sUAS News

Petronas President and Group CEO, Datuk Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin, officially launched Sky-Futures Malaysia, the first Sky-Futures Franchise. The launch happened at the Oil & Gas Asia Exhibition at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on July 12th 2017. The first franchisee is Essem Group of companies, who are regional operational integrity specialists in the South […]

Drone Manufacturers Alliance Europe (DMAE), the organization representing the manufacturers of the majority of civilian drones, calls on the United Kingdom Department for Transport (DfT) to release the full testing methodology and results of its Mid-Air Collision Study, in order to better understand how to mitigate the risks drones may pose to traditional aircraft. DfT released […]

On July 25, 2017, the Italian Civil Aviation Authority ENAC granted Ileron non-geographic authorization to undertake critical specialized operations, under VLOS conditions, using RPA with MTOM less than 25 kg. Non-geographic authorizations or permits to fly are concessions not related to a specific area of operations but to its feature in terms, for example, of […]

Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE (AGCS), the corporate insurance carrier of Allianz SE, is working with InsurTech startup Flock (www.flockcover.com) to develop digital insurance solutions for the growing drones or ‘Unmanned Aircraft Systems’ (UAS) market. The partnership’s first product, to be launched later this year in the UK market, is a mobile app (for […]

Aireon announced today that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Air Traffic Control the Netherlands (LVNL), the Dutch Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP). LVNL operates the Amsterdam Flight Information Region (FIR), which extends above Dutch territory and a large part of the North Sea. LVNL will collaborate with Aireon to assess how space-based […]

With the “DFS-DrohnenApp”, German aviation authority DFS is launching a new app for hobby drones pilots that shows users where they can fly their drone at any time and any location in Germany. It also provides comprehensive information on the applicable rules, regulations and restrictions. The free app is available for both iOS and Android […]

Huntsville, AL – GeoCue Group Inc. (GeoCue) is excited to announce a new GNSS positioning system that will allow users of DJI Phantom 4 Pros and Inspire 2 drones (as well as most drones using higher end cameras) to achieve survey-level accuracy with a minimum of ground control. Loki, our new direct geopositioning system for […]

While we may all be fascinated by the latest actuator or gimbal, the Connected Drone Application Movement (CDAM), which pertains to applications that can remotely and/or autonomously interact with and/or power single or multiple UAVs. An example of a CDAM application could be a drone fleet management application. Such an application could interact with the […]

FlyLogix, who specialise in long range operations to offshore installations with drones, is pleased to announce that is has conducted the farthest, beyond line of sight, civilian drone flight in UK. The flight, conducted on 17th July, saw Flylogix’s Condor Drone complete an inspection of the DP3 unmanned platform on behalf of oil and gas […]

FlytBase, are on a mission to empower drone developers and help them accelerate development of drone applications. Over last few months, we have introduced a suite of products, including, FlytOS, FlytSIM, web/mobile SDKs, FlytBase Cloud, FlytConsole. We have been working hard to improve the user experience to further simplify the drone application development process. Releasing the Internet of Drones platform is […]

Aerotenna is proud to announce its OcPoC™ with Xilinx Zynq® Mini flight controller now fully supports the PX4 autopilot. Being one of the smartest, most powerful and versatile flight controllers on the market, OcPoC has driven many revolutionary drone applications, agriculture dust spray, long haul transportation, and more. The support for both AMP and PX4 […]

The last few years have been amazing for the forward progression of military, commercial and recreational drone use. Improvements in battery technology have led to longer flight times, VR goggle technology has led to better precision flying with more detailed survey abilities and Vision Positioning has allowed for more controlled hovering flight. Along with these […]

Icaros Inc., a leading provider of aerial imaging software, is pleased to announce that version 5.1 of OneButton™ Standard and Professional image processing software for unmanned aerial systems (drones) contains advanced algorithms to process Thermal IR images from Radiometric microbolometer sensors. Icaros’ OneButton family for drone image processing, lets end users easily and automatically generate […]

To celebrate their 10 year anniversary Fruity Chutes has decided to pin down where their 3000 customers have come from. This October marks Fruity Chutes 10th year as the leading UAS parachute recovery manufacturer. When CEO, Gene Engelgau and his wife, Paula, crafted the first parachutes in 2007 their intention was to provide high quality recovery […]

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for both military and commercial applications, today participated in a signing ceremony here for the formal execution of contracts (first announced June 1, 2017) to deliver Wasp® AE unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) over a three-year period commencing July 1, 2018. […]

In many regions of Norway, access to power lines is difficult, so helicopters are often deployed to inspect the grid. But power utilities are increasingly becoming aware of the potential of drone-based inspections as a cost-effective and powerful method of obtaining data about the condition of the grid – especially when the software to store, […]

