UAV News Talk – Drone News, eVTOLs, UAS Policy & Air Mobility

Episode 436 of UAV News Talk dives into global security, emerging automation, and the effects of Washington’s budget stalemate on the future of flight. Hosts Max Trescott and David Vanderhoof examine how nations, defense contractors, and innovators are redefining drone policy and autonomy at the same moment that the FAA’s own progress is slowed by the ongoing government shutdown.

Germany authorizes police to counter rogue drones

The show opens with the news that Germany has approved new counter-UAS authority allowing police to neutralize unmanned aircraft threatening airports and public safety. Max and David debate whet...

Max talks with David Vanderhoof in Episode 435 of UAV News Talk about an especially busy week in drone, eVTOL, and military UAV news. The episode covers new FAA certifications, autonomous launch systems, solar-powered endurance flights, Chinese technology in Africa, U.S. counter-drone readiness, and even a domestic security case involving explosives and drones. Together, these stories paint a vivid picture of how fast the unmanned aviation sector is evolving — and where the biggest opportunities and threats lie.

AIR eVTOL gains FAA Experimental Certificate

The first headline is the Israeli company AIR receiving an FAA experimental ai...

Max and David reunite for UAV News Talk episode 434, bringing listeners a wide-ranging discussion on the latest UAV, eVTOL, and rotorcraft developments.

FAA Advisory Circular on Powered-Lift

They start with the FAA’s release of AC 21-17-4, the long-awaited certification guidance for powered-lift aircraft. Max explains how this 64-page document emphasizes performance-based outcomes rather than prescriptive design rules. Much of the content resides in Appendix A, covering equipment from cockpit voice recorders to flight data recorders. The standout requirement: aircraft must withstand impacts from a four-pound bird—a test historically performed with frozen chickens fire...

BVLOS rules, school safety drones, NASA’s Mars helicopters, and Michigan’s 40-mile drone research skyway take center stage in UAV News Talk episode 433, hosted by Max Trescott and David Vanderhoof. The discussion begins with the newly introduced LIFT Act—short for Leading Innovation in Flight Technology Act—proposed by Representative Jen Kiggans of Virginia on July 24, 2025. The bill would compel the Department of Transportation to accelerate FAA rulemaking for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone operations. The hosts explore how AI could be used to speed approvals, contrasting deterministic AI rule-checking with generative AI’s potential for errors, an...

In Episode 432 of UAV News Talk, Max Trescott and David Vanderhoof explore the evolving role of drones in public events, law enforcement, and emergency response—highlighting both their growing utility and the risks of poor coordination. Titled "Drone Fireworks, Police UAVs, and a Black Hawk Crash in Texas," this episode covers breaking drone news from California and Texas, trends in UAV policing, and innovations in helicopter autonomy from Sikorsky and Skyryse.

The episode opens with Max sharing a personal story about diving back into ham radio and noting the crossover with FPV drone pilots who use amateur ra...

Max Trescott and David Vanderhoof dive into the future of drone delivery in Episode 431 of UAV News Talk. Max shares his firsthand experience receiving multiple packages via drone as part of a pilot program from Matternet, a Mountain View, California-based drone logistics company. After visiting Matternet’s headquarters and observing the behind-the-scenes operations, Max witnessed the packaging, pre-flight procedures, and live flight operations, including the dispatch and precise delivery of chocolate bars and snacks.

Matternet’s program currently serves residents in Mountain View and Sunnyvale, delivering small items such as chocolates and drinks for free as part of a...

In episode 430 of UAV News Talk, Max Trescott and David Vanderhoof return from vacation with urgent news and safety concerns in the drone industry. The episode opens with a major headline: the DJI Mavic 4 Pro is not available in the United States. Although the drone boasts high-end specs—including a 6K camera and improved flight performance—it’s currently unavailable in the U.S. due to concerns about data security and alleged ties between DJI and the Chinese government.

The ban stems from a long-standing effort by U.S. government agencies to restrict the use of DJI drones...

Episode 429 marks a major milestone for the podcast formerly known as The UAV Digest, soon to be relaunched as UAV News Talk. Max Flight and David Vanderhoof return to the mic after a long hiatus to introduce new co-host Max Trescott, known for his work on the Aviation News Talk podcast and expertise in both fixed-wing and helicopter flying.

The episode opens with a nostalgic look back to 2013, when Max Flight and David launched the show to cover the then-emerging drone landscape without overwhelming their other podcast, Airplane Geeks. They describe how the show evolved as they educat...

Episode 429 marks a major milestone for the podcast formerly known as The UAV Digest, soon to be relaunched as UAV News Talk. Max Flight and David Vanderhoof return to the mic after a long hiatus to introduce new co-host Max Trescott, known for his work on the Aviation News Talk podcast and expertise in both fixed-wing and helicopter flying.

The episode opens with a nostalgic look back to 2013, when Max Flight and David launched the show to cover the then-emerging drone landscape without overwhelming their other podcast, Airplane Geeks. They describe how the show evolved as they...

If you’ve been a longtime listener, you know it’s been a while — actually, a couple of years — since our last episode. But the good news is: The UAV Digest is coming back!

Since we last released an episode, the world of drones, UAVs, and advanced air mobility has evolved dramatically. And with so many exciting developments in technology, regulations, and industry trends, we want to make sure that the new version of the show stays in step with what matters most to you.

When we return, the show will still have the spirit you reme...

If you’ve been a longtime listener, you know it’s been a while — actually, a couple of years — since our last episode. But the good news is: The UAV Digest is coming back!

Since we last released an episode, the world of drones, UAVs, and advanced air mobility has evolved dramatically. And with so many exciting developments in technology, regulations, and industry trends, we want to make sure that the new version of the show stays in step with what matters most to you.

When we return, the show will still have the spirit you reme...

Drone Safety Day is April 29, a drone that changes shape, jump-starting your car with a drone, Florida bans DJI from government agencies, decision-making for small UAVs, drones that work together without colliding, adding VTOL to a fixed-wing drone, agave farmers saving water, land a drone in Red Square.

UAV News

Drone Safety Day

Drone Safety Day is Saturday, April 29, 2023. The annual campaign is dedicated to educating the drone community on the importance of flying safely. You can download the 2023 Drone Safety Day Playbook  and 2023 Drone Safety Day Flyer. You can also visit the D...

uAvionix detects ADS-B spoofing, racing drones are delivering explosives, an aerial tanker that autonomously guides and controls multiple drones, self-flying F-16s that test loyal wingmen, the Condor heavy-lift UAV wins its first customer, a new mini light tactical UAS, and Archer Aviation and United Airlines plan air taxi service in Chicago.

