The News Corp’s The Daily has a drone that it’s sent out a few times. Taking footage for news-gathering purposes seems like a commercial use of a drone. I followed up with the FAA asking if News Corp was one of the companies with an experimental certificate. The inquiry got lobbed to the FAA’s legal department…
Category Archives: Non-Military & Commercial UAS
Shadowhawk – Robo-Copter from Vanguard
The Shadowhawk is a remote controlled mini-helicopter that can record footage as easily as it can shoot a stun baton.
Insitu Reveals Inceptor VTOL Mini UAS
Insitu revealed its 1.6 kilo (3.5 lb) Inceptor VTOL UAS at the Airborne Law Enforcement Association 2011 Convention in New Orleans. The miniature helicopter has an endurance of 30 minutes and features the option to fit plug and play payloads including daylight and IR cameras in the nose.
Spanish Unmanned Aircraft Monitors Spanish Coastline
Aerovisión Spain has supplied an unmanned aircraft used in trials of monitoring the Spanish coast, within the remit of the WIMAAS (Wide Maritime Area Surveillance) project, financed by the European Union.
Unmanned Aircraft in Oil-Spill Response in Alaska
The University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute and BP Exploration Alaska demonstrated the use of a three-pound unmanned aircraft, the Aeryon Scout, as a way of gathering 3-D aerial data to aid in oil spill clean up efforts.
U.S. Geological Survey’s UAS Project Office Gets Honeywell T-Hawks
Based on the successful acquisition of Ravens, the US Army has recently agreed to provide the U.S. Geological Survey’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Office access to over 21 Honeywell T-Hawks.
Canadian Forces Test Kestrel Automated Target Detection Software
Australia’s Sentient has announced that the Canadian Forces are currently conducting an operational evaluation of its Kestrel automated target detection software on board the CP-140 Aurora, Canada’s primary Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft.
Texas Gets Second UAS for Border Patrol
A second unmanned aircraft will soon be based in Texas in an effort to help secure the U.S.-Mexico border. The Predator will be equipped with an electro-optical/infrared sensor system that vastly improves the operational effectiveness in CBP missions and is fitted with synthetic aperture radar suitable for flights in darkness and inclement weather.