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…
Remote ID for Drones: Effective Now
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Remote ID rule for drones (Part 89) became effective on April 21, 2021. Part 89 will likely increase commercial drone operations while promoting safety and security. With the drone industry predicted to grow to $63.6 billion by 2025 (particularly in agriculture, construction and mining, insurance, telecommunications, and law enforcement), new…
FAA Issues Drones Rules for Safety
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued final rules for unmanned aircrafts (or drones) for remote identification and the operation of drones at night and above people.
The Remote Identification Rule (Remote ID Rule) will allow operators of small drones to fly over people and at night under certain conditions. The FAA hopes that these rules…
Easy Aerial Partners with Travis Air Force Base for Autonomous Drone Security System
Easy Aerial, a provider of autonomous drone-based monitoring solutions, deployed its first autonomous drone security system at the Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California this week. This system will provide better surveillance and situational awareness from the skies. The system was developed in conjunction with the U.S. Air Force and consists of two drones…
FAA Waivers Can Help During COVID-19 Pandemic
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been granting drone flight waivers for certain restricted flights to help during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the FAA says that it is unlikely the waivers will extend beyond current stay-at-home restrictions. Thus far, the FAA has been granting waivers for companies using drones to deliver food and supplies in…
Reinventing Supply Chains to Reach Patients in Remote Areas
Greater access to medicines and other health commodities (as well as timely delivery of test results) in remote areas could improve health outcomes and potentially save lives. To broaden this access, the USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project, with the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funding, launched…
Drone Pilot Boot Camp and FAA Part 107 Exam Prep – Is It for You?
Three companies – HeatSpring, Little Arms, and Unmanned Experts – joined forces to create a “Drone Pilot Boot Camp + FAA Part 107 Exam Prep.” This new offering is an unmanned aircraft commercial operations course designed specifically for engineering, construction and renewable energy firms. The course has been developed over the past few years by…
U.S. Navy Deploys Counter-UAS Laser
The U.S. Navy installed its first Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy (ODIN), which, more simply put, is a laser weapon designed to counter unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Unlike hard-kill laser systems already used by the Navy on its vessels, ODIN uses a dazzling laser to confuse systems sensors and cameras, or in manned systems, potentially cause…