UAV News

uAvionix Announces truSky ADS-B Spoofing Detection for SkyLine UAS BVLOS Operations

uAvionix offers its SkyLine UAS BVLOS service to manage the command and control infrastructure and assets across diverse frequency and radio types. Now the company is introducing truSky A...

Alphabet’s Wing subsidiary wants a drone delivery network, the Japanese Self-Defense Forces consider using drones to intercept aircraft, DJI is reportedly dropping AeroScope, U.S. Senators want an assessment of DJI security risks, cardboard drones from Australia are going to Ukraine, the USAF has plans for 1,000 loyal wingmen drones, Zipline’s next-generation aircraft, and Russian Su-27 fighter jets intercept a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper.

UAV News

Google company unveils drone delivery-network ambition

Alphabet’s Wing subsidiary is delivering up to 1,000 packages a day in Australia, but to scale up to millions of delive...

Another personal eVTOL, cops flying BVLOS, military drones with facial recognition, a lethal drone designed in Australia, the Lilium Jet eVTOL, and moving air quietly.

UAV News

Is this one-seat flying saucer the future of flight?

ZEVA Aero designs and builds electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles. The company’s flagship product is the Argon, based on a pre-existing airframe. But their Zero is a personal eVTOL for one person. It launches with the pilot standing, but the position is prone in horizontal flight. The 8-foot-wide flying saucer-shaped aircraft uses 8 propellers and is...

Ameriflight plans to purchase cargo drones from Natilus and Saberwing, a plan for autonomous wind turbine inspections and repair, the American Security Drone Act, an arrest made for flying a drone at Dublin airport, a new hydrogen-powered octocopter drone, and Green and Blue UAS.

UAV News

Ameriflight adds 35 heavy-duty cargo drones to wish list

Ameriflight is a regional cargo airline (Part 135) that operates 156 turboprop twins for customers such as FedEx, UPS, and DHL. They recently signed a tentative agreement with Natilus for pilotless cargo planes. Now Ameriflight has signed a Letter of Intent to pu...

A global drone market report, aircraft control with artificial intelligence, a slow start to Amazon drone deliveries, drones disrupt flight operations at Dublin Airport, a testing service for microgravity research.

UAV News

Chinese drone maker DJI is dominating the market – despite being blacklisted by the U.S.

A report by Drone Industry Insights says: the global drone market was $30.6 billion in 2022 and it is expected to grow to $55.8 billion by 2026. DJI holds 70% market share. Global Drone Market Report 2022-2030 says that drone services will remain the biggest segment, but hardware will grow the fast...

A large autonomous blended-wing cargo drone and a smaller electric cargo drone, the Eaglet takes flight, taser drones at public schools, the GAO recommends the FAA create a comprehensive strategy, the Dronut for inspections, two MQ-9 Reapers for a Dollar, and a BVLOS autonomous inspection solution.

UAV News

Drones will ‘push the boundaries of what is possible’ in air cargo

The Natilus Kona cargo drone looks a lot like the NASA X-48B blended-wing prototype. It’s autonomous so no need for pressurization and the blended wing design is efficient with up to a 50% red...

Toroidal Propellers offer a solution for multirotor noise, layoffs at Prime Air, Valkyrie drones for the US Marines, regulating advanced air mobility in Utah, mapping a radioactive environment with a collision-tolerant drone, and a cargo drone that can carry 100 pounds for 600 miles.

UAV News

Toroidal Propellers May Quietly Pave the Way to UAM Package Deliveries and More

MIT might have a solution for the noise produced by multi-rotor propellers. The Structural and Thermal-Fluids Engineering Group at MIT Lincoln Laboratory is experimenting with toroidal propellers. [PDF] The toroidal propeller consists of two blades looping tog...

An autonomous drone that collects environmental DNA, a robotic wing that measures flapping performance, a Wyoming bill to outlaw drone flights over prisons, flying drugs into the U.S. with drones, and an ex-drone manager sues Amazon.

UAV News

Special drone collects environmental DNA from trees

If you want to find out what creatures live in an area, you can observe them or you can collect the “environmental DNA” they leave. Examples of external DNA include dead skin or feathers, waste, and fluids. These can be found in the soil, in water, or on r...

Using drones for weather prediction, tracking warehouse inventory with an autonomous drone, an FCC NPRM for the UAS communications spectrum, Walmart delivery drone statistics, underwater drones to detect ocean carbon, hardening the electric grid from aerial attacks, and cargo delivery to moving ships.

UAV News

Drones Make Weather Prediction Easier at the Poles

Researchers are using DJI Mavic 2 drones to measure Arctic wind speeds. The only modification required was the addition of an inexpensive, lightweight thermal anemometer. The Japanese National Institute of Polar Research is flying drones from a research vessel.

...

A UAV tether for choppy seas, four advanced (and expensive) drones, drones changing the way buildings are designed, a drone (and rover) for simulated Martian missions, the Army’s short-range reconnaissance program with Skydio, an Apple patent for pairing UAVs and controllers, kites that take down drones, Ukraine drones that take down Russian drones.

UAV News

Navy engineers test new slack tether for launching quadcopter from boats

The Naval Information Warfare Center in San Diego designed a smart winch tether system with an autonomous winch that keeps proper slack in the tether. A UAV...

European drone strategy 2.0, armed drones for Ukraine, drones used for poaching and other wildlife investigations, drone videos of three active volcanoes, dynamically assigning frequencies for UAS command and control, a survey of consumer attitudes on home drone delivery of goods and food, liquid hydrogen power, and the Dover AFB sUAS program.

UAV News

Drone Strategy 2.0: Creating a large-scale European drone market

The European Commission adopted the European Drone Strategy 2.0 which offers a vision for the further development of the European drone market. The Commission wants to ensure that society supports drones. By 2030, the...

The latest Amazon Prime Air drone, XQ-58A Valkyrie tactical drones, bringing a drone on a cruise ship, a drone light show fail, and attacking a navy with uncrewed surface vessels.

UAV News

Amazon reveals the new design for Prime Air’s delivery drone—here’s your first look

Amazon has continued to develop its delivery drone. The new MK30 drone has increased range, expanded temperature tolerance, and the capability to fly in light rain. It’s lighter and smaller than its predecessor and has redesigned propellers with 25% less perceived noise.

Air Forc...

Duration: 00:34:16

Operations Over People approval for AgEagle, transitioning to UAV-dominated air forces, women drone pilots in Ukraine, an autonomous Black Hawk helicopter, a drone facilitates a robbery, a BVLOS corridor in upstate New York, an autonomous firefighting helicopter, 500 drones celebrate a game anniversary, and how to increase lithium battery lifespan.

UAV News

AgEagle’s eBee X Series Drones Are the First and Only UAVs to be Approved by the FAA for Operations Over People (OOP) in the United States

AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. announced that the eBee X series of UAS comply with Category 3 of...

