The US Federal Aviation Administration faces a second legal challenge over its ban on non-recreational flying of unmanned aircraft – and the first coming from a non-profit organization dedicated to searching for missing people. Texas-based EquuSearch filed a lawsuit in the US Court of Appeals in Washington DC, asking the court to over-turn a two-month-old FAA order prohibiting the non-profit organization from using unmanned aircraft sytems (UAS) as part of its search efforts.
More Photos of Chinese UAS Found in South Korea
More photos have emerged of the Chinese Sky-09P UAS that appears similar to at least one of the unmanned aircraft that was discovered crashed in South Korea. The new photos provide a clearer view of the underside of the aircraft and the slingshot launching system. Continue reading
UAS Video of SPACEX F9R First Flight Test to 250m
Nice UAS-filmed video of Falcon 9 Reusable (F9R) taking its first test flight at the Spacex rocket development facility. F9R lifts off from a launch mount to a height of approximately 250m, hovers and then returns for landing just next to the launch stand. Continue reading
DARPA Eyes Greater Cockpit Automation
DARPA is launching a programme called Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System to mature technologies that enable higher levels of cockpit automation to help reduce pilot workload, augment mission performance, and improve safety.
UAS Inspect Energy Sites in California
Skycatch, a year-old start-up based in San Francisco that has raised $3.2 million from Google and other investors, builds UAS for the energy industry. The company has already signed deals to test its technology with the construction giants Bechtel and DPR; First Solar, a developer of photovoltaic power plants; and SolarCity, a solar panel installer. Continue reading
A Symphony for Flying Robots
KMel Robotics presents a team of flying robots that have taken up new instruments to play a fresh take on familiar themes. Continue reading
FAA Announces First UAS Test Site Operational
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Monday that the first of six test sites chosen to perform unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) research is operational more than two-and-a-half months ahead of the deadline specified for the programme by Congress. Continue reading
UAS Can Help Parched California Farms Save Water
Farmers represent a growing share of the market for UAS, and in California, some farmers are looking at the technology as a way to save water during the drought. Continue reading