an independent online news service for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems world
On September 25th General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) completed the first flight of the Protector RG Mk1 Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS), the fourth MQ-9B SkyGuardian air vehicle (the first three MQ-9B air vehicles are company-owned assets supporting the certification qualification). Continue reading
A collaboration between Gravity Industries, which has developed and patented a 1,050 brake horsepower Jet Suit, and the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), has resulted in a test flight in the heart of the Lakes District pushing the boundaries of emergency response.
In 2019 an Airbus Zephyr high-altitude UAV broke up in-flight after encountering unstable atmospheric conditions which resulted in a series of un-commanded rolls and an uncontrolled spiral descent over remote northern Western Australia, according to a new Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) report. Continue reading
Matternet announced that it is expanding operations to Asia through a new business partnership with Japan Airlines (JAL). The partnership is to deploy the Matternet M2 drone system in Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s new “drone logistics business development project”, and utilize the system to assess drone delivery opportunities in Japan. Continue reading
Vertical Aerospace has received investment from the UK Government, through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme, to fund the development of a smart charger for their electric aircraft. The charger will increase Vertical’s in-flight performance and safety for their recently unveiled passenger model, VA-1X. Continue reading
US Navy MQ-4C Triton taxis at Andersen Air Force Base on April 29, 2020
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, California, is awarded a $9,018,804 firm-fixed-price modification (P00023) to previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-successive-target contract N00019-17-C-0018. Continue reading
Schiebel, together with partners Nordic Unmanned and the NORCE Research Institute AS, is operating the CAMCOPTER S-100 to monitor sulphur emission in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes in the strait of Pas-de-Calais, for the French Maritime Authorities. The operation started on 23 September and will run for three months. Continue reading
The Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Systems (JARUS), an international working group bringing together the representatives of 61 national aviation authorities (NAAs) & EASA, has done a lot of good work and supplied the international drone community with a significant number of highly valued guidance documents.
However, since its last Plenary Meeting in Chengdu, China in October 2019, nothing has been heard from JARUS.