When University of North Dakota President Mark Kennedy arrived on campus last year, he saw the same potential in the expansive North Dakota airspace as John D. Odegard did when he launched UND’s leading aerospace program in 1968. Continue reading
AOPA Welcomes Drone Pilots
Since AOPA was founded in 1939, aviation has gone through many changes, and the advent of drones has been among the most dramatic. Throughout the decades, we have been faithful to AOPA’s core missions—promoting safety, preserving the freedom to fly, and building the next generation of pilots. Continue reading
First BVLOS Operations in Canada
Today, Ventus Geospatial, a C-ASTRAL BRAMOR gEO, ppK and gAS operator, will be conducting the first Transport Canada (TC) approved UAV test flight beyond a pilot’s visual line of sight (BVLOS) in non-military airspace. Continue reading
US Air Force Buys More MANPADS Kits
The US Air Force is buying 21 shoulder-fired aerial defense system kits to counter short-term unmanned aerial system threats, under a nearly $16 million sole-source contract to Israeli-owned ELTA North America, according to a Defense Department contract notice. Continue reading
FAA Reports Increased Drone Sightings
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released an updated list of pilot, air traffic controller, law enforcement and citizen reports of potential encounters with unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) – more popularly called “drones”. The latest data cover February through September 2016. Continue reading
AirMap Secures $26M Funding from Microsoft, Airbus, Qualcomm, Sony, Rakuten and Yuneec
Ben Marcus, CEO and Co-Founder and Gregory McNeal EVP and Co-Founder
AirMap, an airspace management platform for drones, has announced a $26 million Series B funding round led by Microsoft Ventures, with additional participation from Airbus Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures (the investment arm of Qualcomm Incorporated), Rakuten, Sony, Yuneec, and existing investors General Catalyst and Lux Capital. The new investment brings AirMap’s total funding to more than $43 million. Continue reading
Gryphon Sensors to Build $10M Drone Detection System
Gryphon Sensors, an offshoot of SRC Inc., plans to develop a $10.1 million monitoring system that can detect drones and other small aircraft. The first phase of the project, which is slated for completion in April 2017, will cover the airspace between Gryphon’s North Syracuse headquarters and Griffiss International Airport in Rome, Oneida County. Continue reading
UAS Assist at Miami Fire Rescue and US Army Joint Exercise
History was made at the Port of Miami this past Saturday, February 18 as a fleet of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) consisting of aerial drones and miniature aerostats were used to provide live situational awareness at a joint exercise between Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFD), the U.S. Army. and other agencies. The combined forces were assigned the mission to mobilize and deploy to assess and/or mitigate a suspected weapon of mass destruction. Continue reading