FAA issues guidelines for community-based drone organizations, large Navy drone swarms, Iranian drone components, the 2023 FAA reauthorization bill, a large Chinese cargo drone, the Bell Autonomous Pod Transport, Russians with drones in Norway, plant specimen sampling with drones, a Wing drone comes to a fiery end, and Collaborative Combat Aircraft.

UAV News

FAA Updates Recreational Drone Flying Guidance

Recreational drone flyers are required to follow the safety guidelines of FAA-recognized community-based drone organizations. These organizations develop safety guidelines in coordination with the FAA. The FAA has issued guidance on how to become an...

Nano drones in Ukraine, cloud seeding with drones in China, bots that clean beaches and waterways, a STEM program for young girls, new technologies from Draganfly, and patrolling the airport perimeter.

UAV News

What Are Black Hornets? The Cutting-Edge Micro-Drones Donated to Ukraine

The British Prime Minister announced that 850 Black Hornet nano drones would be given to Ukraine under a joint U.K.-Norway program. The Black Hornet was designed by Prox Dynamics in Norway and became part of Teledyne FLIR. The nano drone is about the size of a tennis ball, has...

Automated inspection of solar panels, the NUAIR Public Safety Summit, USAF interest in supersonic target drones and the Boeing MQ-28 Ghost Bat, the Pixy selfie drone goes out of production, drones and rural law enforcement, and UAVs that can land on steep roofs.

UAV News

Percepto automated inspection drones monitor huge Thai solar farm

Percepto announced it has completed the proof-of-concept phase for its automated system that will be used for inspection and data analysis of a giant floating solar power farm in Thailand. The solar power farm includes a grid of 145,000 panels f...

Women and drones documentary film, Chinese drone submarine, unmanned surface vessels, drone tech to India, portable ATM system, mapping with multiple drones, Ford patent.

D.C. court rules on drone Remote ID case, reconnaissance drones for Ukraine, more drones going to Mars, fried chicken coming by drone, lifeguard drones meet U.S. resistance, mapping a mountain with a UAV, NASA and Zipline partnership, and United Airlines sends a pre-delivery payment to Archer.

UAV News

D.C. Circuit Upholds Drone Remote ID Rule

Court Upholds Remote ID For Drones

RaceDayQuads and drone operator Tyler Brennan sued to vacate the FAA’s drone Remote ID rule saying the rule amounted to “constant, warrantless governmental surveillance in violation of t...

Archer Aviation planning full transition flights of their Maker aircraft, drone shuts down Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, protecting sporting events with drones, using lasers for drone communications, RQ-4 Global Hawk end-of-life, alligator attacks drone, a Remote ID device from Aerobits, and the Zephyr UAS flies for 26 days.

UAV News

Archer Flight Testing Gains Momentum, On Pace to Achieve Transition Flight By Year End

Archer Aviation Inc. announced it is confident it will achieve its goal of flying full transition flights with its Maker aircraft by year-end. Flight tests of the full-scale 12-motor e...

Microsoft announces a new AirSim platform to train drone AI systems, Amazon Prime Air eyes deliveries in Texas, Russia looks at Iranian drones, DJI pushes back against the American Security Drone Act, a UK drone superhighway, and new drones from Alphabet’s Wing.

UAV News

Microsoft launches simulator to train drone AI systems

In 2017 Microsoft created the open-source AirSim simulation platform for AI research and experimentation, but a lot of technical machine learning knowledge was needed to use it. Now Microsoft has announced a new Project AirSim platform for teaching autonomous drones to fly...

A company holds a patent for coaxial drone multirotors, locals push back on Amazon’s delivery plans, autonomous battery swapping, transforming battlefield medicine, drones in sports, saving elm trees, and investigating environmental polluters with drones.

UAV Video of the Week

Video: Why coaxial configuration of drones is a brilliant invention

Nordic Unmanned has a patent for coaxial configuration on a drone. (Where two motors operate on the same axis, rotating in opposite directions.) The company will license the concept as a product. For more, see Nordic Unmanned – Coaxial Configuration Patent.

UAV News Duration: 00:27:31

The Dufour Aerospace CCO tells us about the manned and unmanned tilt-wing eVTOL platforms being developed by the company.

Dufour Aerospace

Sascha Hardegger is the Chief Commercial Officer at Dufour Aerospace, a Swiss-based eVTOL startup developing manned and unmanned tilt-wing platforms. The company is currently focused on the Aero2 VTOL drone aircraft and the Aero3 next-generation 8-seat emergency medical service VTOL. Both aircraft feature tilt wings.

The remotely-piloted Aero2 has a maximum takeoff weight of 150 kg (331 lbs), a payload of 40 kg (88 lbs) in standard configuration, and 20 kg (44 lbs) in long-range configuration. Cruise speed is...

The Navy says they were drones not UFOs, an air assault experiment with a drone swarm, drone deployment planned for Africa, a drone that kills wasps, flying in the wind with deep learning, the unique view from above, and Walmart drone delivery service expansion.

UAV News

Navy Ships Swarmed By Drones, Not UFOs, Defense Officials Confirm

The U.S. Navy says the objects detected in 2019 off the California coast were drones. This comes from statements by Department of Defense officials at the recent House hearing on UFOs.

28-Drone Swarm Just Led T...

Duration: 00:26:44

Public meeting scheduled for BVLOS Aviation Rulemaking Committee Final Report, the MQ-9B STOL, Skyward is closing, bombs dropping from commercial drones, an indoor drone from DJI, Commercial UAV Expo 2022, and drone docking systems.

UAV News

FAA: Unmanned Aircraft Systems beyond Visual Line of Sight Aviation Rulemaking Committee Final Report

The UAS Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) has scheduled a public meeting for June 22, 2022. Its purpose is to give the public an opportunity to comment on the UAS BVLOS ARC Final Report.

The meeting will be h...

We discuss the C-UAS National Action Plan recently released by the White House. The Plan calls for specific measures that address shortfalls in the ability of law enforcement to protect against rogue drones.

Domestic Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems National Action Plan

In episode 401, we talked about the Domestic Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems National Action Plan issued by the White House. We wanted to explore this Action Plan in more detail so we invited Jeffrey Starr, the Chief Marketing Officer at D-Fend Solutions to join us for an analysis of the Action Plan.

The Action Plan seeks t...

A new vertiport opens in England, a new military tactical UAS, detect-and-avoid system deployment at a UAS test site, major Army drone swarm test, request for malicious drone legislation, NTSB wants more drones and pilots, DJI suspends business in Russia and Ukraine, and Drone Safety Day.

UAV News

World’s first airport for drones opens in the heart of Coventry

An Air-One vertiport opened in Coventry, England for demonstrations of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. It is planned to remain in Coventry for at least a month then will move to othe...

