The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been working toward one goal when it comes to drones: get more of them safely in the air. However, right now, the FAA is without a permanent leader or a stable funding package. The Senate Commerce Committee recently held a hearing to consider a nomination for FAA Administrator; hopefully
More BVLOS Drone Operations Approved by FAA
Two more companies will conduct drone operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). Recently, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved UPS Flight Forward and uAvionix for this type of operation in national airspace. UPS Flight Forward plans to conduct BVLOS drone operations for small-package delivery using a ground-based surveillance system. UPS Flight Forward will conduct…
Soaring Eagle Technologies Obtains Nationwide BVLOS Drone Waiver from FAA
This week, Soaring Eagle Technologies, a drone data collection company that provides services for critical infrastructure in the U.S., received one of the first beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) waivers from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly unmanned aerial systems (UAS or drones) for commercial inspection missions under operational guidelines as opposed to specific operations in a…
Final BVLOS ARC Report Issued with over 70 Recommendations for the FAA
Last week, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee’s (ARC) Final Report was released. The report has been much anticipated by the drone industry and its stakeholders. The report recommends a complete overhaul of existing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations with entirely new regulations. The goal of that…
Skyports Partners with MassDOT for Drone Operations and Testing
Skyports, a leading drone services provider, recently announced that it has partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT) Aeronautics Division to demonstrate how it can link communities in the Cape Cod region using its drone services. This partnership stems from MassDOT’s need to find a solution for connecting some of its remote communities to…
FAA Selects Iris Automation for BVLOS ARC
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected Iris Automation to participate in the FAA’s Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). Iris Automation is a safety avionics technology company with Detect-and-Avoid systems and other services that assist its customers in developing scalable BVLOS operations for commercial drones. The BVLOS ARC’s mission is…
The Drone Industry: Lessons Learned in 2020
Let’s take a look at the lessons learned in 2020 and where the drone industry might be heading in 2021. Here are some key takeaways from the past year:
- Continued Industry Maturity: In 2020, drones are now seen as more of a tool than a novel piece of technology. That means that we will
…
FAA Demonstrates Successful UAS Traffic Management
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…
Beyond-Visual-Line-of-Sight Drone Operations in Alaska
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…
State Farm Receives First Drone Waiver for Flights Over People and BVLOS Operations
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…