sUAS News

As the drone show season kicks off in the UK, here is a gift for die hard drone fans, amateurs and professionals. Aerial filming with drones comes alive in the recently released ‘Unmanned – A Drone Story’ by Matt Harmsworth. As a special offer, ‘Unmanned’ can be downloaded for free from Kindle between November 6-9,2018. […]

Aireon LLC and FlightAware today announced thatGlobalBeaconSM is live and providing airlines with global flight tracking ahead of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Global Aeronautical Distress Safety System (GADSS) recommendations, which will be effective November 8, 2018. GlobalBeacon provides airlines with minute-by-minute global aircraft tracking for their aircraft at all times, anywhere in the world. GlobalBeacon is […]

We are pleased to announce that Dassault Systèmes and Delair, a leading supplier of commercial drone solutions have signed a collaboration agreement confirming our intentions to combine Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE platform, GEOVIA solutions and relevant drone-based technologies developed by Delair, and cooperatively promote these solutions for the mining and construction industries. “In just a few years, companies of […]

Going in I don’t know that I could be called sold on the Jetsonian flying car thing concept. Not that I don’t want two, I just see a few “reality” hurdles to overcome. NASA Airworthiness, search for: NASA AFG-7900.3-001 Out of the gate, we have a more serious crowd here. Most of the attendees understand […]

Dubai, UAE- As part of an ongoing global expansion, Microdrones has acquired geomatics service provider Navmatica Middle East (ME). Since 2012, Navmatica ME has provided services and custom software development, with a focus on geodetic positioning, airborne mapping, mobile mapping, and indoor mapping. Microdrones President Vivien Heriard-Dubreuil explains, “With an office and team in Dubai, […]

DroneUp, LLC attended The Virginia Governor’s Transportation Conference (GTC) at The Hilton Main in Norfolk, Virginia for the states annual gathering of transportation professionals. Attendees gather each year to be updated on the latest developments in the industry from both the private and public sectors. CEO, Tom Walker, was one of five panellists alongside Cathy […]

DJI Investigating Cause Of Small Number Of Batteries Reporting Incorrect Power Levels DJI is investigating reports that a small number of TB50 and TB55 batteries have shown incorrect power levels that have led to loss of power mid-flight. Flight safety and product reliability are our top priorities, and we are advising customers to fly with caution when […]

Terra Drone Corporation (SHIBUYA-KU TOKYO CEO Toru Tokushige following as Terra Drone) established a new branch in South Africa specializing in drone solutions for underground and surface mining. Terra Drone is a leading global commercial drone technology company focused on providing cutting-edge, smart-mining solutions, which improve safety, reduce down-time, reduce costs, and increase the quality […]

Leading Israeli automated drone startup Airobotics today announced a $30M Series D round of funding bringing its total capital raised to $101M. Pavilion Capital is leading the round, joining a list of prominent investors, including BlueRun Ventures, Charles River Ventures and OurCrowd, as well as additional private investors. The new round of funding will be used to […]

Propeller, a cloud-based drone analytics company, today announced a partnership with DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, to create the Propeller PPK Solution leveraging the DJI Phantom 4 RTK drone. This solution provides customers in the civil, mining, aggregates, and waste management industries with a reliable and fully integrated drone mapping […]

Small Unmanned Aircraft DJI Battery TB50 and TB55 In-Flight Power Failures Introduction 1.1 This Safety Notice supersedes and revokes Safety Notice SN–2018/008. 1.2 This Safety Notice applies to operators of multi-rotor small unmanned aircraft utilising DJI battery model TB50 or TB55, including all DJI Matrice 200 series (which includes the 200, 210 and 210 RTK […]

Mwanza, Tanzania, Tuesday 30th October 2018. Wingtra today helped push forward commercial drone operation in East Africa completing a fully autonomous flight of 22km across Lake Victoria to Juma Island. On arrival it landed on the beach. Mwanza City is a port city of 3.5 million people that serves not only the fishing community on […]