Creating a U-Space ecosystem for UAV and eVTOL, a hypersonic UAV project in Australia, how to Rickroll a crowd with 300 drones, the Switchblade drone in Ukraine, the outlook for agricultural drones, drone delivery service in Texas, and drones and export laws

UAV News

Droniq CEO Jan-Eric Putze on Creating a UAV and eVTOL Ecosystem

Droniq is a German company that provides hardware and software solutions for UAS Traffic Management (UTM). They started in 2016 as a research project of Deutsche Telecom and DFS, which is Germany’s air navigation service provider. CEO Putze says, “We ha...

The proposed BREEZE drone for Venus, a tethered drone for first responders, river rescue missions, taking out drones with Thor’s hammer, UAS over the Arctic, drone deliveries to offshore wind farms, and hobby drones in Ukraine.

UAV News

NASA considers bird-like drones to explore Venus’s atmosphere

NASA wants to study the use of drones that fly through the Venusian atmosphere and study the planet. BREEZE, or Bioinspired Ray for Extreme Environments and Zonal Exploration, will be funded for a two-year concept study. The BREEZE drones would be inflatable, fly at altitudes betwe...

The design for a large autonomous cargo drone, important noise research, Ford’s idea for a vehicle inspection drone, a high-speed VTOL concept challenge, identifying human trash on the beach, UAS in unsegregated airspace, Western parts in a Russian drone, the longest BVLOS waiver issued by the FAA so far, and an intelligent drone controller that “looks ahead.”

UAV News

Drones as Big as 747s Will Fly Cargo Around the World With Low Emissions, Startup Says

Natilus has designed a blended wing cargo drone that the company says allows it to carry 60 percent more ca...

CycloTech propulsion for eVTOLs, the first autonomous Blackhawk helicopter flight, the little drone carrying meth, universities study Verizon 5G drone applications, a Wisconsin bill to ban government use of DJI, and Navy unmanned underwater vehicles.

UAV News

Markus Steinke on CycloTech’s cycloidal rotor concept

The cycloidal rotor concept uses a large, open, rotating spool with airfoils that run between the ends of the spool. The vehicle has four spools (or rotors), one at each corner. Last year, Austrian company CycloTech conducted the first free flight of their technology demonstrator. The CycloRotor thrust can...

A drone-as-a-service company is building a country-wide network in Germany, drones as tools, the impact of AI on UAV capability, a new hypersonic drone, an apple-picking drone, creating a digital twin of a national treasure, and a lethal killer drone.

UAV News

Beagle Systems launches first station in country-wide drone network

In Germany, Beagle Systems GmbH is building a nationwide network of landing and charging stations for drones. Beagle Systems is a drone-as-a-service provider that specializes in long-range UAS flights that are controlled from the Hamburg company headquarters. The company hopes to serve th...

A $1B counter-UAS contract, Kittyhawk air mobility, sports game halted, no recreational drones in UAE, medical deliveries in the Navajo Nation, locating pets after a disaster, peeking at volcanos, an unidentified drone spotted, and a drone research contract at a UAS test site.

UAV News

US Special Ops Command Awards $1B Counter-Drone Contract

Anduril Industries has won a 10-year, $1 billion counter-UAS integration contract. Awarded by US Special Operations Command (SOCOM), Anduril is to “deliver, advance, and sustain” counter-UAS sensors and systems in a layered configuration. Anduril’s cUAS Lattice system includes a solar-powered Sentry...

A partnership for hydrogen drones and another partnership for maritime drone deliveries, Lithium-Air batteries, drones attacking U.S. troops, flying a drone over a school, UPS commitment to delivery drones, flying in the fog, and how to save a dog with a drone.

UAV News

SoCalGas to deploy Doosan hydrogen drones in pipeline inspections

At this year’s CES, Southern California Gas Co. announced a partnership with Doosan Mobility Innovation (DMI) and GTI to launch a hydrogen drone demonstration. DMI will be demonstrating their DS30 octocopter drone system that uses a DMI hydrogen fuel cel...

What the eVTOL industry can learn from helicopters, a counter-unmanned aircraft missile/drone, a birthday drone light show, saving lives with a drone, fused sensor data across manned and unmanned aircraft, and getting the most from the DJI Mavic 3 drone.

UAV News

5 Lessons eVTOL Can Learn from Legacy Helicopter Airlines

We see what the emerging eVTOL industry can learn from the history of helicopter airlines: safety first, encouraging public acceptance, keeping a critical eye on operating costs, maintaining tight routes, and including the first and last mile.

Dog owner spends nearly $16...

Duration: 00:33:40

RaceDayQuads v. FAA and the Remote ID rule, drones for law enforcement and telehealth, Russian attack drones and drones that recharge from power lines, a DARPA program for underwater drones, and finding lost hikers.

UAV News

D.C. Circuit May Blow Up the Remote Identification Rule for Drones

Oral arguments were heard in the RaceDayQuads v. FAA case where the FAA’s remote identification (RID) rule is being challenged.

In brief, the RID rule applies to small drones (0.55-55 lbs) which would broadcast a “digital license plate” over WiFi and/or Bluetooth...

Measuring kinetic energy to certify drone flights over people, additional funding for Dedrone, documenting endangered heritage sites, Italian heavy-lift multirotors, testing the MQ-25 refueling drone on an aircraft carrier, defining the “next” Reaper, an FAA grant for UAS training, and Navy harassment by drone swarms.

UAV News

Test methods for drones help put a crucial rule for safe flights over people into practice

To certify drones for flight over people, the FAA links injury severity to kinetic energy. But the classic calculation of kinetic energy using mass and velocity makes some assumptions that aren...

Guided cargo delivery drone from Silent Arrow, the best cities for flying a drone, bringing power to those without, sailing the Gulf Stream, an airline plans for drone delivery, protecting the Pope from rogue drones, and DJI end of support.

UAV News

These gliding drones could deliver supplies from Air Force planes to the battlefield

Drone maker Silent Arrow® has won a contract from the Air Force for 15 “Precision Guided Cargo Delivery Drones.” In this Small Business Innovation Research (“SBIR”) Phase II contract, the GD-2000 (Glider, Disposable, 2000 pounds) platform will be scaled down and called...

A perching drone saves battery power, drones that connect communities, considerations for photography drones, Covid vaccination deliveries, secret combat drones, breaking up street racing, Airmap acquires DroneUp, and NOTAMs and drones.

UAV News

Watch this falcon-esque drone perch and carry objects like a bird

Engineers at Stanford University created robotic talons that can be attached to a drone so it can perch and carry objects like a bird. The SNAG (Stereotyped Nature-Inspired Aerial Grasper) has two independently moving legs inspired by the peregrine falcon. The 3D-printed “bones” articulate with motors and fishing lines that...