UK Air Comms was formed by drone and rigging specialists, who deliver drone survey projects for various blue-chip organisations. With projects delivered for EE, MBNL and Arqiva, health and safety and risk management are a high priority when carrying out close proximity inspections and low altitude site surveys. With over 700 surveys carried out in […]

Cleveron has made commercial drone delivery a new reality by offering the customers an opportunity to order cold drinks delivered by drones at a public beach in Viljandi. Never before has drone delivery been that fast as Cleveron promises to fulfil orders in less than five minutes. This drone delivery service demonstrates the future of […]

Founded in 1901 the British Standards Institute has been putting down its mark for some time now. They are turning their focus to Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). You have until August the 10th to add your thoughts. They don’t ask for much but in light of recent UK Government talks of mandatory registration, I think […]

The Department for Transport (DfT) has now published the outcome of their consultation on the safe use of drones in the UK. The document can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/631638/unlocking-the-uks-high-tech-economy-consultation-on-the-safe-use-of-drones-in-the-uk-government-response.pdf The document has evidently caused some concern within the model flying community and has set some ‘hares running’. As such, I thought that it would be useful […]

In a sign of the maturation and professionalism of the sUAS industry Australian UAV (AUAV) has been shortlisted into the finals of the Victorian Telstra Business Awards, the most prestigious business awards in Australia. Established in Melbourne in early 2013 with two of the first Sensefly eBees to arrive in Australia, the service business has had […]

In a region most known for endless kilometers of olive trees, UAV technology took a big step forward this June. Working together in the advanced ATLAS Flight Test Center, three industry leaders, Alpha Unmanned Systems, Sky Sapience and Sightec stabilized without gimbal and only with software a real-time video with extraordinary precision. Vibrations make video imagery hard […]

Little Arms Studios, a leading developer of professional-grade simulation solutions, announced three new product bundles which package its acclaimed Zephyr Drone Simulator with multiple controller options to meet the various preferences of both its individual and institutional customers. The release also updates the simulator’s compatible controller options across both Mac and Windows platforms to ensure all pilots […]

Nowadays drones are widely used in a number of industrial applications. These flying robots provide unmatched advantages and a whole new range of capabilities for commercial clients allowing them to cut down operational costs. By eliminating the need of using expensive equipment or the need to temporarily shut down the infrastructure facilities for the purpose of […]

Leading commercial drone manufacturer MMC has introduced their One-Stop Rental Solution for industrial drones in India and Asia. The company plans to expand the program across the globe, opening centers in the United States, Australia, Canada, Europe, South America, and South Africa. MMC is the industry leader in providing innovative commercial and industrial drone solutions […]

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: ZTO) (“ZTO” or the “Company”), a leading express delivery company in China, today announced that it successfully completed its first trial delivery using a drone in an industrial park in Zhejiang Province. The drone, developed by a domestic drone producer and custom designed for ZTO, flew 14.0 kilometers (8.7 miles) from ZTO’s sorting facility […]

A dramatic move forward for drone electronic conspicuity. Well done TBS, this is an affordable game changer. This is a much cheaper option than ADS-B. Where it sits within UTM’s I’m not sure. “TBS FLARM Buddy” adds the capability to see all your formation-flying UAV friends on the radar. It’s an invaluable tool for anyone […]

Lord Callanan the UK Aviation Minister from the Department for Transport today launched the new proposals for drone legislation in the UK. Launching the proposals from the Sky-Futures Training Academy in Morton-In-Marsh, Gloucester with support from Sky-Futures and Mid and West Wales FRS (MAWWFRS), the key message from Lord Callanan was that “Our measures prioritise […]

So here it is, the study that is going to cause so much trouble in the UK. The Department for Transport, the Military Aviation Authority and British Airline Pilots’ Association commissioned a study into the effects of a mid-air collision between small remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS, commonly known as a drones) and manned aircraft. […]

ARPAS-UK welcomes the Department for Transport’s publication released on 22nd July 2017, and is pleased to have participated in the consultation process directly, with its own response and consolidated members’ views, as well as through its membership of the UK Drone Industry Action Group. ARPAS-UK believes that the report address the major issues facing the […]

We hope the registration system is managed appropriately to ensure there is enforcement of the regulations for those who continue to fly recklessly, negligently and contrary to the very simple guidance that the CAA promote. We hope both the model flyer community and over 4000 responsible commercial drone operators don’t become needlessly burdened by more […]

Registration will be mandated for owners of drones 250 grams or larger after research funded by the Department for Transport, the British Airline Pilots Association and Military regulator the Military Aviation Authority (MAA) found drones weighing 400g could damage the windscreen of a helicopter. They also concluded that it would take drones larger than 2kg in […]

uAvionix Corporation revealed SkyBeacon, the world’s first near zero-install ADS-B Out solution meeting the US 2020 ADS-B Mandate. SkyBeacon’s innovative design combines the latest LED navigation light technology with an ultra-compact Universal Access Transceiver ADS-B Out solution. With this solution, installation of ADS-B is as simple as changing a lightbulb. SkyBeacon will be available Q1 […]