SALINA – The Kansas Department of Transportation is starting the testing phase of the Integration Pilot Program this week. Flights by Iris Automation will focus on enabling new detect and avoid capabilities for drones. Iris Automation will be testing its collision avoidance technology in the airspace above Gypsum’s farmlands. The technology uses computer vision and […]

McMinnville, OR: Northwest UAV (NWUAV), the largest UAV propulsion system manufacturer in the U.S., has successfully completed the first phase towards Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) 14 CFR Part 21 Type Certification in support of the NW44 type certification program. Members of the FAA team, which comprised FAA Flight Standards (AC-AW), AIR UAS Programs and Procedures […]

DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, today opened the doors to its third annual AirWorks enterprise drone conference by showcasing new hardware, software and strategic partnerships, expanding the global DJI ecosystem to help more enterprises embrace the benefits of aerial productivity. In presentations at the AirWorks 2018 keynote address today, […]

What did the heck happen in Albuquerque at the annual Balloon Fiesta? Local news reported that the Balloon Fiesta was a “no drone zone,” plus the authoritarian “don’t even think about it” complete with fines and jail time. DJI had stated that their partners Aerial Armor had identified some 40 drones and not the 450 […]

The latest drafts of the EASA regulations for unmanned aircraft were published recently by the European Commission and contain a significant and positive development for model flyers. DG MOVE (the European Transport Commission) submitted a proposal to remove model flying conducted within Associations/Clubs from the EASA regulations and this seems to have gained acceptance. The […]

The Madison Square Garden Company (NYSE: MSG) announced today that Intel, the global leader in drone innovation, has joined the creative team for the 2018 production of the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes®, presented by Chase. One hundred Intel® Shooting StarTM mini drones will create a groundbreaking magical holiday drone light show over the Great Stage of […]

Combination of expertise, technology from two UAV pioneers strengthens industry’s most comprehensive offering across a wide range of industries. Delair acquires Airware’s software solution and ensures the continuity of service for existing customers and dealers. Agreement also includes the addition of team from construction and mining specialist Redbird, which Airware initially bought in 2016 TOULOUSE, […]

Mavic 2 Enterprise Brings Aerial Capabilities To Every Professional, With Zoom Imaging, Modular Accessories, Heightened Security Features And Airspace Protection October 29, 2018 – DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, today unveiled the Mavic 2 Enterprise, a portable drone with uniquely powerful features designed for businesses, governments, educators and other […]

The SESAR Joint Undertaking GOF U-Space project in Estonia and Finland demonstrates that Europe is on course with its implementation of U-space, an initiative that aims to ensure safe and secure drone traffic management. The project therefore not only accelerates the realisation of manned and unmanned mobility in the lower airspace, taking into account the […]

This Safety Notice applies to operators of the DJI Matrice 200 series multi-rotor small unmanned aircraft. 1.2 A small number of incidents have been recently reported where the aircraft has suffered a complete loss of power during flight, despite indications that there was sufficient battery time still remaining. In each case, this resulted in the […]

Kespry today announced the availability of enterprise-grade inventory management for mining and aggregates companies. This new offering maximizes profitability by enhancing the ability to monitor, reconcile, and manage inventory data across sites, product lines, and divisions. Additionally, Kespry users can now reconcile data from their drone surveys with data from ERP and other systems of […]

In a global first, the Vanuatu Government has awarded two international drone companies, Swoop Aero and Wingcopter, with commercial contracts to trial the use of drones to bring lifesaving vaccines to children living in remote rural islands. “Ensuring vital supplies at health facilities are consistently available is an ongoing challenge for Vanuatu due to geography, […]

ANAFI, the new generation of quadcopter by Parrot, is now available as an Extended version. The comprehensive ANAFI Extended pack is designed for “anytime, anywhere” portability, with a comfortable shoulder bag and three batteries that collectively provide 75 minutes of flight time. ANAFI Extended offers plenty of juice, even when you’re off the grid. The […]