FAA launches the “12 Days of Drones” campaign, the dangers of drones to aircraft, injunctions against local drone rules, $9,000 drone from Sony, long-endurance electric solar drone, amphibious drone tanker, and a Navy drone hub.

UAV News

Looking to buy a drone this holiday? These are the FAA operating rules, regulations

The FAA’s “12 Days of Drones” educational campaign is underway to help the public understand how to fly holiday drones safely. The campaign’s safety messages will be posted on the FAA Drone Zone Twitter and Facebook accounts throughout the week. The FAA also released a new vi...

Personal eVTOL, Navy and Marines resupply drones, an Army UAS, drones on construction sites, UAS support for hypersonic missile testing, weaponized drones, a contraband-carrying drone, and drone video evidence in a high-profile criminal case.

UAV News

Personal eVTOL Vehicles: AIR CEO Believes in the Flying Cars of the Future

AIR is a Tel Aviv-based company that has unveiled its first product offering, the AIR One two-seat personal eVTOL. Designed for recreation and short commutes, the AIR One is powered by a 60 Kw-hour lithium-ion battery and offers a range of up to 110 miles on a...

Where to get Hydrogen for fuel cells, Boeing loyal wingman milestone, new drone rules for Oregon, Gremlins snatched in mid-air, a drone attack on the U.S. power grid, and Black Friday drone deals.

UAV News

The Potential of Hydrogen Fuel Cells for UAS

Doosan Mobility Innovation Co., Ltd. is using a hydrogen fuel cell to increase range, and they have partnered with a hydrogen supplier to serve customers. ReadyH2 offers hydrogen tank rental and refueling with delivery to the customer worksite. Approved by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the hydrogen tan...

Hunting with drones and the fair chase concept, autonomous agile flight, thermal mapping to reduce building heat loss, Trick or Treat, the delivery drone hold-up, UAS over wildfires, and a LAANC update.

UAV News

Outdoors in Maine: Drones in the woods, and the ethical debate over whether they belong

The law in Maine says hunters cannot use drones to locate game. According to Title 12 Section 11216 Hunting with aid of aircraft, “A person on the ground or airborne may not use an aircraft to aid or assist in hunting bear, deer or moose.” Section 10001(1) defines...

A guidebook for airport UAS threats, watching your neighbors, AUVSI XCELLENCE awards, legal issues for the construction industry, drone projects that impact healthcare, the KARGO and Hammerhead cargo drones, a drone mystery, and the Boeing Loyal Wingman production site.

UAV News

Guidebook on Airport Response to UAS Threats, Developed by Woolpert, Published by National Safe Skies Alliance

The National Safe Skies Alliance published a 44-page guidebook titled, “Airport Response to Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Threats” [PDF]. Funded by the FAA, the guidebook is designed to help airport operators plan for threats, assess them, respon...

A heavy-lift UAS from BAE Systems, NOAA collects data from drones, drones cover motorsports events, bad weather affects delivery drones, Drone Racing League scores a sponsorship deal, Leonardo and Northrop Grumman working together, smuggling contraband, Volocopter eyes the U.S., building better batteries, Drone Safety Awareness Week, and the attack of the magpie.

UAV News

BAE Systems to build T-650 cargo quadrocopter with 300kg capacity

BAE Systems and Malloy Aeronautics want to develop an all-electric heavy-lift UAS targeted to missions for military, security, and civilian customers. The T-650 Heavy-Lift Electric UAS concept vehicle would...

A flying car company offers the Commaris VTOL UAV for commercial operations, hazmat responders using drones, QF-16 target drones, endangered porpoises spotted from the air, the US Navy repels drones, AT&T COWs provide cell coverage, new drone rules in India.

UAV News

Terrafugia Inc. Launches New Brand and Commercial UAV

Terrafugia Inc. announced the launch of the new Commaris™ brand, along with the brand’s first product – the Seeker™. This electric, fixed-wing/VTOL aircraft is designed for autonomous commercial aerial applications. Commaris planned to debut the Seeker at the Commercial UAV Expo held in La...

First responder tactical beyond visual line of sight (TBVLOS) waivers, 100,000 Wing deliveries in Australia, using Starlink for military maritime intelligence drones, DJI Mavic 3 leaked, measuring the wind for UAM safety, a drone services company meets a UAV maintenance provider, and the history of drones in Southeast Asia

UAV News

Paladin publicly launches Knighthawk, a first response drone for cities

Paladin has unveiled its custom Knighthawk and Watchtower products for first responders. The startup has built autonomous systems for cities that can be deployed to 911 calls and provide instant situational awareness. The Knighthawk drone h...

NASA’s System-Wide Safety project is focused on safe operations of unmanned vehicles in the National Airspace System. 

Guest

Dr. Wendy A. Okolo is the Associate Project Manager for NASA’s System-Wide Safety project, which seeks to develop new research tools, innovative aerospace technologies, and re-defined operational methods. Researchers and stakeholders are developing an integrated safety management solution that considers the new unmanned entrants into the airspace. The project looks at safety from both a design and operations perspective.

Wendy describes the System-Wide Safety project, including its participants and objectives. We consider what “safety” m...

T-Mobile’s low latency 5G drone, high-speed UAVs that crash less often, a solar-powered UAV, first responder drone of choice, patrolling the beach with drones, and marketing real estate with drone videos.

UAV News 

T-Mobile’s 5G off to the drone races

T-Mobile is partnering with the Drone Racing League (DRL) on a 5G drone with HD video. T-Mobile claims the drone is one of the world’s first racing drones to be equipped with an embedded 5G module that can live stream video straight to the internet. The module is made by Quectel.<...

An interactive UAS incident map, an airspace coordinator collaborates with archaeologists, a drone swarm that sniffs out gas leaks, the X-56B UAV is destroyed, making drones and air taxis quiet, and AI drones that find meteorites.

UAV News

Explore Thousands Of FAA Drone And Unidentified Aircraft Incident Reports With Our Interactive Tool

The Drive has taken FAA incident reports of UAS and unidentified aircraft and created an interactive and searchable UAS incident map. The approximately 10,400 incident reports cover the period from November of 2014 until December 2020. Find the UAS incident map at UAV G...

Google released the new OpenSky app, collecting water samples, cellular command and control, Zipline raised additional investment, Skyborg made a second autonomous flight, integrating drones with warehouses, and an interview with Robotic Skies.

UAV News

Google’s Wing launches free app to help drone pilots obey US regulations

The OpenSky app lets both commercial and recreational pilots in the US see where they can fly. The app is in beta but it’s based on Google maps and shows flight restrictions for the selected location. OpenSky also allows you to plan a new flight...

