The recently signed FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 by President Trump establishes new conditions for recreational use of drones and immediately repeals the Special Rule for Model Aircraft. The agency is evaluating the impacts of this change in the law and how implementation will proceed. The FAA says the Reauthorization Act cannot be fully implemented […]
Unmanned Systems
Unmanned Systems
FAA Approves Nine New LAANC Service Providers
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently announced nine new partners to its Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) initiative, an innovative collaboration between the FAA and the drone industry that provides near real-time processing of airspace authorizations for Part 107 drone operators nationwide who fly in controlled airspace. Following the FAA’s successful prototype, the […]
Transport Canada grants Astro Aerospace SFOC for flight testing of their passenger drone, “Elroy”
Astro Aerospace Ltd. (OTCQB:ASDN), the company creating autonomous eVTOL (Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aerial vehicles and drones, has announced this week that they have been granted a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC), a permit for the operation of an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) system, for its passenger drone project, “Elroy”. Astro CEO Bruce Bent […]
3DR and Yuneec Announce Joint Venture Based on Dronecode Platform
3DR and Yuneec, two founding members of the Dronecode software consortium, announced a U.S.-headquartered joint venture to bring products based on the Dronecode platform to market. The joint venture, which will operate as 3DR Government Services, will have a particular focus on serving the security and open platform needs of U.S. government customers and their […]
AirMap UTM Services Now Available for QGroundControl
AirMap today released the integration of the AirMap Platform SDK into QGroundControl, the de-facto standard open source ground control station for drones, in contribution to the Dronecode project by the Linux Foundation. With the AirMap Platform SDK pre-integrated into QGroundControl, developers can readily access and consume mission-critical UAS Traffic Management (UTM) services, including advisories, pilot […]
REIN’s DroneInsurance.com and AirMap Collaborate to Enable Easily Purchased Drone Insurance
AirMap and DroneInsurance.com, a digital drone insurance portal, are announcing a collaboration that will allow U.S.-based drone operators to purchase insurance from DroneInsurance.com within the AirMap for Drones mobile app. The app is available today and can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play. The integrated ability to purchase insurance is made possible […]
NCDOT Launches “First Flight” in Drone Pilot Program in Partnership with Matternet and WakeMed
The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation has teamed up with WakeMed Health & Hospitals and Matternet to conduct the first round of test flights for drones to carry simulated medical packages from Raleigh Medical Park, located across from WakeMed Raleigh Campus on Sunnybrook Road, to a main tower at the hospital. The […]
FAA Says Drone Pilot Program Off to an Exciting Start
The FAA’s UAS Integration Pilot Program has been busy accelerating drone technology in four states this month. “Data gathered from these pilot projects will form the basis of a new regulatory framework to safely integrate drones into our national airspace,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao at the May 9 announcement of the 10 selectees. […]
FAA Establishes Additional Restrictions on Drone Operations over DOD Facilities near St. Louis
At the request of its Federal security partners, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is using its existing authority under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations § 99.7 – “Special Security Instructions” – to address concerns about drone operations over national security-sensitive facilities by establishing temporary flight restrictions specific to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). […]
Kansas leads the nation with UAS flight
The first beyond the line of sight Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) flight in Kansas was flown last week north of the town of Gypsum in a joint effort by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and more than 30 university and corporate partners. This was also the second flight in the nation to take place under the U.S. DOT’s […]
