UAV News Talk – Drone News, eVTOLs, UAS Policy & Air Mobility

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314 Remote ID Reactions Jan 17, 2020

Show notes

Initial reactions to the FAA Remote ID NPRM, a high-accuracy photogrammetry solution, Apple hires a familiar face to lobby in Washington, an anti-drone system for Heathrow, a stealthy new target drone, and a fixed-wing eVTOL personal ultralight aircraft.

UAV News

Proposed FAA Drone Rules Prompt Industry Pushback

Engineering News-Record reports on some of the statements that are being made about the Remote-ID NPRM that is currently in the public comment period.

Frank J. Segarra, president and CEO of drone photography firm Connexicore said, “It is my personal opinion that drone operators or services should not bear the cost of carrying a specific type of remote identification system that broadcasts over the internet. This should be the responsibility of all drone manufacturers, not the pilots.”

Lloyd Garden, a commercial drone photographer, says the proposed rules only make sense in controlled airspace where connectivity exists. “I think people need to know where drones are. But [these rules] are a little restricting for me.”

Mike Winn, CEO of drone-imaging and software firm DroneDeploy commented, “In the long term, if we’re going have a drone on every construction site, we’re going to need these kinds of regulations on the technology.” He notes that by the time any regulations are in place, a lot of drone technology will have changed.

DJI supports Remote ID but warns against FAA’s “deeply flawed” NPRM

DJI vice president for policy and legal affairs Brendan Schulman posted an article titled, We Strongly Support Drone Remote ID. But Not Like This. Schulman says “DJI wants governments to require Remote ID for drones, but the FAA has proposed a complex, expensive, and intrusive system that would make it harder to use drones in America, and that jeopardizes the success of the Remote ID initiative. Instead, we support a simpler, easier, and free version of Remote ID that doesn’t need a cellular connection or a service subscription.”

The Leica Aibot AX20 Promises High Precision, High Accuracy Photogrammetry

Leica Geosystems offers “a complete UAV solution at the very top end of the photogrammetry use case.” It’s called the Aibot AX20 (pronounced “i-bot”), “a complete UAV solution for land surveying, civil engineering and construction.” Leica says the customized DJI Matrice 600 Aibot features high resolution and high precision photogrammetry, better than one-centimeter accuracy, a high-end survey-grade GN-18 T GNSS receiver, Gimbal-mounted sensors, a Sony aR7ii 42.4 megapixel CMOS and a Sony a6300 mirrorless camera.

Apple Taps Drone Specialist to Lobby Washington on Aviation

Apple has hired Lisa Ellman, a partner at Hogan Lovells, as a Washington lobbyist. Ellman is a co-founder of the Commercial Drone Alliance. Representatives for Apple and Ellman declined to comment.

Heathrow Airport installs anti-drone system that can locate UAV pilots

London’s Heathrow Airport has installed a counter-drone system that will detect and track unauthorized drones. The system will also locate the drone pilots. Designed by Operational Solutions Ltd. (OSL), the system employs a holographic radar system. The Operational Solutions press release [PDF] states:

“This one-of-a-kind Counter Drone system works by detecting and tracking drones in surrounding airspace and alerting airports of unauthorised drone use quickly and efficiently. This new and innovative system also works to locate the drone pilots themselves and can be used to identify their location.

“This technology has been specifically designed for Heathrow Airport by Operational Solutions Ltd, integrating for the first time a variety of leading counter drone technologies from different manufacturers.”

Stealthy UAS Unveiled For USAF Target, Loyal Wingman Needs

Sierra Technical Services has shown photos of its Fifth Generation Aerial Target (5GAT) prototype. 5GAT components cannibalized from other aircraft include engines (the GE J85) and metallic components from the Northrop T-38 trainer and F-5 fighter, and aileron actuators from the Boeing F/A-18. Sierra Technical Services was founded by retired Lockheed Martin Skunk Works engineers.

EVTOL drone developer launches BlackFly with new CEO

Opener calls its BlackFly the world’s first fixed-wing, all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) personal ultralight aircraft. Ben Diachun was announced the new CEO. He was president of Scaled Composites in Mojave, California. Founder and former CEO, Marcus Leng, will oversee next-generation manufacturing and international operations as Chairman of the Board.

