Unmanned Vehicles

Add becoming a drone pilot to the long list of accomplishments Boy Scouts can claim through the program. Boy Scouts of America is an FAA-approved test administrator and can facilitate the process for members who are old enough. “Flying drones is a fun way Scouts can start learning about robotics, science, technology and engineering,” said […]

France-based aerospace company Thales has successfully flown a half-scale prototype of its UAS 100 long-range unmanned aircraft system (UAS/drone). The final version of the hybrid-electric UAS 100 is expected to have a range of greater than 100 kilometers (54 NM), be capable of carrying a 10-kilogram (22-pound) payload and feature a “jam-resistant” navigation system. It […]

Boeing and the U.S. Navy successfully refueled an airborne F/A-18 Super Hornet with an MQ-25 Stingray unmanned aircraft system (UAS/drone) last Friday. The demonstration is the first-ever air-to-air refueling to be conducted using a UAS tanker to supply a crewed aircraft. According to Boeing, the test aircraft flew 25 flights prior to Friday’s attempt to […]

The NTSB says the pilot of a DJI Matrice drone suffered a serious hand injury after tangling with the uncooperative aircraft near Young Harris, Georgia, on May 6. According to a preliminary report (search CEN21LA224), the pilot was demonstrating the drone to a prospective customer but the aircraft wouldn’t respond correctly to control inputs. He […]

The FAA has announced that it will be hosting a second virtual edition of its two-part unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/drone) symposium later this year. The first segment of the symposium, called Episode III, is scheduled to take place on June 9-10 followed by Episode IV on Sept. 14-15. As previously reported by AVweb, Episodes I […]

An unmanned MQ-8B Fire Scout helicopter crashed into the side of USS Charleston shortly after taking off from the ship on Monday. No one was injured in the incident, but U.S. Navy officials reported that the aircraft fell into the water and was not recovered. The crash occurred at approximately 3:40 p.m. local time. “The […]

The FAA announced on Thursday that its updated training courses for Part 107 unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/drone) pilots are now live online. The free courses meet the training requirement for operations under the new Operation of Small Unmanned Aircraft Over People rule, which is scheduled to go into effect on April 21, 2021. The Operations […]

Pipistrel has chosen Honeywell’s AH-2000 attitude heading reference system and air data module (ADM) for its Nuuva V300 autonomous cargo aircraft. According to Honeywell, the AH-2000 uses the company’s Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)-based inertial sensors to provide aircraft attitude and velocity information. Pipistrel announced last October that the Nuuva V300 would also use the Honeywell Compact […]

The FAA has announced that the final rules covering remote identification of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/drones) and drone operations over people will now go into effect on April 21, 2021. The original effective date for both rules was March 16, 60 days after they were published in the Federal Register. According to the FAA, the […]

The FAA has chosen five host airports to test technologies designed to “detect and mitigate potential safety risks” presented by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/drones). The airports selected are New Jersey’s Atlantic City International Airport (ACY); Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) in New York; Rickenbacker International Airport (LCK) in Columbus, Ohio; Huntsville International Airport (HSV) in […]