Spring in the Nation’s Capital brings with it the extraordinary beauty of the cherry trees blooming around the Tidal Basin. At the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), we want you to shoot all the photos and video you want – but leave your drone at home. Continue reading
New UAV Can Launch from Underwater
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, have developed an innovative unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can stay on station beneath the water, then launch into the air to perform a variety of missions. Continue reading
Colorado Charter Airline Adds UAS Services
A Colorado-based private airline management and charter company has expanded into the unmanned aircraft systems industry. Mountain Aviation has announced it received a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration section 333 exemption to commercially operate UAVs through services tied to aerial mapping, agriculture support, industrial inspections, aerial video, search and rescue, energy system inspections and forestry monitoring. Continue reading
Situational Awareness for Drone Management
One of the biggest stumbling blocks to widespread unmanned aerial systems operation is situational awareness, especially in the United States, which has the busiest airspace in the world. One company, however, argues that providing situational awareness is just a big data and analytics challenge. Continue reading
Iran’s IRGC Unveils Upgraded Shahed 129
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) unveiled an upgraded model of the home-made Shahed 129 drone. The new model is equipped with satellite communication system, the IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh said, Fars news agency reported March 14. Continue reading
FAA Expands UAS Partnerships
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and key government agencies involved in unmanned aircraft operations are expanding participation in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Executive Committee (EXCOM). Continue reading
Flying Demo of Commercial Drones in Wales
Government and industry representatives have gathered at Wales’s Snowdonia Aerospace Centre this month to watch Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) take on a series of innovative missions. Continue reading
Do Consumer Drones Endanger the National Airspace? Evidence from Wildlife Strike
In December 2015, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced a new interim final rule that for the first time imposed regulation on the operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) as model aircraft. In the name of a safe national airspace, the new regulations require operators of drones weighing more than 250g (0.55 pounds) to register with the agency. Continue reading