313 Uber-Hyundai Air Taxi Concept Jan 10, 2020

Show notes

Uber and Hyundai team-up on an air taxi, mystery drones still flying in the U.S. midwest, UK investigations of drone crashes lead to safety recommendations, a drone that can see dead people, and a drone that brews beer.

UAV News

Uber and Hyundai team up to put flying taxis in the sky

At CES in Las Vegas, Uber and Hyundai showed a model of a four-seat electric flying vehicle. The actual prototype is to be ready in 2023. Ultimately, their air taxi is intended to be autonomous, but they will be manned at the beginning. Last year, Hyundai appointed a longtime NASA administrator to lead its air taxi division.

Amid drone mystery, state-owned plane flew over northeast Colorado for 5 hours Monday night

“Mystery drones” are still being spotted in several U.S. states. The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control is reportedly conducting night flights of manned aircraft to investigate the source of the drones. Colorado’s Multi-Mission Aircraft includes two Pilatus PC-12 airplanes, one of which was seen flying in circles at night in northeastern Colorado.

What to do if you spot multiple drones

The Nebraska Information Analysis Center is asking people to report sightings of clusters of four or more (not single sightings) UAS. The NIAC asks that suspicious activity be reported using the Nebraska Information Analysis Center reporting tool.

Are the mysterious drones actually planes? One local expert thinks so

The general manager of a Council Bluffs FBO watched a video of the “drones” and says the strobe lights and sound are that of an airplane, not a drone.

AAIB Report: Safe overflight of people by Unmanned Aircraft Systems

The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch published results from 8 UAS investigations. These are the first investigations that resulted in AAIB Safety Recommendations. One crash was a DJI Matrice 200 operated commercially to record video footage of an outdoor athletics event. It failed while operating in the rain. The AAIB made two Safety Recommendations.

A Drone’s-Eye View of the Quick and the Dead

We’ve seen drones being used to survey damage after a disaster. Taking it to the next level, researchers at the University of South Australia are applying machine learning to 30-second video clips of the human body. The system is able to distinguish between living people and dead people which could aid responders after a disaster.

A Philadelphia Brewery Is Releasing a Beer Brewed with a Drone

Philadelphia craft brewery Dock Street Brewing and local drone maker Exyn Technologies are producing what they say is “the first beer brewed by a drone.” It’s a “light, floral” pale ale called Swarm Intelligence. An Exyn drone drops hops into the kettle.

Video: The World’s First Beer-Brewing Drone

312 Drone Remote ID NPRM Jan 04, 2020

Show notes

An NPRM for drone remote ID was published by the FAA, drones used by the NYPD for event security, public agencies contracting for UAS services, methanol-powered drones, a mystery swarm of drones, and delivery by UAS in the 2020s.

UAV News

U.S. Department of Transportation Issues Proposed Rule on Remote ID for Drones

The FAA published Remote Identification of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the Federal Register. This Notice of Proposed Rule Making [PDF] describes the rules for inflight identification of recreational and commercial UAS and includes individual registration of all unmanned aircraft registered under part 48. Each registered UAS would have a unique serial number and identification data would be broadcast or transmitted over the Internet to government-contracted service providers. Comments from the public will be accepted through March 2, 2020, at the Regulations.gov website.

Everything we know about the drones watching over Times Square on New Year’s Eve

The New York City Police Department planned to fly drones over the New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square. Drone detection and interdiction units were planned to join bomb-sniffing dogs, radiation-detection teams, heavy-weapons squads, police helicopters, counterterrorism boats, and plainclothes officers. The NYPD has been working with “federal partners” on drone mitigation measures.

Connecticut Signs Participating Addendum with Avion Unmanned To Provide Drone Services to Public Agencies

Avion Unmanned has been chosen to provide UAS services throughout the US through the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) ValuePoint Cooperative Purchasing Organization. The company signed a Participating Addendum with the State of Connecticut and all its state agencies, political subdivisions, and institutions. With this contract, Avion Unmanned could provide UAS services to state and local government agencies in Connecticut.

This Methanol-Powered Drone Could Fly for a Straight 12 Hours

China-based drone-maker Feye UAV Technology claims to have developed a battery that can power a drone for 12 hours. The methanol-powered fuel cell powers the FY-36 flying prototype drone that weighs 15 kilograms with a top speed of 90km/hr. Feye UAV Technology plans to commercially launch the FY-36 after finetuning its performance.