IN-FLIGHT Data, one of Canada’s leading commercial drone operators, has, in collaboration with senseFly, the industry’s leading provider of fixed-wing drone solutions, completed North America’s first urban BVLOS UAS (drone) project in a major city. The project, carried out in the city of Calgary, Alberta, was commissioned to collect mapping data to support the development of […]

Homeland Surveillance & Electronics, LLC (HSE) a full-service UAV company, together with UASolutions Group, Inc. an aviation consulting firm, received notification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of approval on the AG-V6A+ unmanned aircraft system (UAS) for Commercial Operations over 55 lbs. The AG-V6A+ is a fully autonomous, unmanned & remotely piloted multirotor designed for […]

After a very successful release of the BAAM Tech Phantom 4 PPK system, BAAM Tech has release a PPK system for the Inspire 2 with X4S gimbal. The BAAM Tech PPK system is the lowest cost multi-frequency GPS at $2500. The system uses GPS L1/L2 and GLONASS G1/G2, BeiDou B1/B2, Galileo E1/E5b and SBAS constellations […]

Leonardo has completed series of successful test flights of its Falco EVO Remotely-Piloted Air System (RPAS) in Bulgaria. The flight campaign was to validate a package of upgrades that extends the endurance and operational range of the platform for overland and maritime missions. This includes a Beyond-Line-Of-Sight (BLOS) satellite data-link system and a new propulsion system based on a heavy-fuel engine. As […]

Where did they get the GIS data for this thing? I was all set to do a comparative analysis with the previous Federal Aviation Administration Unmanned Aircraft Systems National Airspace Integration Roadmap, but the missed September 2015 Congressional mandate for NAS integration, mandated in Section 332 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 […]

PrecisionHawk’s Low Altitude Traffic and Airspace Safety (LATAS) platform to replace AirMap PrecisionHawk, Inc. today announced a partnership with DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, to improve its geofencing technology. Leveraging PrecisionHawk’s Low Altitude Traffic and Airspace Safety (LATAS) platform, DJI will be able to refine airspace limitations for drone flights near […]

DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, is improving its geofencing technology to refine the airspace limitations for drone flights near airports, in order to provide smarter protection for aeroplanes in critical areas. “DJI is proud to once again lead the industry in developing proactive solutions for safety and security concerns,” […]

COPTRZ have announced a record 68% increase in course dates in January to June next year in the United Kingdom. The courses take place across the country in 12 different locations across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. COPTRZ have also now partnered with insurance providers Flock to include free insurance for all students for […]

French drone ace Killian Rousseau, 14, won the 2018 edition of the FAI Drone Racing World Cup. The teenage drone pilot claimed the top spot in this year’s competition after seeing off no fewer than 668 other competitors hailing from 41 different countries. Joining him on the podium are Poland’s Jan Wielgosz, also a Junior competitor, in […]

DroneEntry is an online social platform for drone pilots to manage their profiles and portfolios. In the fragmented drone industry, an ecosystem is budding around innovative drone projects. However, it faces the significant obstacle of credibility and trust. DroneEntry is working to bring together all industry stakeholders on an innovative new platform centred around the […]

Insitu, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company, has successfully completed the first interim Type Certification Board Meeting (TCBM) in support of the ScanEagle3 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification program. Recently, key FAA teams including Aircraft Certification (AIR), Aircraft Flight Status (AFS), Air Traffic Organization (ATO), and Aircraft Unmanned Systems (AUS) came together at […]

This piece was sent in by a sUAS News reader after they saw the Legal Interpretation I requested dated 9/21/18. I will say that the Interpretation and requests for other information I am after has resulted in emails asking me who I believe is colouring outside of the lines. I’m not sure who is colouring […]