Drone safety, more particularly the safety of other airspace users was top of mind in Parliament this week. Conservative Jeffrey Lefroy put it to the House on the 18th of July 2017 and mandatory registration was discussed. From the outside, it looks like BALPA (The British Airline and Pilots Association) is behind this action. Hansard […]

LiDAR for Drone 2017 – YellowScan International User Conference was held on the 29th and 30th of June, in the Château de Flaugergues, Montpellier. For this special event, YellowScan had put together a diverse and exciting agenda, proving the broad usage of YellowScan LiDAR equipment in applications such as archeology, forestry, powerlines, surveying, mining and civil engineering. The […]

The demand for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)—aka drones—is growing rapidly, with strong growth in markets such as surveillance and precision agriculture, among dozens of others. A report by Statistics MRC pegs the global drone market as growing to $22.15 billion by 2022. A report from Goldman Sachs Research forecasts an even larger market opportunity for […]

The humanitarian application of ‘drones-for-good’ is a compelling use case and Martek Marine (UK) has been selected by UNICEF & the Vanuatu Government to demonstrate their capability for vaccine delivery. Martek will self-fund the trial which will take place on Efate Island from 21-25 August 2017. Vanuatu is an archipelago of 83 islands separated over […]

The Backroom Drone Deals Are No Bueno Everyone associated with the airspace integration effort is in strong agreement that what this industry needs is more education! It is with that in mind that I write this piece. We are building a legacy as a commercial community, and one day our future operators will ask, how […]

Created to help drone pilots fly responsibly, one of the most significant changes to the app is to the Fly Now feature. Drone pilots can now plan their flights ahead of time, for any location in the UK, whereas previously this could only be done in the location being flown in at the time of […]

by Grant Jordan – CEO at SkySafe Today marks two significant milestones for SkySafe – we have secured funding to help propel our mission and we will be delivering tools to U.S. special operations forces to stop weaponized drones. We’re excited to share that we have closed $11.5 million in Series A funding led by […]

As UAS data security becomes a hotter topic in a number of countries, the team behind CQNet the proprietary software system for the unmanned technology solutions leader, Consortiq has spoken out showing that security is not just possible – it’s achievable and security breaches are preventable.One country which is currently considering UAS security is the […]

Martek UAS is pioneering the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the maritime environment and taking global aviation expectations to a new level. Owing to rapid and significant demand for our services, we want to speak to top class Aviators (Pilots and Payload Operators) with the following skill sets: – Demonstrable Maritime aviation experience – Evidenced […]

New Jersey Part 107 operators, book your holidays. The FAA has started promulgating an 18-day TFR for Bedminster, Township New Jersey. More details are on the way. A great deal of airspace closed for a golf course. I hope somebody is keeping a count of the total economic impact of these Presidential TFRs. It’s not […]

In a single move, Gaist has radically altered our collective understanding of the countries highways with a single national survey designed to give any stakeholder in our highways access to imagery and condition data at an unprecedented level of detail. Since November 2016, we have been surveying every A, B and C road in England […]

The Warm Springs FAA UAS Test Range, a member of the Pan Pacific UAS Test Range Complex (PPUTRC), is expanding its operations to Prineville and Madras Airports to support Oregon’s rapid UAS industry growth. “The expansion project will allow Warm Springs to support Unmanned Aircraft Systems clients who require an airport for launch and recovery as well as having certified […]

Fifty airports are preparing to provide LAANC authorization this fall. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Miami International, Phoenix Sky Harbor International, San Jose International, and Reno-Tahoe International, among others, are expected to offer automated authorization in controlled airspace before the end of the year, with the rest of the nation’s airports to follow in 2018. Today, flights […]

Delta Drone and Propeller Aerobotics have signed an international distribution agreement aiming to develop the connected target market designed and manufactured by the Australian company. As part of this agreement, Delta Drone will be able to commercialise and implement Propeller’s targets in the various countries in which the Group operates, including Europe, Africa and the […]

Inzpire Limited has been awarded a contract to provide subject matter expertise to support the development of training for the RAF’s future ISR asset, the Protector Remotely Piloted Air System. The contract will see Inzpire personnel involved in the development of the Training Needs Analysis and Synthetic requirements to support the full range of personnel […]

FAA-Designated Nevada UAS Test Site and the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) have entered into a partnership with New York based training and education provider, SkyOp LLC, to offer drone training programs and courseware to the West Coast. Las Vegas will serve as the West Coast affiliate training center to proactively prepare and train the next […]

Airbus Defence and Space has successfully tested a new type of aircraft that will aid the development of future unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for series production. The unmanned jet-propelled demonstrator with the project name SAGITTA flew completely autonomously for around seven minutes over the test site in Overberg, South Africa, on a pre-programmed course. The […]