US Government

Washington and the drone industry: legislation, procurement, security reviews, and agency policy beyond the FAA.

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Oct 27

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A Zipline Platform 2 delivery aircraft docked beneath a charging tower at dusk, tail number 124 on its fuselage, with the delivery pod and its fiducial docking targets suspended below and a windsock on the hillside behind.

FAA

Zipline Asks FAA For 220,000 Texas Drone Deliveries A Day

The FAA's draft environmental assessment for Zipline covers Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Amarillo and El Paso. Public comments close October 11.

Haye KestelooSep 15

Wing delivery drone carrying a blue Walmart package in flight against a clear sky

Drone Delivery

Wing's First Washington Drone Hub Surfaces in a Tacoma Permit

A permit at a Tacoma Walmart is the first public sign of Wing in Washington, a state whose attorney general fought the FAA's delivery shortcut.

Haye KestelooSep 15

A US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft in flight against an overcast sky

Iran

Pentagon Counts 30 Reapers Lost in Iran War, No Line to Rebuild

The first official Pentagon accounting of the Iran war lists as many as 30 MQ-9 Reapers destroyed, more than every crewed aircraft loss combined.

Haye KestelooSep 15

Pilot Institute 90-plus day drone training plan thumbnail with drone graphic

Drone Service Providers

The Drone Industry Is at a Crossroads: What Drone Service Providers Should Do Right Now

I sat down with revenue operations specialist Amy Wiegand to talk through the drone market squeeze, the Part 108 question mark, and the decisions drone service providers should be making today.

Greg ReverdiauSep 14

Two Dexa technicians in hi-vis vests standing beside a hexacopter delivery drone and a Dexa-branded trailer

Drone Delivery

Dexa Takes Its FAA-Certified Drone Airline To TechCrunch Disrupt

Dexa, the Dayton drone delivery operator with a Part 135 certificate, made TechCrunch's Startup Battlefield 200 and pitches at Disrupt in October.

Haye KestelooSep 14

Amazon

Amazon Brought a Drone to a Car Show. Tracy Got No Comment Period

Amazon displayed its MK30 at a Tracy car show before launch. The FAA has published no environmental assessment for the site, and no comment period opened.

Haye KestelooSep 14

Pilot Institute's Greg presents the DroneXL weekly drone news update, week 382

DJI

Zipline Drone Comes Down Under Parachute Near Houston, TSA Delays Part 108 Security Talks, and FCC Proposal Draws 3,829 Comments

Welcome to your weekly UAS news update. We have three stories for you this week: a Zipline drone has a mishap near Houston, a Part 108 progress update from the TSA and OIRA, and the FCC gets over 3,800 comments on its military-grade drone proposal. Let's get to it.

Greg ReverdiauSep 11

Five attendees in suits stand beside an easel sign reading Welcome to the White House, Drone Dominance Event, in a marble-floored Eisenhower Executive Office Building hallway

US Government

White House Drone List: Three Trump-Family Firms In, Ten Winners Out

The White House list for its Drone Dominance event names 40 entries. All three Trump-family drone firms made it. Ten of eleven Gauntlet I winners did not.

Haye KestelooSep 10

US Government

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