Drones flying in rural Colorado and Nebraska have residents freaking out. No one knows who’s behind them

Multiple reports of drone swarms flying at night over rural Colorado and Nebraska. Even law enforcement has seen the objects. Authorities can’t figure out who’s behind the aircraft. Federal agencies are investigating.

From pizza to transplant organs: What drones will be delivering in the 2020s

During this decade, we may see delivery drones from Amazon Prime Air, Walmart, FedEx, and UPS. Applications may include pizza by drone, organs on-demand, and medical deliveries.

311 V-Coptr Falcon Bi-copter Dec 20, 2019

Show notes

A new bi-copter for aerial photography, a waterproof fishing drone, a single-seat eVTOL aircraft for the GoFly competition, DOD wants U.S. designed and manufactured drones, a town grapples with public safety drones and privacy concerns, and the FAA revises the airman certificate process.

UAV News

V-Coptr Falcon 4K camera drone gets 50-minute flight time with just two rotors

The new bi-copter from Zero Zero Robotics is called the V-Coptr Falcon, a tilt-rotor with a claimed flight time of 50 minutes. It features slower rotating propellers that are quieter, a 3-axis mechanical gimbal, 4K video and 12-megapixel photos, a controller with a flip-up mount for your phone. The bi-copter also has auto-follow, obstacle avoidance with a front-facing stereo camera and pre-programmed flight paths.

Gannet’s waterproof fishing drone to launch this month

Gannet offers a fairly complete range of drone fishing products including bait release systems and drone fishing rods. They’ve crowdfunded the development of the Gannet Pro waterproof drone that can release 3.5kg payloads of bait hundreds of meters away. A unique barometric pressure control system adjusts flight altitude.

Video: Gannet Pro waterproof drones

Silverwing reveals full-scale S1 prototype

The S1 is a single-seat, VTOL electric drone developed by a team from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. The S1 drone takes off and lands vertically on its tail, then tilts forward for horizontal flight. Silverwing says the S1 will be able to transport a passenger 60 kilometers (37 miles) flying at a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph). The S1 was designed to meet the requirements of the GoFly prize which is sponsored by Boeing. The competition is for innovators, inventors, engineers, and makers to design and build a personal flying device.

The Final Fly Off is at Moffett Federal Airfield at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California with support from Boeing, Google’s Planetary Ventures, and Pratt & Whitney. from Thursday, February 27th through Saturday, February 29th, 2020.

Pentagon Is Searching for Domestic Drone Options

The U.S. Defense Department wants to see a U.S. ecosystem for sUAS and counter technologies and they are making it a priority in 2020. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Ellen Lord said, “We see this as developing an ecosystem to have investment in areas that the Department of Defense thinks are particularly critical for providing capabilities to the warfighter, but also translate many times into commercial products. …I think you know that DJI flooded the market with low-cost quadcopters particularly, which eroded our industrial base and really altered the landscape for the U.S. government and for the small drone industry. What we want to do is reinvigorate that.”

Menlo Park: Proposal for city drone program raises civil liberty questions

In California at a Menlo Park City Council study session, police, public works, and community development leaders described how drones could help them. The council was open to the idea of using drones, but they did have significant concerns about privacy and civil rights. Mayor Ray Mueller said, “For me, the use cases are great. I just want to have discussion about what the guard rails are.” City staff was asked to come back with a drone program expert and clearer policies on acceptable uses of the drones and relevant software applications, as well as more information about how many human-hours of work that drone use could save.

FAA to Improve Airmen Certificate Testing

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Jan. 13, 2020, will launch improvements to the way it tests all applicants for an FAA airman certificate. This applies to all certified pilots of manned and unmanned aircraft. One of the most important changes is the requirement that applicants obtain an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) by creating an Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) profile prior to registering for a knowledge test. IACRA is the web-based certification/rating application that guides the user through the FAA’s airman application process. The five-minute process enables the agency to rely on the name in the profile for all actions associated with that applicant.

310 Hexa Electric VTOL Dec 13, 2019

Show notes

Rides available in the Hexa Electric VTOL, mapping a railway project, low-altitude hurricane hunting, another reported drone strike, a DHS warning for private industry, another round of financing for PrecisionHawk, and spying on hippos with drones.