Open source drones offer many opportunities, using drones to make a quiet place, US Army trials ground-vehicle drone launches, a Canadian drone membership program, New York law enforcement drones, tern tracking with a Phantom, cleaning up dog poop, a flapping wing UAV, some DJI drones are now government approved, air-to-air refueling.

UAV News

DroneAnalyst: The Rise of Open Source Drones

DroneAnalyst David Benowitz says “There are two key elements driving the push for open-source drones…” particularly in America: “geopolitical tensions between the US and China and the search for a true DJI competitor.” According t...

We talk with MissionGO about the unique challenges of human organ delivery with UAS and the benefits to the medical community. MissionGo is developing their own aircraft that is specialized to the requirements of this medical cargo, and their team includes a diverse group of individuals with hardware, software, and even regulatory experience.

Guests

Frank Paskiewicz is Executive Vice President of Cargo Operations at MissionGO. He leads aircraft certification and manufacturing, FAA regulatory consulting services, UAS integration strategies, and air cargo operations. This includes running MissionGO’s cargo operations and supporting UAS client FAA certification program...

Get ready for drone soccer! Also, a heavy lift unmanned rotorcraft, David get’s to say “attritable” again, making a drone invisible, a drone ground station for the military, the sound of the Mars helicopter, drones and avigation easements, flinging drones off an aircraft carrier, and Chicago’s secret drone program.

UAV News

Colorado to host nation’s first ‘drone soccer’ tournaments

In this educational “e-sport” from United States Drone Soccer, participants learn to build, program, fly, and repair drones. The racing drones are surrounded by plastic exoskeletons and the game is played in a netted arena. Ea...

The NASA/FAA ASRS safety reporting system is now extended to UAS operators. Also, an autonomy Level 4 drone, learning from dragonflies, a triple-drop drone, a possible ADS-B solution for UAVs, getting your groceries delivered in Ohio, and a virtual UAS Symposium.

UAV News

FAA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) now available for drones

NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) collects confidential information about near misses from pilots and others. The data is used by the FAA to make aviation safer while maintaining confidentiality to maximize the number of incidents reported. Aviation Safety...

An interview with Great Lakes Drone Company, producers of drone light shows. Also, first responders and augmented reality controlled UAVs, drones that locate trash, Wing drone delivery expansion plans, QR codes in the nighttime sky, and a drone that launches a drone.

Guests

We talk with Ashley Munson and Lindsay Nitz from Great Lakes Drone Company about producing drone light shows. Recorded at the 2021 Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo on April 17, 2021.

UAV News

New Headsets Let Police Control Drone Swarms ‘Hands Free’

Researchers want to support firefighters in Montréal during f...

Lukas Fraser is a LiDAR Specialist working in the Geospatial Group at NV5. He creates engineering-grade 3D mapping deliverables from UAV LiDAR and imagery, and specializes in topographic and topo-bathymetric LiDAR data collection, processing, analysis, and product development. Lukas turns raw datasets into useful information such as AutoCAD drawings and surfaces, GIS databases, or online interactive web maps. He’s a graduate of the Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering program at the University of New Brunswick.

Lukas describes how UAVs with the sensors now available are changing data collection and making applications possible that would have been difficult previ...

Robust detect and avoid capability is essential for integrating BVLOS flight into the National Airspace System. We talk with the CEO of a company on the forefront of this technology.

Guest

Jon Damush is the CEO of Iris Automation, which provides onboard detect and avoid technology for Beyond Visual Line of Sight drone flight.

Iris is primarily a computer vision and machine learning software company that is focused on helping unpiloted systems detect other airplanes. The company’s Casea product is a platform-agnostic 360-degree radial computer vision detect and avoid system for UAS.

C...

A rescue drone with 2-way voice radio capability, using trained bees and drones to find landmines, telehealth drones that visit your home, quadcopters that work together to deliver large packages, and delivering lifejackets for water rescues.

UAV News

Two Way Radio for Drones Means Rescuers Can Hear a Cry for Help

A rescue drone can be used to find you, but what if you could talk back to the rescue drone? Dotterel Technologies has a 2-way radio solution that could aid in search and rescue. This would allow a conversation with the person be...

An AI-based mesh network drone delivery test, Navy destroyers swarmed by drones, an Amazon double-coupon deal, an attritable Bell cargo UAV, a first amendment drone case, the target drone on the beach, drones replacing fireworks.

UAV News

AI-based system to support world’s first mesh network drone delivery test

Airwayz is participating in a unique technology test in Israel where delivery drones will use AI and operate in mesh networks. Previous studies have used drone corridors, but that limits the number of delivery drones, doesn’t scale to commercial volumes, and if a part...

A drone company files a Remote ID lawsuit against the FAA over the rules going into effect next month, EASA publishes a drone incident manual for European airports, MIT builds tiny insect-inspired drones, Erickson plans an optionally-piloted S-64 Aircrane, and another spectacular video of the week.

UAV News

FAA Announces Effective Dates for Final Drone Rules

The final rules go into effect on April 21, 2021, that require remote identification of drones, allow some flights over people and moving vehicles, and permit flights at night under certain conditions. Before flying under the new provisions a...

The American Security Drone Act of 2021 incorporates drone detection and mitigation systems, an RFI is released for an MQ-9 Reaper replacement, one drone is on Mars and another is planned for Titan, the Choctaw Nation partners with the FAA, and US drone registrations plummet.

UAV News

Uncovering the legality and security of radio frequency based drone detection systems – 5 questions to ask technology providers

U.S. laws and regulations restrict what the public can do for drone detection and mitigation. To help non-federal public and private entities navigate federal laws and regulations, the Department of...

Remote Identification from the eyes of different stakeholders, the Speed Racer is revealed, a buyer’s guide to drones for beginners, wet drones in Scotland, saving dolphins in New Zealand, Skyborg is coming this summer, and rogue drone detection and mitigation.

UAV News

How You Fly Determines Where You Stand: A RID Comparative

The final remote identification rule differed from the NPRM, and this article examines how the rule impacts different stakeholders, including service suppliers, drone service providers and operators, security agencies, hobby and recreational users, foreign-registered drones, designers, and producers.

Skun...

Duration: 00:32:45

How to become a drone test administrator, Ingenuity phones home from Mars, lessons of the dot-com crash and the eVTOL market, a Skunk Works “Speed Racer,” Naval resupply with an autonomous UAS, and a new animated drone show record.

UAV News

The FAA wants you… to be a drone test administrator

The FAA developed a 3-step process to implement a nation-wide system to train and test all recreational drone pilots. Test content development and test administration is complete, now the FAA needs volunteers to become an FAA Approved Test Administrator of The Recreational UAS Sa...

