The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) recently acquired two advanced surveillance aerial devices from the Seattle Police Department to bolster their law enforcement resources. However, the LAPD is deliberating not calling them “drones,” to avoid stirring up any controversy based on the negative connotations associated with the word and the technology. Continue reading
South Africa Civil Aviation Authority Bans Camera UAS
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has executed an immediate prohibition on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or camera drones in South Africa. Film shoots intending to use this type of production equipment, now deemed illegal, will no longer be able to obtain film permits.
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Rockwell Collins Part of Collier Award-winning X-47B UCAS-D Team
Rockwell Collins is a member of the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) team, which received the 2013 Robert J. Collier Trophy at a ceremony last week. The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) presented aviation’s highest honor to the team, which is comprised of leaders in government, business and industry. Continue reading
Target QF16 Could Become MQ-16 Lawn Dart
There is an effort underway to develop a UAV version of the F-16. This would be based on the QF-16, the remotely controlled target version of the F-16. The air force is already in the process of converting 210 retired F-16s to QF-16s and it was noted that with a little extra work the QF-16 could be turned into a combat UAV for dangerous missions like SEAD (suppression of enemy defenses) or attacking ground targets guarded by heavy air defenses.
FAA to Consider Exemptions for Commercial UAS Movie and TV Production
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration has announced that seven aerial photo and video production companies have asked for regulatory exemptions that would allow the film and television industry to use unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) with FAA approval for the first time.
NASA Widens 2014 Hurricane Research Mission
During this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, NASA is redoubling its efforts to probe the inner workings of hurricanes and tropical storms with two unmanned Global Hawk aircraft flying over storms and two new space-based missions. NASA’s airborne Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel or HS3 mission, will revisit the Atlantic Ocean for the third year in a row.
Heron UAS Operators Offered Airframe Transplant
Existing operators of the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron unmanned aircraft system are being offered a way of getting the advanced performance of the heavy fuel engine-powered Super Heron, by taking the avionics package of the older version and “transplanting” it into the new model’s enlarged fuselage.
Las Vegas Club Delivers Champagne by OctoCopter
Bottle service took to the sky Memorial Weekend as Marquee Dayclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas debuted a new high roller delivery method: OctoCopter. Continue reading