sUAS News

“We panned the camera out over the Chesapeake, and there they were, four-and-a-half kilometers away” recalls Aerovel’s Tad McGeer. “It was our first day of demonstrating Flexrotor for the US Coast Guard.” Flexrotor, Aerovel’s exceptional unmanned aircraft, has caught the Coast Guard’s attention with its unique combination of small size, light footprint, VTOL, long endurance,…

Police are appealing for information to trace the owner of a radio-controlled drone which could be linked to an incident that resulted in the death of a police horse. Police horse Fimber died following an incident at West Yorkshire Police’s Carr Gate complex on the outskirts of Wakefield on Thursday, October 15. The 14-year-old horse,…

Civilian drones have been around for years offering people the opportunity to do what they cannot normally do from the ground. Aerial photography, rescue missions, agricultural monitoring, air pollution watch, and even the all new drone racing. Two types of drones are mainly used today. They are helicopter-like machines and airplane-like machines. Both have advantages…

Blue Bear Systems Research (BBSR), the globally recognised specialists in the design, development, evaluation and implantation of unmanned systems, welcomes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK between 12-14 November 2015. The Bedford-based SME is keen to grow its business in the Indian market and has teamed with SASMOS of Bangalore and the…

Gaurav Sharma The future of the parcel and logistics business will rely heavily on investment in innovation, according to Royal Mail chief executive Moya Greene. Speaking at Confederation of British Industry’s annual conference in London, Greene said, “Our parcels business is the biggest in the British market. But we have had to learn and adapt.”…

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems solutions, announced today that construction has commenced on its new, five-and-a-half acre RPA training facility at Grand Sky Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) business and aviation park in Grand Forks, North Dakota. “Today’s…

Lorna Siggins If Santa Claus opts for drones over reindeer for deliveries this Christmas, he will only be permitted to use Irish airspace if he is on the State’s remotely piloted aircraft register. The new drone register, which will be one of the first of its kind in Europe, will be up and running by…

In January 2016 sUAS News will be releasing a round up of what has been happening in 2015. The guide will contain over 300 pages of information and all the 333 operators at time of release. It will available free online and sent to our email followers. I am looking for interesting white papers to…

A drone being used to smuggle contraband into the grounds of a prison has been recovered by guards, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has said. It is thought to have been flown in from outside HMP Manchester, formerly known as Strangeways, on Friday before being “successfully intercepted”. Police believe it was carrying mobile phones, SIM…

Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq:SSYS), the 3D printing and additive manufacturing solutions company, today announced that it has teamed with Aurora Flight Sciences to deliver, what is believed to be, the largest, fastest, and most complex 3D printed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) ever produced. Unveiled for the first time at this week’s Dubai Airshow (Stand 206), the…

On December 12, 2015, Google will stop supporting Google Earth. Since DJI’s PC Ground Station software is based on the Google Earth API, we will also discontinue support for PC Ground Station. As a result, DJI’s Ace One WP flight controller and 900M Datalink, both of which rely on our PC Ground Station software, will…

Project Wing, which resides in Google[x], is creating an on-demand delivery system in the sky. Our aviation technology is on the leading edge, and pushes the boundaries of numerous technical challenges in sensing, autonomy, aircraft design, and contingency management. We’ve built a prototype to show how such a system can work and are now developing…

After a decade of working with the FAA and other stakeholders on safe integrating UAS into NAS, we are disappointed with the lack of tangible progress. This latest effort only serves to erode further the community’s confidence in an administrative process that has been ongoing now for 23 plus years (See attached graphic). 4910- 9X…

A new drone under development at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln could change the way wildfires are fought—and encourage the use of prescribed burns for conservation purposes. The Unmanned Aerial System for Fire Fighting is under development by a multidisciplinary team of UNL experts in drone technology, fire ecology, conservation and public policy. The Great Plains,…

Hoang Tran A second-year student at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law has launched a legal fight with the Federal Aviation Administration over the agency’s lack of speed in responding to his request for information on the agency’s regulations of drone aircraft. Albert J. Plawinski filed a complaint against the FAA in federal court in late…

It was reported that on Thursday morning a drone and a 1960’s Cessna 172 collided in the air over Costa Rica. It is alleged that the Cessna hit the drone with its right wing strut. This is NOT the wing but the strut supporting the wing. The result was chipped paint on the strut. Superficially, it looks like most of…

History was made when Ausley Associates, Inc. recently led the first simultaneous unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and tethered hexacopter flight in a Federal Aviation Administration’s Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems research flight test. As another first, the demonstration included the first transfer of a tethered hexacopter from a ground site to a…

