The holiday season is here again, and many university students will return in January sporting a brand-new drone. Drones have come a long way from the unwieldy radio-controlled (RC) copters of the past. Modern drones can operate across several miles with great precision carrying mounted cameras, microphones, and other sensors. However, federal and state regulators
UAS
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…
AUVSI and DOD’s Defense Innovation Unit Announce Collaboration for Cyber Standards for Drones
The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the world’s leading trade association for drones and other autonomous vehicles, announced a collaboration with the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to further commercial cyber methodologies to design a shared standard. AUVSI’s effort is meant to expand the number of vetted drones that meet…
Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership to Lead FAA UTM Field Test
The Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP) was selected to lead one of the teams participating in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) traffic management (UTM) Field Test. The UTM Field Test is a research project designed to evaluate the technology and standards being developed to help safely coordinate and prioritize drone…
FAA Issues Task Order for UTM Project at Griffiss International Airport
This week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a task order contract to the New York UAS Test Site for an unmanned aircraft system (UAS or drone) integration project. The project is designed to assist in the development of a UAS traffic management (UTM) system and to promote the safe operation of high-volume drone operations.
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…
Drone Detection Technology at Miami International Airport
The Miami International Airport (MIA) was selected by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) this week as a test site for new drone detection technology. The new technology includes detect, track, and identify (DTI) equipment which will be used to identify unauthorized drones that enter restricted airspace. The airport was chosen as a test site…
Walmart Drone Delivery Soars Ahead
This week, Walmart announced that it has invested in a drone service provider, DroneUp, to further its plans for drone delivery. Walmart President and CEO John Furner wrote in a statement, “Conducting drone deliveries at scale is within reach. DroneUp’s expertise, combined with our retail footprint and proven history of logistics innovation, puts us right…
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…
FAA UAS Support Center: Faster Responses, More Streamlined Process
This week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced its Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Support Center Case Management System (CMS), designed to streamline how industry stakeholders’ questions are answered and provide responses in a more timely manner. This new process will use a Contact Customer Support form that allows the public as well as stakeholders to…