The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, designed by Alexander Lippisch, was a German rocket-powered fighter aircraft. It is the only rocket-powered fighter aircraft ever to have been operational and the first piloted aircraft of any type to exceed 1000 km/h (621 mph) in level flight. Continue reading
Trump Pets Predator at Border Patrol Station in Arizona
President Trump was spotted petting a large U.S. Customs and Border Protection drone during his tour of the Yuma Border Patrol Station in southern Arizona on Tuesday. Continue reading
GA-ASI’S Flight Test and Training Center Opens New Hangar
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) held a grand opening event on August 21st. for its new hangar at the Grand Sky Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Business Park near Grand Forks, North Dakota. The event included a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the completion of GA-ASI’s new Flight Test and Training Center (FTTC) hangar. Continue reading
Israel Air Force Declares Full Operational Capability of Upgraded Hermes 900 “Kochav”
The Israel Air Force has declared full operational capability of its upgraded Elbit Systems Hermes 900 “Kochav” unmanned aerial vehicle on Wednesday, after a lengthy series of tests performed by the IAF’s flight-test squadron. Continue reading
Norfolk Southern Completes 64 Bridge Inspections
Norfolk Southern has one of the most comprehensive drone-based railroad bridge inspection programs in the nation, recently surpassing more than 100,000 linear feet. To conduct this safety-critical task, NS in early 2016 contracted with Virginia Beach, Va.-based HAZON Solutions, a leading U.S. developer of small, unmanned systems operations, capability development, training, safety and testing programs for drone inspection services.
MQ-1 Predator Crash in Southeast Turkey
U.S. emergency responders and local police are on scene where a U.S. Air Force MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted aircraft crashed in a field approximately 200 miles east of Adana, Turkey. Continue reading
Are Video Game Players the Best Unmanned Pilots?
New research from the University of Liverpool highlights the usefulness of Video Game Players (VGPs) as unmanned aircraft operators. Continue reading
FAA Sponsored UAS-STEM Summer Camp at NMSU
With the increasing popularity of unmanned aerial systems, also known as drones, New Mexico State University capitalized on the opportunity to educate students about science, technology, engineering and mathematics and hosted its first-ever UAS-STEM camp this summer. Continue reading