VITEC, a worldwide leader in advanced video encoding and streaming solutions, today unveiled MGW Pico TOUGH, its latest innovation in airborne encoding and streaming appliances. As the world’s smallest dual-channel H.264 HD/SD encoding solution, weighing less than 400 grams, MGW Pico TOUGH sets a new standard of performance for manned and unmanned airborne platforms, military…

CINCINNATI/CLEVELAND – A partnership in research and technology is taking place between two of the nation’s leaders in the unmanned aircraft systems industry. The University of Cincinnati recently signed a research partnership agreement with Dronewerx, LLC., a Cleveland, Ohio company that focuses on design and manufacture of high-quality unmanned aircraft frames and systems for the…

DJI acquires minority stake in Hasselblad Group, creating synergies between the world’s leading imaging technology companies Hasselblad Group, the leader in high-quality professional cameras, and DJI, the world’s most-innovative aerial technology company, today announced a corporate partnership through DJI’s acquisition of a strategic minority stake in Hasselblad. The partnership will allow opportunities and new ways…

It looks like we have a name now for the larger version of Facebook’s Aquila UAS, the Aquila 1A. Below is an extract from the FAA N-register and on the 26th of October 2015 Facebook’s Aquila 1A became an N-registered aircraft. The airframe is listed as being in the weight class of between 55 lbs…

3D Robotics Inc, headquartered in Berkeley, California has been quite popular with US drone operators looking to operate commercially in the United States. According to the FAA N-number database, N-registered airframes listed as being manufactured by 3D Robotics currently stands at 118 aircraft. That places 3D Robotics at number three behind, DJI with just over…

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (Bureau), Office of Security Technology has created a Request for Information (RFI) to seek information related to a solution regarding protection from unmanned air vehicles. The goal of this RFI is to obtain detailed to collect information to identify and assess the landscape of technologies and systems that can assist…

The 4th Annual K-TECH Conference & Expo is showcasing technology’s top minds to explore and demo the big ideas driving one of Asia’s most dynamic economies among 1,000+ business influencers, entrepreneurs and investors on November 12-13 at the Santa Clara Marriott. Dubbed yet again the most innovative country in Bloomberg’s Global Innovation Index, number one…

Probably not, but for billions of people across the globe that live without access to paved roads and bridges it would. Say NO to poverty and help us bring delivery drones to those who need them most, the poor and isolated. The FAA estimates that in 2015 more than 1 million drones will be given…

By J. Harry Jones POWAY — A new law approved this week in Poway bans the use of drones in the city during emergencies, when the unmanned aerial vehicles could interfere with helicopters and aircraft responding to a wildfire or other disaster. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to enact the ordinance, which prohibits launching,…

In September 2015, Pix4D participated in a weeklong UAV training mission in Nepal, teaching engineering students at Kathmandu University how to use drones and image-processing software to create professional maps and models for a wide range of humanitarian and development purposes. Although drones and photogrammetric software for mapping applications are already being used in the…

by Leading unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturer EHang announced Wednesday the newest version of its popular Ghost 2.0 drone, which comes with virtual reality goggles. The drone will be available through the company’s website, Amazon, Fry’s and Hobbico electronics stores. Ghost 2.0 also packs several new features. A proprietary tilt-control system will allow users to steer…

by China based Da-Jiang Innovations Science and Technology Co., Ltd. (DJI) are the first company to break the magical 1000 registrations. There are now 1033 DJI platforms flying commercially in North America. All of them multirotors. It only seems a short while ago that the FAA were predicting 8000 licensed UAS total in the NAS how…

by The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has concluded its investigation into the sighting of an RPAS (drone) that was reported ‘too close’ to an Airbus A320 on Friday 25 September over Christchurch. It has not been able to identify the drone or find its owner. The Acting Director of Civil Aviation (CAA), John Kay says…

by Ready set go…. By next week all of DJI’s new video will be fact in the press all invented by DJI. A quad is two sticks and four motors, the brain behind it is the important part. DJI have always followed, granted they do produce excellent RTF products. The Inspire for most commercial purposes…

by ANNA BRADLEY-SMITH A drone that was shot by a shotgun while filming a family firework event at Nelson Speedway is written off after the “incredibly dangerous” act. The drone was hit by around seven pellets at the annual event on Saturday night, and three were found lodged in the drone after it was safely…

by Good morning, everyone. Thank you for taking the time to be here. Unmanned aircraft use has increased dramatically in recent years. With this surge in popularity has come growing concerns about their safe operation in our nation’s airspace. In recent months, we’ve seen an increase in reports of UAS coming too close to…

by As a part of its customer operations support initiative, UAV Factory announces the launch of its Accidental Damage Insurance Program (ADI) for the Epsilon advanced payloads. ADI enables unmanned aircraft operation related businesses to get the most out of their UAVs by expanding their services and operate a high quality advanced payload, without the…

