investigating the feasibility of using drones as an integrated part of its vehicle delivery fleet, as well as to provide image and other … Continue Reading
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) wrote in a report published last week that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has facilitated approximately 15,000 drone research flights since 2015, but that the FAA could make better use of the data it collects from these drone test flights. Since 2015, both public and private entities have used … Continue Reading
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released its unmanned aircraft system (UAS or drone) remote identification Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Proposed Rule) on December 31, 2019. This is a huge step toward the integration of drones into the national airspace and an effective unmanned traffic management system. There is a 60-day public comment period; if you … Continue Reading
This week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced more details about its new recreational drone flyer test, which will be an opportunity to educate recreational flyers about the rules of flying a drone in national airspace. An FAA law passed in 2018 requires recreational drone flyers to pass an online aeronautical knowledge and safety test, … Continue Reading
In a letter submitted last month to the chairmen and ranking members of the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and its aviation subcommittee, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and other aviation industry groups urged the panels to oppose the Drone Integration and Zoning Act, S.2607. This Act “proposes enabling thousands … Continue Reading
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimates that by 2023 there will be more than 835,000 commercial drones in the United States. As the use of drones for many commercial purposes (such as aerial inspections, utility projects, monitoring real estate and construction activities) increases, more and more organizations will consider how to integrate these devices into … Continue Reading
Last week, UPS and CVS completed the first commercial medical prescription drone delivery in the United States under a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) program. The deliveries were made in North Carolina via a cable that lowered the prescriptions to the ground as the drone hovered about 20 feet above each destination. One of the packages … Continue Reading
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted UPS Flight Forward, Inc. (UPS) a Part 135 air carrier and operator certification for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or drone) delivery. The certification was granted through the FAA’s UAS Integration Pilot Program and will allow UPS to perform revenue-generating package-delivery activities using drones. As a Part 135 operator, … Continue Reading
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for remote identification of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or drones) has been delayed – again. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is now scheduled for release in December 2019. These rules will address remote identification, which is the ability of a drone to … Continue Reading
Last week, Reno, Nevada-based Flirtey introduced its new delivery drone – the Flirtey Eagle. This new drone was created to deliver packages to customers in less than 10 minutes, operate in 95 percent of potential wind speeds and weather conditions, and deliver its contents by lowering a tether while the drone is suspended in air. … Continue Reading
Last week, British Petroleum’s (BP) North Sea business completed its pilot project to remotely monitor methane emissions of its offshore assets by using an unmanned aerial system (UAS or drone). BP used a fixed-wing UAS with sensor technology originally designed by NASA for the Mars Curiosity Rover. The UAS circled one of BP’s offshore platforms … Continue Reading
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and industry partners in the unmanned aerial systems (UAS or drone) traffic management system pilot successfully demonstrated how multiple drones can function safely in the national airspace. During the demonstrations, conducted at three separate test sites, multiple beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) operations were conducted at … Continue Reading
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a request for information (RFI) last week asking unmanned aerial systems (UAS or drone) stakeholders for input regarding the creation of a new aeronautical knowledge test for recreational drone operators. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (the Act) requires new conditions to operate recreational small UAS; however, right now, … Continue Reading
Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) gave the go-ahead for the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) to conduct beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations. The KDOT team, which includes Kansas State University Polytechnic, Westar Energy and Iris Automation, will fly a nine-mile track to evaluate technologies for power line inspections in rural … Continue Reading
Last week, the Burleigh County Sheriff’s Department in North Dakota received a four-year waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate drones over people. The Department will routinely conduct drone operations over people for purposes of public safety and monitoring. Currently, the Department has five drones –all equipped with a parachute recovery system. Specifically, … Continue Reading
A beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flight of a drone traveled along the Trans-Alaska pipeline system (TAPS) this month, led by a team from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration. Operators flew the drone along 3.87 miles of TAPS, using onboard and ground-based detection systems (instead of human observers) to detect and … Continue Reading
At the beginning of 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Kittyhawk, an unmanned aerial systems (UAS or drone) service provider, announced a partnership to update the FAA’s B4UFly app. The newly updated app was released last week for drone operators (both commercial and recreational alike), which now determines in real-time which airspace restrictions are … Continue Reading
Two New York drone companies, AX Enterprize and Thales USA, were awarded a $7.75 million grant from the U.S. Air Force Research Lab to develop state-of-the-art air traffic management (ATM) systems to would allow civilian and military drones to safely coexist alongside manned aircraft in the national airspace. The project and research will be conducted … Continue Reading
As of July 23, 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) expanded the Low Altitude Authorization and Capability (LAANC) system to include recreational operators. LAANC is a system built as a collaboration between the FAA and industry stakeholders to help expedite the time it takes to receive authorization to fly a drone under 400 feet in … Continue Reading