DJI’s new FPV drone, Super Bowl drone incursions, Major League Baseball drone incursions, drones at the Daytona 500, and UAS given to law enforcement.

UAV News

DJI’s breakthrough controller, other new FPV details emerge

There’s a new DJI FPV drone on the way. Based on DroneDJ sources, the drone will have some kind of joystick-style controller. Maybe included, maybe an accessory. The controller could provide intuitive control for pitch, roll, yaw, and thrust. The DJI FPV drone with a joystick controller should be easier to learn than standard FPV control with sticks...

United Airlines plans to provide eVTOL service, hydrogen transportation for fuel cell UAVs, flying an uncrewed aircraft through a hurricane, drones meet law enforcement and privacy, and drones for STEM.

UAV News

United First Major Airline to Move on Electric Planes Starting with Uber-Like Service to Airports

United Airlines plans to have a role in the urban air mobility market with “last mile” transportation between airports and urban destinations using low-emission electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

The United eVTOL will be developed by partner Archer and carry four passengers up to...

Urban airports for drones as a service, FAA UTM transparency, a new Transportation secretary, drones that self-monitor airworthiness, domestic actions against Chinese drones, and the Superbowl no-fly zone.

UAV News

Hyundai Passenger Drones Need Urban Infrastructure: Urban Air Port® Air-One® is the eVTOL Operational Hub

A UK company called urban-Air Port aims to develop “the world’s smallest airport,” aa a “one stop shop for drones and eVTOL.” The company says, “We provide innovative ground infrastructure as a service for Future Air Mobility. An ultra-compact, rapidly deployable, multi-functional operations hub for manned and unmanned vehicle...

The Mars Helicopter Ingenuity travels to the Red Planet, UK Defence innovation criticized, Black Swift and GPS-denied navigation, online drone education, unmanned loyal wingman for the UK, Coke and Coffee drone promotion, and researching the impact of drones on ducks.

UAV News

6 Things to Know About NASA’s Mars Helicopter on Its Way to Mars

NASA’s Perseverance rover is scheduled to land on Mars on Feb. 18, 2021. It’s carrying Ingenuity, the Mars Helicopter in what NASA calls it “a technology experiment.” If successful, it will be the first powered, controlled flight on Mars.

A smart drone mailbox could be a solution to delivery concerns, an FAA waiver for automated drones, Quantum networks with unmanned aircraft, precision infrastructure inspection, using a drone to contact rescuers, keeping a 3-rotor quadcopter from crashing, and air taxi trials coming to Paris.

UAV News

Smart Drone Mailbox Secures the Future of “Last Inch” Deliveries

A smart drone mailbox would address delivery issues such as porch pirates, excited pets, and inclement weather. They offer security, are accessible only to the recipient, and packages are shielded from the weather. Valqari and DRONEDEK are develope...

Boeing settles the Insitu lawsuit; Intel neuromorphic chips in drones; betting on drone races; connected drone delivery from Verizon, UPS, and Skyward; and new drones from Cadillac, Sony, and Autel Robotics.

UAV News

Boeing to pay $25 Million to settle Insitu Lawsuit

In a federal whistle-blower lawsuit, Insitu was accused of fraudulently overcharging the U.S. government. Surveillance drones were sold to the government and billed as new, but Insitu provided used drones. This was on no-bid military contracts that were signed between 2009 and 2017. The Department of Justice accused Insitu of “knowingly submitting materially fals...

A Walmart drone delivery hub is coming to Arkansas, researchers create bio-composite drone parts, a UAV for cloud seeding, Alphabet’s Wing isn’t happy with the remote ID rule, the “Uber of Drones” receives funding, and a 19-year-old with a drone led rescuers to four lost fishermen.

UAV News

Walmart Drone Delivery Hub: Never Heard of Pea Ridge, AR? You Have Now

Pending approval of the Planning Commissioners, Pea Ridge, Arkansas will be the site of a Walmart drone delivery hub that will see drone delivery trials by Zipline International in partnership with Wal...

The FAA has issued final rules for small unmanned aircraft remote ID and flight over people. Those are important steps in integrating UAS into the National Airspace System. This episode provides summaries of the rules and describes how they are different from the previously proposed rules.

Final Rule on Remote ID of Unmanned Aircraft

There are three options for unmanned aircraft (UA): Standard Remote ID with broadcast directly from the UA, a Remote ID Broadcast Module as a separate broadcast device on the UA, and FAA-Recognized Identification Areas (FRIA) where UAs without Remote ID can...

Royal Mail delivery by drone, the Bell Autonomous Pod Transport, drones and vaccine distribution, Navy MQ-25 Stingray warrant officers, Catching Gremlin UAVs with a C-130, and test and evaluation programs you might join.

UAV News

Incredible footage shows first Royal Mail drone delivery to Mull lighthouse

Alexa Kershaw became the first recipient of the new service from the Royal Mail, in collaboration with DronePrep, Skyports, and what3words. DronePrep’s mission is “to unlock suitable locations for drone use in the UK by bringing pilots and landowners together.” Skyports designs, builds, and operates vertiport...

Designing homes to accept deliveries by drones, a Smellidrone, Virginia partners with a UAS company, launching smallsats, refreshments delivered to golfers, a passive perching mechanism for micro drones, contract awards for loyal wingman prototypes, a long-range medical test flight in South Korea.

UAV News

Drones are poised to reshape home design

If delivery drones become prolific, that might have implications for the way homes are designed to accept deliveries by drone. That includes the location where deliveries are made and how they are are made.

Tech startup Valqari is developing drone-delivery ma...

Drone highways and corridors, flying over the ocean on hydrogen, a hybrid drone sets a new flight record, a world civil UAS market forecast looks bright, and a DroneMasters online meetup.

UAV News:

Digital Drone Highways: a Future Transportation Network

Airspace Link is a company that wants to play a role in developing drone highways for safe and efficient transportation. The company connects private drone operators with state and local governments. Their tag line is: Partnering with local government to expand drone innovation through communication, collaboration & connection and Airspace Link offers the “AirHub for G...

DOT announces the BEYOND drone program to follow the UAS Integration Pilot Program. Also, a drone with morphing wings and tail, Europe’s first TRACE drone takes flight, placing sensors with darts fired from a drone, and Sony hints at a coming drone brand.

UAV News

U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao Announces Successful Completion of Drone Pilot Program, Announces New Program Called BEYOND

The three-year Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration Pilot Program (IPP) has concluded. Now, eight of the nine IPP participants have signed new agreements with the FAA for the BEY...

A police department funds drones for response to 911 calls, paramedics in manned drones, public perception of drones, the U.S. government warns of drone attacks, a puffing drone, a heterogeneous drone swarm, and landing a UAV on a submarine.

