A lack of regulation has been blamed for a drone hitting a British Airways passenger jet, as it emerged that police have failed to investigate 40 near-misses in the past year. Calls for action to mitigate the threat to passenger aircraft from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) came from Europe’s main regional airline trade group and others following an April 17 incident at London Heathrow Airport.
Category Archives: Non-Military & Commercial UAS
Camcopter in Canadian Ice-Breaking Operations
At the end of March 2016 at Fogo Island in Canada, Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS) successfully demonstrated its capabilities to a host of dignitaries from the Canadian Coast Guard, the Royal Canadian Navy, Transport Canada, the Canadian National Research Council and the University of Alaska in partnership with the Memorial University of Newfoundland.
BA Airbus Hit by Drone at Heathrow Airport
A police investigation is under way after a passenger plane approaching Heathrow Airport was hit by what is believed to have been a drone. The British Airways flight from Geneva, with 132 passengers and five crew on board, was hit as it approached the London airport at 12:50 BST on Sunday. Continue reading
UAS for Aircraft Crash Analysis in UK
Drawing upon its work integrating unmanned air vehicle use into the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch’s (AAIB) wreckage assessments, Cranfield University is in discussions with international bodies exploring the use of the technology for post-crash analysis. Continue reading
Thales Delivers Fulmar to Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
Thales has won a contract to deliver Fulmar Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).
Sharper Shape Gets $3.25 M Investment
Sharper Shape has announced US$3.25 million in new funding (€2.9 million) led by Straightforward Capital, a European venture capital firm with thorough experience in the energy sector. Continue reading
Europe Wants UAS for Migrant Route Surveillance
EU border patrol agency Frontex announced Friday that it is in talks with industry for using remotely piloted aircraft for maritime surveillance, adding drones to its existing portfolio of satellite and sensor technologies for monitoring vessel traffic and migrant flows.
Australia Post to Trial Drone Delivery
Government-owned Australia Post has announced its plans to trial the use of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) — or drones — to deliver small parcels around the country. Continue reading