âSustainable Skylines has announced that it has become the first drone banner towing operation in the U.S. to receive Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for commercial operations. The Section 44807 exemption approval, combined with a banner towing authorization currently under review, will allow Sustainable Skylines to launch full-size banner advertisements towed by a drone along […]
Unmanned Systems
Unmanned Systems
NCDOT Awarded Waiver for Remote Drone Operations at Construction Sites
North Carolina transportation engineers will soon be able to inspect and monitor construction sites more safely and efficiently using docked drones flown by pilots not located at the construction site. That’s because the N.C. Department of Transportation has received a first-of-its kind waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration to remotely launch and fly drones beyond […]
California-based Birdstop Raises Funding to Expand Network of BVLOS Drones Across America and Protect Critical Infrastructure
Remote sensing company Birdstop, Inc. raised $2.3M in funding to expand its constellation of BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) drones across the nation’s critical infrastructure, grow its AI capabilities, and deliver more data-driven value to customers. The round was led by Lerer Hippeau and included Anorak Ventures, Correlation Ventures, Data Tech Fund, Graph Ventures, […]
Good FAA Update on State and Local Rules for Drone Airspace
by BRENT SKORUP There’s been exciting progress in US drone policy in the past few months. First, the FAA in April announced surprising new guidance in its Aeronautics Information Manual, re: drone airspace access. As I noted in an article for the State Aviation Journal, the new Manual notes: There can be certain local […]
Groundbreaking Flight Milestones at Sellafield to Lead the Way in Enhancing Safety on Nuclear Sites
Photo above – Peter King (left), Technical Specialist and Sam Jay, UAV Engineer and Chief Pilot, at Sellafield Ltd’s Engineering Centre of Excellence, with the Flyability Elios 3 drone. Drone pilots have successfully completed two flight firsts on a UK nuclear site leading the way to increased safety of employees during decommissioning. The successful deployment […]
Drone Delivery Canada Completes First Canary Drone Flights in Commercial Setting
Drone Delivery Canada Corp. has announced the successful completion of the first flights in a commercial setting for the Canary remote piloted aircraft (“RPA”) on the Care by Air route, which is the Company’s longest ever commercial route at 13.4km. The Company completed 3 round trip flights with the Canary on the Care by Air […]
Kelly Heritage Foundation Grants $150,000 to Dee Howard Foundation for Futures in Drone Technology and AAM
Beginning this fall, more than 200 area middle and high schoolers will be well on their way to future careers in drone technology. As part of a two-year curriculum, students will learn assembly and repair, engineering and design, programming and operation of drone units. They will also learn about laws and ethics surrounding drone use […]
HevenDrones Presenting Hydrogen-Powered UAS at Modern Day Marine Expo in DC
HevenDrones will be presenting its hydrogen-powered UAS, the H2D55, at the Modern Day Marine Expo in Washington, DC, from June 27th-29th. HevenDrones will discuss the paradigm shift its hydrogen-powered UAV provides as well as additional model configurations in its hydrogen-powered product line. Improvements in EVTOL technology are creating new defense and security use cases, including […]
North Texas Innovation Alliance and Dallas County Launch UAS and Robotics Technology Program to Drive Smart County Vision
Photo above – Mark Lang; Territory Account Executive, BRINC; sUAS 107 Certified – Retired LEO. North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA) – a 501(c)3 regional consortium of more than 40 municipalities, agencies, corporations and academic institutions across North Texas with a mission to build the most connected, smart and resilient region in the country – has […]
Finally: Clearer FAA Guidance on State and Local Airspace Restrictions
by BRENT SKORUP I stumbled across a surprising drone policy update in the FAA’s Aeronautical Information Manual (Manual) last week. The Manual contains official guidance and best practices to US airspace users. (My friend Marc Scribner reminds me that the Manual is not formally regulatory, though it often restates or summarizes regulations.) The manual has […]
