On 5-6 March 2015, the “Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems: Framing the future of Aviation” conference took place in Riga, Latvia. This event was organised by the Ministry of Transport of Latvia and the Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia, in cooperation with the European Commission, during the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Australian UAS Operating Applications Continue to Soar
The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) says it is being inundated with an unprecedented number of applications to commercially operate drones.
Surveillance Expert Uses Kites
“Drones are here to stay, and they are a very valuable tool,” said Randy Anglin of Lionstrike Forensics. “But kites and balloons have become a very valuable tool for what we do.” Continue reading
EasyJet Considers UAVs for Spare-Parts Resupply
UK low-cost carrier EasyJet is looking at using unmanned air vehicles to reduce the logistics burden in quickly supplying spares to grounded aircraft. Continue reading
Panoptes Working on Autonomous UAS Sense and Avoid Technology
Panoptes UAV is a subsidiary and new arm of Aurora Flight Sciences. The division is working to develop avionics for commercial unmanned aircraft platforms with the ability to act as the “brains under the hood,” helping the aircraft to see and avoid obstacles in its path. Continue reading
American Millionaire using Unmanned Helicopters to Rescue African Migrants at Sea
Christopher Catrambone is an immigrant himself, having moved his family to Malta from his native New Orleans to flee the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Last year, he and his wife Regina say they invested “nearly 50 per cent of our savings” — $US7.5 million — to purchase a 130-foot search and rescue ship, two drones and two inflatable boats, then put them to sea complete with a crew of technical and medical experts. Continue reading
US Soldiers Give Black Hornet Thumbs Up
U.S. Army manoeuvre officials here just finished testing miniature drones and other high-tech soldier kit at Fort Benning, much of which is designed to help infantry squads and platoons spot the enemy first.
Sikorsky Gets $8M DARPA ALIAS Programme Contract
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has announced that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded the company an $8 million contract for Phase 1 of the Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) programme. Continue reading