Over the long holiday weekend, officials in Montgomery County Texas were concerned the Lewis Creek dam could break, sending floodwaters from Lewis Creek Reservoir into homes and putting lives in danger.
P-51D Mustang Whistle
“Jumpin Jacques” is a P-51D-20-NA model, built at North American’s Inglewood facility in California. Accepted by the USAAF on December 21 1944 as 44-72035 she was originally earmarked for service with the Eighth Air Force in England but this was quickly changed to Project Number 91037R, indicating service in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations. Continue reading
Malaysia Deploys UAS for Earthquake Disaster Relief
The Communications and Multimedia Ministry is collaborating with the Malaysian Emergency Response System (Mers 999) to do aerial surveys and mapping of the areas affected by last Friday’s 5.9-magnitude earthquake, by using UAVs.
MQ-1B Predator Accident Report Released
A right wing control module failure led to an MQ-1B Predator crash on the Nevada Test and Training Range near Creech Air Force Base, Nev., June 27, 2014, according to an Air Combat Command abbreviated accident investigation board report released on June 9. Continue reading
UAS Track Illegal Logging in Peru
Every year, illegal logging and mining in the Peruvian Amazon destroy tens of thousands of acres of rain forest. The deforestation in remote parts of the jungle is difficult to detect while it’s going on. But now there’s a new way to keep an eye out: with a pair of drones. Carlos Castaneda, the coordinator of the Amazon Basin Conservation Association’sLos Amigos conservancy concession, plans to use the small remote control planes to monitor the private Los Amigos conservation area in the Madre de Dios region of Peru.
Deadline Looming to Reauthorise FAA
Aviation industry leaders are looking anxiously but optimistically at lawmakers successfully meeting a Sept. 30 deadline for legislation for reauthorising the Federal Aviation Administration.
Electric Propulsion System Improves Safety of Light Aircraft
Researchers at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and the AXTER Aerospace firm have developed an electric propulsion system to install in small gasoline-powered planes for extra power and range in emergency situations. This new hybrid system could prevent 600 accidents a year.
Qualcomm Names First 10 Companies to Robotics Accelerator
Following a global recruiting effort that yielded hundreds of applications, San Diego-based Qualcomm today named the 10 startups selected for the new robotics accelerator program it is operating with Techstars. Continue reading