The Danish army has flown its combat-proven AeroVironment RQ-20A Puma AE unmanned air vehicle in overland civilian airspace for the first time, during a domestic multinational exercise with the UK and USA.
FAA Will Miss September 2015 Commercial Rules Deadline
In August, the Federal Aviation Administration missed a key deadline for developing rules for small commercial drones. Now the agency says that because of the delay, it will also miss its original September 2015 deadline for final rules. Continue reading
ADS-B Approved for RPAS in Australia
The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority CASA has issued the first 24 bit address to allow a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) to be fitted with ADS-B (Automated Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) so it can be seen by air traffic control and other commercial aircraft during flight.
FAA Grants Five More Commercial UAS Exemptions
The Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted five regulatory exemptions for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations to four companies representing several industries that promise to benefit from UAS technology. Continue reading
AAI Rebrand
AAI Logistics & Technical Services, AAI Test & Training and AAI Unmanned Systems have been part of the Textron Systems enterprise for years now. They have now rebranded to be one Textron Systems.
US Army Builds an Airport Just for UAS
The US Army’s ever-growing use of unmanned aerial systems has gotten to the point where two of the most commonly used UAS are getting their own airport.
“Flyaways” Create Safety & Commercial Issues
A computer that freezes might lose a document. A drone that malfunctions might fly away. As consumer drones take off, the burgeoning industry is struggling to overcome a problem known as “flyaways,” when devices go rogue and fly off from their users. Continue reading
GAO Report Outlines Challenges for UAS in National Airspace
The watchdogs at the Government Accountability Office issued report on the integration of unmanned aerial systems as it calls them, in US national airspace (NAS) today ahead of a congressional hearing on the topic. As it has noted in past reports, the GAO said the main issues continue to include the ability for drones to avoid other aircraft in the sky; what backup network is available and how should the system behave if it loses its communications link.