Drones

Ten companies from five European countries have demonstrated a sense and avoid system for large drones they intend to certify in the next few years. The European Detect and Avoid System (EUDAAS) was installed on a Leonardo Falco Xplorer drone and demonstrated at Trapani Birgi Airport and did well enough to advance to the next […]

A Vancouver-based film company and its drone operator were fined $30,000 for unlawfully flying a drone too close to endangered killer whales in 2021. Wildlife production company River Road Films pleaded guilty to the charges and was subsequently fined $25,000 while the drone pilot was fined $5,000. According to DroneDJ, the case marked the first […]

A developer of uncrewed traffic management and operational technologies has demonstrated drone inspection capability with the New York Power Authority (NYPA). ANRA Technologies announced today (Aug. 14) that, using multiple drones to inspect power lines, it has “displayed the advanced features of its [Mission Management] software, including real-time monitoring, tracking of multiple simultaneous drone operations, […]

For the first time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has cleared commercial drone operators in Dallas to fly beyond their operator’s sight. According to the agency, Zipline International and Wing Aviation have received approval to conduct package deliveries—ensuring their drones remain safely separated through the use of new Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) technology. […]

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced today (July 30) it has authorized the first commercial drone flights without visual observers. The green light comes in Dallas-area airspace and goes to Zipline International and Wing Aviation. The two entities may now deliver packages while keeping their unmanned aircraft separated using technology provided by Unmanned Aircraft System […]

The FAA has approved the use of a parachute-equipped drone for use over gatherings of people without waivers. It’s the first such approval for drones and the key is the parachute, which was developed by Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions. In this case the chute is on a DJI M3D or M3TD and can fly over […]

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted Amazon’s Prime Air drone program permission to conduct flights “beyond visual line of sight” (BVLOS), allowing the company to scale its drone delivery operation. To obtain the BVLOS approval, Amazon said it conducted several flight demonstrations showing how its drone used onboard detect-and-avoid technology to navigate away from […]

Stars and Stripes is reporting a House subcommittee has proposed a bill aimed at speeding up integration of electric aircraft into military operations. Since 2020, the Air Force has had a program called Agility Prime to look at electric aviation’s potential uses, but now legislators want the effort to be ramped up. As part of […]

Ukraine has extended the reach of its Light Sport drone program, this time striking 800 miles inside Russia to damage an oil refinery. The Aeroprakt A-22 completed the mission on May 9, and it would appear the program has expanded to include another homegrown design, the Aerosar Nynja. According to Forbes, Friday’s attack was Ukraine’s […]

Canada continued a buying spree of new military aircraft on Tuesday with the announcement it’s acquiring 11 MQ-9 Reaper drones and all the associated gear from General Atomics for about $2 billion. The Reapers will be armed and will be used in military operations and to patrol the far reaches of Canada’s North, an important […]