sUAS News

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, […]

Mark Johnson of the Plexidrone Coalition, a group stood up to find answers about the long-delayed, crowd-funded multirotor has informed sUAS News of a new initiative to find answers and refunds. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in America has stood up an investigation. Last we heard from Plexidrone, back in March of this year was that […]

When you’re in the business of drones for professional applications, such as surveying, mapping, photogrammetry, LiDAR and inspection, fall is an important time of year. The Microdrones team has been very busy, on tour showing off three new systems launched in October: mdLiDAR3000, mdMapper1000PPK and mdMapper1000+. Earlier this month, it was The Commercial UAV Expo […]

We’ve sold thousands of micro-duration insurance policies to drone pilots across the UK. In this article we look back at the data we’ve collected and share some of our key learnings. The data-driven approach to insurance At Flock, we’re reinventing insurance from the ground up. Instead of annual products, we provide short-term drone insurance policies […]

Skydio, the maker of the self-flying Skydio R1, is continuing to push the boundaries of what autonomy can do, providing consumers with the easiest and most fun drone experience available today. Now Skydio is building on that autonomy capability to deliver an entirely new way of controlling this self-flying camera with the introduction of the […]

FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) today announced the DroneSense–FLIR Edition, a drone flight management software platform designed for public safety applications. FLIR announced a strategic investment in DroneSense, an Austin, Texas-based unmanned aircraft system (UAS) software platform maker, in April 2018 and this is the first product under that collaboration. DroneSense-FLIR Edition is the only […]

You couldn’t make it on the DaaS® business model, and you’ve made the determination it is time to pivot into one of the big-bucks verticals—aka the LAANC gravy train! Many are asking, “What is involved and how do I get started?” That is the eighty-two billion dollar question everyone is asking. We here at the […]

The NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) remains committed to enabling new, transformational commercial aviation markets and services with the potential to provide significant societal benefits. In recent years, NASA has strategically invested in technical challenges focused on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), UAS Traffic Management (UTM), system-wide safety, vertical lift, noise, electrified propulsion, airspace operations, […]

MicroLink Devices extends its congratulations to the Zephyr team of Airbus Defence and Space for the successful launch and landing of the maiden flight of the next-generation Zephyr UAV that flew more than 25 days continuously without refueling, setting a new long-endurance flight record. The Zephyr platform is a new class of unmanned air vehicle that operates […]

Now Offering LAANC as an FAA-Approved UAS Service Supplier For months and months, our customers have been hounding us about LAANC, including customers that recently became investors. While listening to ideas and feature requests, we were heads down building and coding (aside from the occasional trip to DC to meet with the FAA :). Today we’re excited to […]

In a newly published study, researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University detail results of a small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) detection study, performed near Daytona Beach International Airport in Florida. Looking at flights of drones during the 13-day sampling period from just one manufacturer, DJI, the College of Aviation faculty research team detected 73 individual unmanned […]

Deepwater Wind, ULC Robotics and Keystone Engineering Collaborate on Usage of Remote Piloted Aerial Systems Rhode Island-based Deepwater Wind, who began commercial operation of the first U.S. offshore wind farm in 2016, recently authorized deployments of drone technology to capture high-resolution data of all five of its offshore wind platforms just off Block Island. Imagery […]

Avitas Systems, a GE venture, announced that it received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to fly an unmanned aerial system (UAS) beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) in Loving County, Texas. The permission authorizes Avitas Systems to fly a UAS over 55 pounds at low altitudes without a visual observer for industrial inspection; it is […]

FoxFury Lighting Solutions announces a new rechargeable Quick Swap® Power Pack with Strobe for the Rugo™ Drone & Camera Light. This new Power Pack is most useful for drone (UAV or sUAS) night operations as it fulfills the FAA FAR 107.29 requirements for dusk, dawn, and night flights. The Rugo™ is a rugged go-anywhere lighting tool that is primarily used for drones but […]

Air New Zealand and Zephyr Airworks today announced they have signed an agreement to work collaboratively on bringing the world’s first autonomous electric air taxi service to market in New Zealand. The agreement between the national carrier and the operator of Cora, the world’s first autonomous electric air taxi, signals the intention to form a long-term relationship […]

On 15th October, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) opened a public consultation on its proposal of airworthiness standards which will enable the certification of small vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. This is to develop the first component of the regulatory framework to enable the safe operation of air taxi and electric VTOL (eVTOL) aircraft in […]

Drone Rescue Systems GmbH from Austria will present the parachute system DRS-10 for the first time at the Intergeo 2018. Based on this product, especially for the DJI Matrice 600 (M600) the parachute system DRS-M600 was developed, that has been coordinated purely to this flight system. The parachute system DRS-10 is designed for multicopters with […]

Program’s Third Round Receives Strongest Interest in Program’s History GENIUS NY 3.0 Attracts Unmanned Systems Startups from Around the World Investment in GENIUS NY is supported by “CNY Rising” – The Region’s Comprehensive Strategy to Revitalize Communities and Grow the Economy SYRACUSE, NY – GENIUS NY, a business accelerator program at CenterState CEO’s Tech Garden […]

DJI, the world’s leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, today announced the global rollout of the Phantom 4 RTK, a high-precision aerial survey drone that combines centimeter-level navigation and positioning with a high-performance imaging system to improve survey efficiency and accuracy, reducing operational difficulty and cost. “The Phantom 4 RTK was engineered to […]

DroneShield has today officially released DroneShield CompleteTM v2.0, the single largest software update for the DroneSentry & DroneSentinel product suites. DroneShield CompleteTM offers users a ‘best in class’ drone detection and mitigation interface with enhancements to tracking, navigation, functionality and usability. DroneShield CompleteTM includes a graphic user interface (GUI) that compiles and analyses vast amounts of environmental data to display to user seamlessly […]

Orbital Corporation Ltd (‘Orbital UAV’, ‘the Company’) is pleased to announce the expansion of its Long Term Agreement (‘LTA’, the ‘Agreement’) with Insitu Inc. (Insitu), a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company. The Agreement builds on Orbital UAV’s existing partnership with Insitu and increases the scope, scale and term of work outlined in the […]