Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or drone) operations at a test site in North Dakota. With this approval, operators can now develop, test, and evaluate new applications for UAS technology at the Northern Plains UAS Test Site. North Dakota Senator John Hoeven said, “This authorization will

As more and more drones enter the skies, more and more companies are seeking qualified drone pilots to operate Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for their business. Skyward, a drone operations management platform, has now released “Pilot Finder,” an easy way for companies to find qualified UAS pilots who also meet certain job requirements. Pilot Finder’s

The Electronic Information Privacy Center (EPIC) filed a complaint against the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this week alleging that the final drone rule (Part 107) fails to include privacy regulations. EPIC claims that it has made previous attempts to ensure that the FAA “adequately addresses the privacy implications of drone deployment” to no avail. EPIC

Across the United States, state Departments of Transportation (DOT) are using or testing drones to conduct bridge inspections, accident assessments, surveys and to conduct risk mitigation. A recent report by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials found that 17 state DOTs are using drones in these ways, and an additional 16 DOTs

Drones are no longer permitted at 19 of the Connecticut Audubon Society’s (CAS) sanctuaries because of the annoyance to visitors and harassment of wildlife. This is one of the first in the country, and certainly the first in Connecticut, to establish a ‘no-drone’ policy. To date, there has only been a couple drone-related incidents in

In the first 30-days of drone registration, nearly 300,000 owners have registered their drones. The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) small drone user registration has sparked much debate, and now, the FAA is considering a change in their regulations to require immediate registration upon purchase. This point-of-sale registration would force retailers to become part of the