In Aug. 2017, Border Patrol agents arrested 25-year-old Jorge Rivera, a man who used a remotely operated drone to smuggle 13 pounds of methamphetamine into the United States. Rivera’s trial concluded last week and the jury sentenced him to 12-years in prison. Continue reading
Author Archives: The Editor
AMA Takes Flight With AirMap
The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA), the nation’s largest organization for model aircraft enthusiasts, has partnered with AirMap, an airspace management platform for unmanned aircraft. Continue reading
Delair Introduces Advanced Fixed-Wing UAV for Lidar-Based Aerial Surveying and 3D Mapping
Delair, a supplier of drone solutions for commercial industries, has introduced the next generation of its high-performance Delair DT26X LiDAR UAV, the industry’s first long-range fixed wing drone to combine highly accurate Light Distance and Ranging (LiDAR) sensing capabilities with an integrated high resolution RGB (red, green, blue) camera, dramatically increasing the precision, efficiency and cost effectiveness of surveying and 3D mapping. Continue reading
Martin UAV’s V-BAT Exceeds 8 Hours Endurance
The Martin UAV “V-BAT”, a tactical, tail-sitting VTOL fixed wing drone with multi-mission capability, launched early Friday morning on a routine flight test and landed 8.1 hours later with more than an hour’s fuel remaining in the gas tank – conclusively demonstrating its ability to exceed the currently published endurance of 8 hours. Continue reading
MIT Startup Converge Secures Over $750,000 In Seed Funding
Converge, a commercial drone software provider, has raised over three quarters of a million in seed funding. The company’s initial round of funding included investors Samsung NEXT, Techstars Ventures, Kima Ventures, and other angel investors. Continue reading
Aeryon Labs Launches Aeryon Defense USA, Inc.
Aeryon Labs Inc., a provider of high-performance, small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) for military, public safety, and commercial customers, has launched Aeryon Defense USA, Inc. Continue reading
Chicago Ambulance Service Integrates Emergency Response Drone
PropelUAS a division of Evans Incorporated, announced that it is partnering with Medical Express Ambulance Service (MedEx) in the unveiling of a high-tech “Concept Ambulance” that integrates Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into its collection of life saving technologies. Continue reading
First Full-Scale Test Flight for Vahana from A³ by Airbus
Vahana, the all electric, self-piloted, VTOL aircraft from A³ by Airbus, announced the successful completion of its first full-scale flight test, reaching a height of 5 meters (16 feet) before descending safely. Continue reading