UAV News

If you call 911 in this Georgia town, a drone might respond soon

Brookhaven, Georgia will be using drones as part of its first responder program. The police department’s UAS unit was funded for four drones to respond to 911 calls, witness crimes in progress, conduct investigations, and document crime scenes.Reportedly, Brookhaven wo...

A Voith-Schneider cyclogyro propulsion concept for UAM, holographic particle detection with a drone, new UAV licensing requirements in Singapore with stiff penalties for non-compliance, Pipistrel plans an autonomous heavy lift UAV, the EU looks to police its southern border with medium-altitude long-endurance drones, maintaining offshore wind farms with autonomous drones, and drone seeding to save the Koala.

UAV News

Cyclotech brings a totally unique propulsion system to the eVTOL world

CycloTech is an Austrian company that is developing a propulsion system based on Voith-Schneider propellers, which the company calls “cyclogyro rotors.” The system combi...

Loon and HAPSMobile test LTE from a solar-powered drone, India tests a MALE prototype, and China tests a weaponized drone swarm. Also, very small sensors dropped from very small drones, FAA submits two proposed final drone rules, a Colorado drone club builds a drone park, and a virtual drone summit.

UAV News

Alphabet and SoftBank’s solar-powered drone provides first LTE connection

Google parent company Alphabet and SoftBank demonstrated a stable LTE connection from the solar-powered Sunglider drone at 62,000 feet. The connection supported an international video call with members from Loon and AeroVironment sp...

Weaponized drones, Walmart tries to catch up with Amazon, drone swarms and UFOs, disinfecting a stadium with a drone, converting old biplanes to unmanned aircraft, and a video of whales swimming with surfers.

UAV News

Well, Sure: Drone With a Shotgun

The i9 is a weaponized drone created for the UK’s Strategic Command by an unnamed company. It’s a human-operated, 6-rotor drone, about a meter across and intended as a breaching weapon for urban warfare. It uses machine vision to identify targets and carries twin shotguns.

There is some resi...

An Amazon security drone will monitor the inside of your home, a Bell cargo drone flies through metropolitan airspace, a new underwater drone manufacturing facility, humanitarian award announcements, Covid tests delivered by drone, and the ATSB report on a pseudo-satellite break-up.

UAV News

Ring Always Home Cam indoor security drone: What you need to know

Amazon announced the “Ring Always Home Cam,” an indoor security drone that flies around inside your home. The drone can upload video to the cloud, or stream it. Some have security concerns about the system that goes on sale...

Long-distance organ delivery flight, a survey-grade micro drone, a UK drone zone, research on multi-fuel drones, heavy-lift drones, a UAV landing at a commercial airport, locating pregnant dolphins, Verizon’s wildfire drone waiver, and a former FAA Administrator lands a new job.

UAV News

Mission Go completes longest organ delivery flight via UAS in Las Vegas

In this MissionGO and Nevada Donor Network collaboration, two successful test flights were made. The first flight delivered research corneas from Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center to Dignity Health – St. Rose Dominican, San Martín Campus. The sec...

SeaClear aims to clean ocean trash, the Loyal Wingman powers up its engine, a drone crashes into wind-turbine, drone makers see an opportunity in anti-China sentiment, marine animal rescue, photographing the orange landscapes caused by wildfire smoke, and why harassing a police officer with a drone is a bad idea.

UAV News

Autonomous Drones and Vehicles Collect Rubbish from Ocean Floor

There is a lot of trash in the oceans. One estimate puts it at around 26-66 million tons of waste with 94% of that is on the seafloor. The EU-funded SeaClear project wants to...

The FAA selected eight companies to help establish the technology requirement framework for drone remote identification, a key enabling technology. One of those companies is Skyward, a Verizon company that develops commercial drone management and airspace intelligence platforms. They acted as a USS (UAS Service Supplier) for the cohort.

Guests

This episode we are joined by Skyward president Mariah Scott and product manager Amanda Breese.

Mariah Scott has taken businesses from creation through exit, and built new markets in commercial drones, healthcare, identity services, and media delivery across North America, Europe, and Asia. As...

Optionally piloted firefighting helicopters, was it a jetpack or a manikin on a drone, the Amazon Prime Air exemption with conditions, Japan Airlines interest in drones, UAS RF spectrum news, and using a drone to deliver a spare part to a drilling platform.

UAV News

Taking the Fight to the Night

Fighting wildfires is dangerous at night and typically aerial firefighting is suspended. However, optionally piloted aircraft could be a solution. Kaman Corp. is converting its conventionally piloted K-MAX heavy-lift helicopter to be optionally piloted. Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky Aviation company is developing th...

Technology developing to counter drone swarms, a blended wing body drone to catch poachers, studying pollinating bees, and Norway’s first UTM system.

UAV News

The U.S. Navy Plans To Foil Massive ‘Super Swarm’ Drone Attacks By Using The Swarm’s Intelligence Against Itself

Isaac Kaminer, an engineering professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School says “large-scale adversarial swarms” of drones are an “imminent threat.” Instead of trying to shoot down super swarms, Kaminer proposes to use the swarm against itself.

Eagleray UAS Scans for Poachers

Laws exist to protect...

AeroDefense founding CEO Linda Ziemba explains the AirWarden™ system for drone detection as well as the complex legal hurdles that must be considered.

Guest

Linda Ziemba is the founding CEO of AeroDefense. The company’s AirWarden™ system detects and locates both drones and pilots simultaneously. This provides actionable intelligence for security teams to respond to drone threats.

Linda explains the legality of drone detection and mitigation systems, which revolves around three main factors:

First, since small UAS are categorized as aircraft, drones have the same protections as transport airplanes. Simply put, you can...

Wide-Area Motion Imagery (WAMI) for a Navy drone, deliberately hitting an airplane with a drone, drone delivery service in Alabama, quadcopter disrupts MLB game, UAS pilot program for Virginia, the first drone to make a commercial delivery goes to the Smithsonian, and a drone finds a missing whale.

UAV News

With this new sensor, Blackjack drones can monitor an entire city at once

The Boeing Insitu R1-21A Blackjack is a Navy and Marine Corps small tactical unmanned air system (STUAS) that can provide ISR coverage day or night. The Blackjack now ha...

Airfield design guidelines for large UAS, a guidebook for UAS threats at airports, first free flight of Airbus naval UAS, studying sea turtles and saving baby deer, fully charging drone batteries in 5 minutes, and drones fly over a nuclear power plant.

UAV News

Woolpert hired to research and develop airfield design guidelines for large UAS

The guidelines are primarily intended for airport managers, planners, engineers, UAS operators, and other stakeholders. If manned and unmanned aircraft are going to operate in the same airspace, airports will want to know the impacts. That includes the...