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,

In light of the rise in use of drones in the national airspace, there has been some confusion regarding the Federal Aviation  Administration’s (FAA) authority over navigable airspace and federal preemption for state and local drone laws. In response, the FAA released a statement regarding federal versus local drone rulemaking authority. In that statement, the

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) and state officials are currently building plans to use drones to deliver emergency supplies across the state; however, several hurdles need to be overcome first. Basil Yap, program manager of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems of the North Carolina Division of Aviation, says, “How do drones safely fly beyond

On October 12, 2017, a drone collided with a commercial aircraft while it was approaching Jean Lesage International Airport, in Quebec City. This is the first time that a drone has hit a commercial plane in Canada, according to Canada’s Minister of Transport, Marc Garneau. He stated, “I am extremely relieved that the aircraft only sustained minor damage and was able to land safely.” No injuries to the eight passengers on board the airplane were reported. According to Garneau, the accident could have been much worse if the drone had hit the cockpit or engine.
Continue Reading Drone Collides with Commercial Jet in Quebec City

On June 21st, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released Part 107 to the FAA regulations regarding commercial operation of small unmanned aircrafts. Part 107 provides operating rules for drone operators who do not fall into Section 336 to operate the aircraft in the national airspace. Part 107 allows for drone operations if the

In response to the migrant crisis in Europe, the European Space Agency and the European Maritime Safety Agency have selected the unmanned aircraft system TEKEVR for testing the benefits of deploying unmanned aircraft for surveillance, including search and rescue missions. This is being touted as the first demonstration of drone technology being used for maritime

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is now reaching out to contractors to help assess cyber-attack threats and vulnerabilities to communications systems on airplanes. This new effort is part of the Aircraft Systems Information Security/Protection initiative. The FAA says that this initiative’s goal is to develop “aviation policies, regulation, and training requirements to ensure the resilience