Lift Aircraft says 13,000 people have signed up for drone rides; flights begin in beta mode in Texas

In 2020, Lift Aircraft plans a 25-city tour of it’s Hexa electric VTOL passenger drone. You can register for a flight on Lift’s website. It will cost $149-$249 depending on flight duration. The 432-pound electric VTOL uses 18 independent electric motors and propellers and is controlled through a triply redundant autopilot computer and a single 3-axis joystick. Or you can tap on the seven-inch touchscreen for a “Look mom, no hands!” mode.

Video: Beta Flight 001 - Colin Guinn

What if? Norfolk Southern develops effective UAV program, but it did not come without some trial and error

Norfolk Southern Railway asked themselves if they could use lower-cost UAVs to image project areas and stitch them into survey-grade 3D mosaics for the project team. They formed a UAV field team, got a Part 107 license, and designated a 5-mile linear project. What they learned will help them (and others) in future projects.

Drones Provide a New Frontier in Hurricane Observations

Hurricane hunters fly through hurricanes, but not at sea level where the winds are strongest. Scientists flew expendable Raytheon Coyote drones as low as 360 feet into several hurricanes and measured atmospheric conditions in winds as high as 194 miles per hour. These were deployed NOAA’s P-3 reconnaissance aircraft. The Coyote UAS is adaptable for a variety of missions including surveillance, electronic warfare and strike. A swarm of Coyote drones has successfully flown and demonstrated autonomous networking. A paper was recently published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: “Eye of the Storm: Observing Hurricanes with a Small Unmanned Aircraft System.”

AIR7 HD struck by suspected drone over downtown LA, makes precautionary landing

Los Angeles ABC affiliate KABC reports that their helicopter was struck midair by an object. At first, the pilot and reporter thought it was a bird strike but after landing and inspecting the damage to the helicopter tail, they believe it was a drone strike. The incident occurred at 7:15 pm, flying at 1100 feet.

DHS Continues to Warn Private Industry Against Using Foreign-Made Drones

In late November, the FBI’s Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a bulletin to private industry warning about the risk of exposing private data when using UAS manufactured abroad. The bulletin warns of possible data compromise when operating UAS “designed, manufactured, or supplied abroad where the data is stored, transferred to, or accessible by servers in a foreign country.”

PrecisionHawk Raises $32 Million to Advance Next Phase of Growth in Commercial Drones

PrecisionHawk announced $32 million in funding by a group of venture investors. The company says this will allow them to innovate with their PrecisionAnalytics A.I.-powered aerial data analytics platform, accelerate sales initiatives, and support further market expansion. In total, PrecisionHawk has raised $130 million from leading venture capital firms. See also, We’ve Raised $32 Million to Build the Next Generation of Drone Software and Services.

Spying With Drones to Help Hippo Conservation Efforts

University of New South Wales conservationists used drones to monitor threatened hippos in Africa. They used a DJI Phantom 4 to film the hippos from a safe distance. The wild hippo population is declining because of habitat loss, and hunting for meat and ivory. They are under-studied because they are nocturnal, amphibious and aggressive.

309 X-Wing Drones Nov 29, 2019

Show notes

Disney is reportedly testing X-Wing drones for its Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge promotion. Also, counter UAS technology tested at Dover AF Base, drones that help manage weed infestations, using a UAV to safely sample water in a volcano crater, and a large fine for landing a quadcopter at an airport.

UAV News

Disney Testing X-Wing Drones to Fly Over Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Reportedly, Disney is testing large X-Wing drones to fly over Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Blog Mickey has aerial spy photos to support the speculation, and they received a grainy photo of one of the X-Wing drones. They say Disney has been working on the secret project from a temporary tent in the cast member parking lot at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Dover AFB partners with Delaware CAP for counter UAS testing

A UAS is an obvious potential threat to military installations, and U.S. military forces are training and equipping to counter the threat. At a Dover Operational Readiness for a Multi-domain Agile Response Exercise this month, the 436th Airlift Wing tested its C-UAS counter unmanned aerial system capabilities. The Delaware Civil Air Patrol provided commercial drones for the test, as well as trained and certified pilots.

Drone Tech Takes Weed Control on the Farm to a New Level

This article discusses agricultural drone applications, including weed identification and mapping, the aerial application of herbicides, and UAVs for aquatic weed management.