by Drones are to be used by Dorset, and Devon and Cornwall police to aid in matters including missing people searches and crime scene photography. The six-month trial has begun in Devon and Cornwall, and is due to start in Dorset on 26 November. The drones are equipped with high definition cameras which can capture…

by A researcher from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) has developed an obstacle-detection system that allows a drone to autonomously dip, dart and dive through a tree-filled field at upwards of 30 miles per hour. “Everyone is building drones these days, but nobody knows how to get them to stop running into…

by UAV Mapper is the most affordable ready to fly aerial mapping camera platform. The airframe was designed for the Pixhawk autopilot and carrying Canon PowerShot cameras. It’s made of safe, durable EPP foam and is reinforced with carbon fiber tubes. It’s all up flying weight is less than 3.5 pounds (1.59 kg). well below…

by By Laura Keeney The Denver Post Colorado has the OK to open a flight test site for unmanned aerial systems — or UAS, more commonly called drones — in the San Luis Valley. A consortium led by non-profit industry advocate UAS Colorado, the University of Colorado and representatives from six counties got the FAA…

by BY DAVID MORGAN Internet giant Alphabet Inc (GOOGL.O), the new holding company for Google, expects to begin delivering packages to consumers via drones sometime in 2017, the executive in charge of its drone effort said on Monday. David Vos, the leader for Alphabet’s Project Wing, said his company is in talks with the Federal…

by Shenzhen, 2 November 2015 – DJI, the world leader in creative aerial technology, today announced the launch of the DJI Manifold, a high-performance embedded computer designed specifically to fly. Utilizing DJI’s Onboard SDK (Software Development Kit), the Manifold is a user-friendly system enabling developers to create more powerful professional applications for use with aerial…

by Lifting a Scaneagle with an octocopter is impressive, dropping it cool, catching it crikey! The forces on the trailing line must have been immense. Very impressive. FLARES – Flying Launch and Recovery System from Insitu on Vimeo. Very clever stuff from, I can’t help thinking they are just trying to catch up…

by Date: 20 Apr 2015 Time: 1010Z Position: 5324N 00211W Location: 4nm NE Manchester Airport THE B757 PILOT reports climbing straight ahead on the Standard Instrument Departure from Manchester, passing 2300ft during flap clean-up, when a drone passed down the left side of the aircraft at approximately 200m at the same level. The incident was…

by Date: 11 Apr 2015 Time: 1525Z Position: 5118N 00007W Location: West abeam Kenley (Saturday) THE EC130 PILOT reports tracking to the Isle of Dogs for a London sightseeing tour. West abeam Kenley gliding site at 1600ft QNH, he saw what he believed to be a helium party balloon about 20° off the port side…

by What the heck is ADS-B and why should I care? I asked myself that question a year-and-a-half ago, because I kept seeing the term ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast) come up in discussions and articles on unmanned aircraft traffic management (UTM). You may have seen it yourself in the UTM solutions proposed by…

by Cyberhawk Innovations, the world leader in aerial inspection using Remotely Operated Aerial Vehicles (ROAV), has completed its first ever ROAV inspection of a cargo oil tank on an operational FPSO. After significant research and development, this successful project launches this new service to the global oil and gas and shipping industry. The world-first took…

by Congratulations to Cape Town-based FlyH2 Aerospace who have won first prize at the first Avi Awards for their prototype unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The prototype aircraft, developed by Mark van Wyk – a private pilot and entrepreneur from CapeTown – walked away with the first prize at the first AVI Awards (Afrique Aviation Innovation)…

by (One of the most level headed articles I have read ed) by Terry Dunn As the popularity of personal drones continues down a path of exponential growth, so too does the amount of controversy attached to their use. Most arguments boil down to a “pro-drone vs. anti-drone” debate, but even within the pro-drone community…

by Become part of the drone revolution that is changing film production with a four-day workshop taught by the Society Of Aerial Cinematography and the Roswell Flight Test Crew. The first in a series of ongoing classes, it is being taught by a team of professionals with more than 75 years of combined experience in…

by By Jessica Hinchliffe A Brisbane academic believes within twelve months drones could deliver parcels in rural and remote locations of Queensland. Australia Post has recently announced it will begin trialling drones to deliver parcels across the country within 12 months. Parcels, weighing up to 2 kilograms, could be flown up to 25 kilometres to…

by NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center engineers located in Edwards, California, are working on an increasingly complex aircraft called the Preliminary Research Aerodynamic Design to Lower Drag, or Prandtl-D. Resembling a boomerang, the aircraft features a new method for determining the shape of the wing with a twist that could lead to an 11-percent reduction…