U.S. Government
DOI drone order creates confusion for Cape Cod shark researchers
The Department of the Interior’s drone order, which temporarily halted all non-emergency unmanned aircraft systems fleet operations, creates confusion for shark researchers in Cape Cod who use drones to spot and study sharks along the coastline. The Cape Cod National…
FAA is looking to fill positions on Drone Advisory Committee
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is looking to fill positions on the Drone Advisory Committee. In the past, many (including me) have been critical that recreational and commercial drone pilots are under-represented on the DAC. This is a change top…
Don’t interfere with wildland fire operations when flying your drone!
“Don’t interfere with wildland fire operations when flying your drone!” is the message that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wants to get across to all drone pilots. A recent example of a fire fighting operation that was interrupted by an…
Colorado Drone Mystery not explained by official FAA documents
An unprecedented look into official FAA documents and emails provide no conclusive answer to the Colorado Drone Mystery. A partially redacted email does show that DJI offered to use their DJI Aeroscope equipment at no cost to help determine if any…
NASA Government Invention of the Year 2020 goes to UTM
Today, NASA announces the winners of its 2020 Invention and Software of the Year Awards. The agency has created two categories and one of them, the ‘Government Invention of the Year’ goes to the invention of NASA’s patented Unmanned Aircraft…
RTCA special committee is working on small drone detection standard
A Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) subcommittee is developing a standard for detecting small drones around airports. These standards will help potential buyers of counter-drone or drone security systems know if the detection equipment will perform as intended and…
Matternet M2 drone used by UPS Flight Forward in new hospital delivery network
The Matternet M2 drone will be used by UPS Flight Forward (UPSFF) in a new hospital delivery network at Wake Forest Baptist Health in North Carolina. The new service will carry patient-specific time- and temperature-sensitive medicines and PPE for medical…
US drone companies receive millions in recovery funds from Department of Defense
US drone companies receive millions in recovery funds from the Department of Defense. On Friday, the department announced that it will issue US$84.4 million in funding through the Defense Production Act to small drone makers, shipbuilders, and a space company.…
North Dakota DOT uses drones for flood season
The North Dakota Department of Transportation received waivers at the end of March to start using drones for flood season and in emergency response situations. North Dakota DoT uses drones for flood season The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT)…
U.S. – Swiss drone agreement announced by the FAA
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Switzerland Federal Office of Civil Aviation today announced that they have reached an agreement in harmonizing domestic and international safety standards for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
DHS warns police that Chinese DJI drones are ‘at risk’ of data breach
Surveillance drones made by Chinese drone maker DJI are at risk of having their data intercepted, warns the Department of Homeland Security to U.S. police departments.
FAA awards contract for UTM testing to Switch
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded a contract for the development and testing of a UAS traffic management system (UTM) at the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) to ANRA Technologies, IT-infrastructure provider Switch.