Volcano Watch: Pondering the pond — what Halema‘uma‘u water chemistry tells us

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) used a multi-rotor to take a sample from a water lake in a collapsed crater. The water has been rising a meter a week since July and the water’s chemistry can tell scientists a lot about what is going on underground.

Video: Fissure 8 view from UAS provides critical geologic information

Drone pilot fined $20,000 after fly-away DJI Phantom 3 lands at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas

After a drone landed right next to an active runway at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, the pilot was fined $14,700 by the FAA. When the man failed to pay the fine, or appeal the fine, it increased to $20,000. The FAA had to expend some effort to identify the pilot because the drone registration number was invalid.

308 Droneresponders Working Group Nov 22, 2019

Show notes

Droneresponders forms a working group for public safety agencies, protestors and C-UAS, TSA and C-UAS, cannon-launched drones, the QF-16 target drone, names for different types of passenger drones, and drone light shows.

UAV News

Droneresponders Major Cities Working Group

Non-profit Droneresponders announced the formation of a Major Cities Working Group designed to “unite and assist public safety agencies operating UAS in urban and large metropolitan areas.” The group will establish communications with other public safety agencies and partner with other non-profit organizations like AIRT (Airborne International Response Team), AUVSI, and the NPPA (National Press Photographers Association).

Chilean Protestors Down Drone By Dazzling It With Dozens Of Laser Pointers

Protesters aimed high-powered handheld laser pointers at a drone observing them. The lasers blinded the optical sensors, causing the drone to crash.

‘Sorely lacking:’ Congress Members Blast Homeland Security Counter-drone Plan

The Department of Homeland Security planned to allow TSA air marshals to neutralize drones over airports. However, two House Republicans sent a letter to the DHS saying the plan overreaches the agency’s congressional authority. The lawmakers say the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 gives DHS narrow authority to deploy counter-drone technology, but that authorization doesn’t apply to airports. The other concern is that the TSA lacks the training and skills to operate C-UAS technology.

This transforming drone can be fired straight out of a cannon

Researchers from Caltech University and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory have come up with a drone that can be launched with a cannon. It’s a quadcopter called SQUID, short for Streamlined Quick Unfolding Investigation Drone. The 27-centimeter long drone weighs 18 ounces and has four spring-loaded rotor arms that open after launch.

Video: Design of a Ballistically-Launched Foldable Multirotor

What It Takes to Turn a Vintage F-16 Into a Drone

The F-16 has computer systems that are easily modified to turn the fighters into drones. Boeing installs Drone Peculiar Equipment at a cost of $1.9 million on old aircraft from an Arizona boneyard. The automatic flight system enables takeoffs and landings at the press of a button.

Passenger Drones: Understanding Their Varieties and Specifications

Drone Industry Insights notes the confusing names being used for passenger drones: air taxis, flying cars, eVTOLs, etc. They present a graphic that defines these names based on the power source (gasoline/kerosene, battery, hydrogen) and takeoff and landing type (VTOL, STOL, CTOL).

Forget fireworks. SeaWorld wants to test 500 drones for a new nighttime light show in San Diego

SeaWorld in San Diego has been given permission to test a 15-night light show in February 2020 using up to 500 Intel “Shooting Star” drones. The show could eventually replace fireworks.

UAV Video of the Week

Incredible Video Shows Giant Plane Made Of 800 Drones Floating Through Sky. This demonstration was flown during this year’s Nanchang Flight Convention.

307 UAV Battery Technology Nov 15, 2019

Show notes

Airbus funds new UAV battery technology and flys a rotary-wing UAV, an upcoming UAS Traffic Management workshop, a hydrogen-powered UAV for the Navy, a heavy-payload long-range drone, drones for all budgets, drone racing at Daytona, and how mosquitoes might help drones make less noise.

UAV News

Airbus’s VSR700 Rotary-wing UAV Takes Flight

Airbus Helicopters has flown their VSR700 prototype at a drone test center in France. It’s a rotary-wing, multi-mission Naval UAS (RWUAS) that was tethered on 30-meter cables and fitted with stabilizing outriggers. A year ago, Airbus flew an optionally piloted demonstrator for the VSR700 that was based on an existing light helicopter. This new prototype is redesigned with a payload bay replacing the flight deck.

