The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to award its first license to operate a drone airline in May. Last year, the FAA determined that large-scale commercial package delivery drone operations would require certain safety and economic certification standards like other licensed U.S. airlines. The FAA has not yet announced which company will receive that … Continue Reading
Last week, UPS formed a new partnership with drone developer Matternet to deliver medical samples via drone. The delivery program will take place in Raleigh, North Carolina at WakeMed’s hospital, with program oversight by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). Currently, medical samples and specimens are transported by … Continue Reading
Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that unmanned aerial system (UAS or drone) delivery operations would be required to obtain a commercial air operator certificate issued under 14 CFR Part 119, as required by 14 CFR Part 135. This certification requires “economic authority” from the Department of Transportation (DOT) which can be given … Continue Reading
Unmanned aerial systems (UAS or drone) operators will now face stricter oversight and inspections by local Flight Standards District Offices (FSDO) under the new National Policy issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Policy requires FSDOs to immediately update their 2019 National Work Program Guidelines to include new Required Surveillance Work Activities. Before the … Continue Reading
The U.S. Navy is moving fast to acquire a new unmanned surface vehicle (USV) and hopes to award a contract for the USV by the end of 2019. Over the next two months, the Navy plans to issue a request for proposals for a new, medium-sized USV, up to 50 meters long. The Navy seeks … Continue Reading
More than 40 unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) stakeholders from 20 global companies met with the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance to discuss goals and objectives of the UAS industry. During a two-day conference in Syracuse, New York, the group discussed which tests will help to advance the integration of UAS into the national airspace … Continue Reading
This week, NASA selected the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems in Las Vegas and the Lone Star UAS Center for Excellence and Innovation in Corpus Christi, Texas to host the final phase of its four-year series of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) technical demonstrations. Both of these organizations will host demonstrations to confirm whether NASA’s UAS … Continue Reading
This week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released an updated interim rule in the Federal Register which requires drone owners to display their FAA-issued registration number on the external surface of the drone. Owners and operators may no longer place or write registration numbers in an interior compartment. However, the final rule does not change … Continue Reading
Intel won’t disclose exactly how it was able to participate in the Super Bowl LIII halftime show, but it did disclose that it used 150 Intel Shooting Star drones to spell out the words “ONE” and “LOVE” during the musical performance. As Maroon 5 began singing “She Will be Loved,” Intel initiated its software directing … Continue Reading
The biggest sporting event of the year is now over— and the Patriots, with the help of NFL super duo Tom Brady (the oldest quarterback to ever win the Super Bowl) and Bill Belichick (the oldest head coach to ever win the Super Bowl) took the title—New England’s sixth since 2002. Over 100 million people … Continue Reading
Last week, reports of “drone activity” temporarily halted flights at the Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had to briefly hold arrivals due to “reports of drone activity north of the airport earlier that evening.” The airport had to coordinate with the FAA and federal law enforcement authorities to … Continue Reading
Last week, Boeing completed the first test flight of its autonomous passenger aircraft prototype in Manassas, Virginia. The prototype is 30-feet long and 28-feet wide, powered by an electric propulsion system with a flight range of about 50 miles. The flight was successful, completing a controlled takeoff, hover and landing. Boeing hopes to test forward, … Continue Reading
In an effort to reduce liability from spills and other hazards, a few grocery store chains will now have a new employee on the ground: a six to seven-foot tall, googly-eyed robot named Marty. Marty is an autonomous robot with a “sensing tower on it with various cameras” giving it the ability to scan the … Continue Reading
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been busy even in the midst of the government shutdown. Last week, Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Elaine Chao unveiled a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or drones) flights over people and at night. For flights over people, the regulation breaks UAS into three categories: … Continue Reading
A California federal judge held that a standard comprehensive general liability (CGL) aircraft exclusion barred liability coverage for injuries suffered as a result of drone operations. The injuries occurred when a wedding photographer used a drone to capture images at a wedding reception and the drone hit a guest who sustained serious injuries, including loss … Continue Reading
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a memorandum last year announcing that its inspectors were now authorized to use camera-equipped unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or drones) to collect evidence during inspections. This means that OSHA inspectors are authorized to conduct in-person inspections of the workplace as well as remote-controlled aircraft inspections above the … Continue Reading
State Farm has become the very first company in the United States to receive a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for drone operations over people and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). The waiver is valid until November 2022. Senior Vice President for P&C Claims, Robert Yi, said, “The waiver will provide our … Continue Reading
Last month, Shell Global (Shell) announced its plan to deploy unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or drones) in a pilot project to inspect equipment at its Shell Technology Center in Houston, Texas, one of its three global technology hubs. The project is set to launch in early 2019, and Shell plans to use drones and cloud-based … Continue Reading
New Year’s is a time to look back on the happenings of the year and focus on the lessons and reminders those events have provided. As our last set of bulk posts for the year, we’d like to share with you our top 10 most read posts in 2018. Bezop Cryptocurrency Investors’ Personal Information Exposed … Continue Reading
On the remote island of Erromango, in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu, a one-month old child was given vaccines for hepatitis and tuberculosis via drone delivery. Not only is this unique because of the delivery method, but more than 20 percent of children under age five miss their vaccinations in Vanuatu because of the … Continue Reading
Last week, Intel announced two separate collaborations with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to improve bridge inspections using drones. Intel and the KYTC have actually used its drones technology to help inspect and analyze the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, which is an 8-lane interstate that crosses the Ohio … Continue Reading
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act comes with a new set of regulations for drone manufacturers. The FAAs rule is intended to impose safety standards on manufacturers. While drone operators will face stricter scrutiny and enforcement under the Act, the FAA now also wants drone manufacturers to be responsible for implementing safety standards that … Continue Reading
These days, it is not uncommon to see drones flying overhead. But employers beware…you might see one during your next workplace inspection. Earlier this year, OSHA issued a memo formalizing its use of drones for inspection activities, and, according to a recent report by Bloomberg Law, it used drones for 9 inspections this year. The memo indicates … Continue Reading
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Langley Research Centers has taken on the challenge of using drones in GPS-deprived environments, so it gathered a group of students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to help find a solution for that problem. Those MIT students came back to NASA with a plan for a … Continue Reading
