General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. has announced that its Predator/Gray Eagle-series aircraft family has achieved a historic company and industry milestone: three million flight hours – which is the equivalent of flying over 340 years, around-the-clock, every day. The milestone occurred on October 2, with nearly 222,000 total missions completed and almost 90-percent of all missions flown in combat.
Flag-Flying DJI Phantom Causes Riot at Football Match
An international soccer match between Serbia and Albania has been abandoned after banned fans flew a drone carrying an Albanian flag over the pitch – and sparked a riot among players and the crowd. Continue reading
ARES Gets US Navy Flight Clearance
SHIELD Aviation, Inc. has announced the granting of a Category 3 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Interim Flight Clearance (IFC) for the ARES Block C UAS by Naval Air System Command (NAVAIR) Patuxent River MD AIR – 4.0P. The ARES UAS IFC supports Navy public aircraft operations of ARES Block C UAS within restricted and warning areas of the U.S. National airspace.
Central Hudson Utility Company Tests UAS
Central Hudson Gas and Electric is exploring the use of UAS to help in the company’s operations.”It will not completely replace the use of human eyes on a trouble spot, but it will help us locate these trouble spots more quickly,” said spokesperson John Maserjian.
Russian UAS Not Yet Weaponised
Russia does not yet have the weapons suitable for equipping its Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) but such possibility is now being discussed, Director of UAV development programs at Russia’s Vega Radio Engineering Corporation Arkady Syroyezhko told RIA Novosti.
MQ-1B Predator Accident Report Released
An oil leak led to an MQ-1 B Predator crash near Jalalabad Airfield, Afghanistan, Apr. 26, 2014, according to an Air Combat Command abbreviated accident investigation board report just released.
Goose Attacks DJI Phantom on Golf Course
Golf-course aerial photography by QuadCopter (at least in the areas where they’re legally allowed to fly) is all the rage at the moment. These small, pilotless, radio-controlled devices can capture golf-course views you used to need a chopper to get — or couldn’t get at all. Continue reading
India Bans Civilian UAS Until Regulation Exists
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India has started formulating rules and regulations for the operation of UAS. However, the aviation regulator has declared that till the policies are announced, their use is prohibited.