Airbus Funds Next-Gen UAV Battery Technology

Airbus Defence and Space is providing financing to battery technology company Amprius. That company manufactures high energy density lithium-ion batteries based on silicon nanowire anode technology. Amprius says their batteries provide up to 50% more power than standard lithium-ion batteries. The Airbus funding is expected to help Amprius develop a higher volume production capacity as well as even higher energy density cells.

FAA and NASA Drone Industry Workshop

The FAA and NASA will jointly host an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) Pilot Program (UPP) Phase 2 Industry Workshop. The half-day workshop is scheduled for December 9, 2019, at NASA’s Ames Conference Center in Mountain View, California. Registration is free but attendance will be limited to the first 150 to register, with a limit of two attendees per organization. For additional background, see: FAA/NASA UAS Traffic Management Pilot Program (UPP) [PDF]

Navy Accepts First-of-its-kind HYCOPTER Hydrogen Powered UAS

The six-rotor HYCOPTER from H3 Dynamics is the first hydrogen fuel cell-powered rotary-wing UAS for the US Navy. The Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California took delivery of their HYCOPTER on October 25, 2019. With a takeoff weight of about 35 pounds and a blade tip-to-blade tip diameter of 7 feet, the UAS can carry a five-pound payload in an open bay for about 2 ½ hours. The HYCOPTER uses an ultralight PEM fuel cell and compressed hydrogen gas. Austin, Texas-based HES Energy Systems is a subsidiary of H3 Dynamics and describes the HYCOPTER on its website as “Designed and manufactured in the USA.”

UAVita Showcases a Heavy-Payload, Long-Range UAV Drone

The UAVita Discovery is a medium-sized, fixed-wing UAV that can carry heavy payloads over a long range. Originally used for crop dusting and precision ag, it’s now being used for other long-range missions such as search and rescue, highway monitoring, and powerline inspections.

Video: UAvita Systems Showcases Their Heavy-payload Drone at Commercial UAV Expo 2019

Seasoned Pilot or Aviation Amateur, Here Are 5 Drones for All Budgets

Consider the DROCON Bugs 3, Syma X5C, Parrot Mambo Drone FPV Kit, DJI Spark, or even the DJI Inspire 2.

Drone racing takes a whirl in Daytona Stadium

Over 1,000 drone racers tried to qualify for the 5th annual RaceDayQuads 2019 MultiGP Drone Racing Championship in Daytona Stadium. The sports class saw 125 racers qualify, while 85 qualified for the pro-competition. MultiGP is a global, professional, drone racing league with hundreds of international chapters and over 27,000 registered drone racers.

Sounds of mosquito mating rituals could lead to quieter drones

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University discovered that mosquitoes can focus the buzz they make in the direction of potential mates. A paper published in Bioinspiration and Biomimetics says, “…understanding the strategies and adaptations employed by insects such as mosquitoes to control their aeroacoustic noise could eventually provide insights into the development of quiet drones and other bioinspired micro-aerial vehicles.”

306 Drone Registration Nov 08, 2019

Show notes

Drone registration requirements in the UK and Singapore, automated safe landing technology, the speed of drone technology development, package delivery progress and issues, and counter-UAS technology funding.

UAV News

UK Drone Operators Have Until the End of November to Register With the Government

All drone owners and operators in the UK with droves that weigh more than 250g have to register them by November 30, 2019. Registration costs £9. Failure to register can result in a fine of as much as £1,000. In addition to registration, anyone flying a drone over 250g must also take an online education and test to receive a flyer ID. Users can now register as a drone operator and/or flyer at: register-drones.caa.co.uk.

Drones Reunited

In the UK, 26% of drone owners say they lost a drone. Drones United leverages off the new UK drone registration system to help owners reconnect with their lost drones.

Singapore mandates unmanned aircraft registration

Starting January 2, 2020, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) will require all unmanned aircraft over 250 grams to be registered before it can be operated. A sticker with a unique registration number must be affixed to each unmanned aircraft. The penalty for flying an unregistered aircraft could be up to S$10,000 or jail for six months, or both.

Are UAVs Properly Tested, or is Development Rushed?

Satellite-based drone connectivity encompasses a number of issues such as cost, weight, and power. “Validation of stable and reliable connectivity under all circumstances is paramount to the success of Beyond Line of Sight UAV operations.”