Lockheed Martin has acquired an Aeromapper Talon from Canadian UAV manufacturer Aeromao Inc, especially suited with a dual camera setup with long-range video transmission capabilities. The Aeromapper Talon fixed wing autonomous aircraft suited the specific requirements for this project in which an affordable, reliable and customizable platform was sought. The purchase happened during the summer […]

On October 12, MyDefence co-hosted the event Electric Storm to demonstrate the capability of the latest MyDefence Counter UAS products for dismounted soldiers. The event featured a live demonstration of the detection and jamming capabilities of the WINGMAN 103 drone detector and the PITBULL Counter UAS jammer. Last month, DeDrone announced the capability to detect drone swarms, […]

PAE ISR, LLC, the original equipment manufacturer of the Group 3 unmanned aerial system (UAS), Resolute Eagle, selects the UTC Aerospace Systems TASE400 LD optical and laser designation payload system. “The TASE400 LD provides operators with day/night, visible/mid-wave infrared (MWIR) imaging capabilities for improved situational awareness and an optimized lens design for enhanced object recognition,” said Jake […]

Simlat has delivered its IMPACT system to Elizabeth City State University’s Aviation Science Program. IMPACT, a UAS simulation classroom, is widely used across academic UAS programs and training centers. The delivery includes three add-on civil UAS simulation applications; wind turbines inspection, power lines inspection and anti-poaching operations, providing ECSU with the ability to create various […]

UASidekick is pleased to announce that LAANC functionality is now live and fully operational. The ability for remote pilots to quickly and easily file controlled airspace authorizations that can be granted nearly instantaneously is a game changer for the UAS industry. Taking a process that previously took in excess of 90 days to complete and […]

It is with great sadness that I share the news of Dave Mathewson’s passing on Sunday, October 21. Dave was an ardent modeller, he loved the hobby, loved AMA, and served the AMA community for many years. Dave served on the Executive Council as the District ll vice president for several years before serving as […]

Following major contract wins and in line with its global expansion strategy UMS SKELDAR, the world-class provider of rotary Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) solutions and avionics software, has teamed up with international outsource manufacturing contractor Scanfil to ramp up its volume production capability. The announcement represents a significant boost to production of the NATO-compliant heavy-fuel […]

RoboMaster, the annual robotics competition created by DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and creative imaging technology, has lifted its curtain for the fifth year and is now calling on engineers to join the 2019 RoboMaster Competition. RoboMaster is an international robotics competition open to all universities and students passionate about engineering and robotics. […]

The Spanish UAV manufacturer, Alpha Unmanned Systems will present the Alpha 800, gasoline-powered helicopter UAV, at NATO’s Trident Juncture exercise in Trondheim, Norway. From October 25th to November 7th, a live field exercise will take place, spanning air, sea and land areas of Norway. 45,000 participants from 31 nations will be deployed for the event. […]

Providing power to more than 70,000 customers in Northwest Arkansas and Northeast Oklahoma, Ozarks Electric Cooperative understands the need for consistent, reliable service. To improve the efficiency and safety of its routine and crisis-response power line inspections, the nonprofit power company chose the Honeywell UAV Inspection Service. Commercial-grade unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) enable Ozarks Electric […]

Simulation Was Staged Faster Than Both Maximum Possible Speed And FAA Guidelines October 19, 2018 – DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, today demanded the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) withdraw a misleading video and blog post which claim to depict a collision between a DJI Phantom 2 drone […]

Today EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc launched the European network for drone demonstration projects. The network will become a forum to share knowledge on how to keep drone operations safe, secure and green. It will focus on the so-called U-space: a system that connects all drones flying in the air and that makes all drones […]

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau and the Australian Certified UAV Operators Inc (ACUO), the peak industry body for unmanned aviation, have joined forces in pursuit of their common goal to improve transport safety as the unmanned sector of aviation continues to grow. Through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), ACUO and the ATSB, […]