Automated Emergency Safe Landing Technology

Black Swift Technologies SwiftSTL (Swift Safe-To-Land) technology was developed to address catastrophic in-flight failures. It captures and segments images and autonomously identifies a safe landing location. This is accomplished through machine learning algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI), and onboard processors to identify obstacles like people, buildings, vehicles, structures, etc. To learn more, see the white paper, “AI and Machine Learning’s Role in Enabling Automated Emergency Safe Landings of UAS – A Key Enabler for Safe Beyond Visible Line of Sight (BVLOS) Flights.” [PDF]

What if a delivery drone falls on your head? Thorny legal questions loom as services increase

This article poses questions about airspace ownership, privacy, and liability.

UPS drone makes first home prescription deliveries for CVS

CVS and UPS announced the first commercial delivery of prescription medications by drones to customers. UPS’ Flight Forward drones delivered to the front lawn of a private home and a retirement center. The drones hovered at an altitude of about 20 feet and lowered the packages.

UK government funds 18 projects to develop anti-drone technologies

The UK government approved £2 million ($2.57 million) to fund 18 projects to develop anti-drone and drone detection technologies. In April, 2019, the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) program under the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) asked the private sector to come up with new technologies that could detect approaching drones, and neutralize the threat.

305 Mavic Mini, First Look Nov 01, 2019

Show notes

The new Mavic Mini is so light that FAA registration is not required. Meanwhile, the US Department of the Interior has grounded Chinese drones, additional sensitive facilities have been added to the no-fly list, Uber Eats unveiled a delivery drone, a Navy submarine was resupplied by a drone, a white paper looks at drones at live broadcast events, and an airport welcomes drones – for facilities inspections.

UAV News

The Mavic Mini is DJI’s first drone that doesn’t need FAA registration

DJI says the new Mavic Mini is the smallest and lightest drone they have ever made. The “everyday flycam” weighs 249 grams, one gram under the threshold for FAA registration. With folding legs, creative shooting modes, automatic return to home, and up to 30 minutes flight time, the Mavic Mini shoots 1080p video at up to 60 frames per second from a three-axis gimbal. The quadcopter is available for preorder and will ship on November 11, 2019.

Entire drone fleet grounded by US government agency

The US Department of the Interior has grounded drones made in China, or that use Chinese parts. The Department has initiated a security investigation and depending on the results, the Department may resume drone flights. The Department of the Interior uses drones to inspect dams, inspect land, monitor environmental damage and endangered species, and aid emergency workers with wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters. The agency is concerned the drones could transmit images and video to China about key installations.

UAS Operations Restricted At More Federal Facilities

The FAA is restricting UAS operations over 60 additional Department of Defense and Department of Justice facilities. An FAA Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), FDC 9/7752, defines these special security instructions and the FAA UAS Data Delivery System has the restrictions, including a list of restrictions (National Security UAS Flight Restrictions) and a map of the restrictions (Map of FAA UAS Data). The FAA’s B4UFLY mobile app will also include the restrictions.

Here’s what the Uber Eats delivery drone looks like

Uber has unveiled the Uber Eats VTOL delivery drone with two rotating wings, each with three rotors. The maximum flight time is eight minutes over a 12-mile round trip delivery range. Uber doesn’t plan restaurant-to-doorstep delivery. Rather orders will be flown to predetermined drop-off locations and an Eats driver will make the “last-mile” delivery.

First Navy Submarine Resupplied By Commercial Drone

A small quadcopter resupplied the USS Hawaii (SSN 776), a fast attack submarine, one mile off Oahu, Hawaii. The 5-pound payload in this test included circuit cards, medical supplies, and food.

White Paper: Rethinking Drone Usage on Live Broadcasts

Drone use in live sports broadcasts hasn’t been as successful as some had hoped. Issues include the safety of spectators and athletes, the noise of drones, short flight times, and the need for immediate response during live broadcasts. The author explains why live motorsports may be a good application.

Drone collects runway maintenance data at Edmonton airport

At Edmonton International Airport, drones are becoming a regular part of safety inspections of runways, taxiways, and aircraft handling aprons. Canadian UAV services provider AERIUM Analytics has conducted about 3,000 drone flights at the airport over the past four years.