Tag Archives: NBAA

UAV239 Recreational Drones for Commercial Purposes

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Operators of recreational drones flying for commercial purposes, upset Google employees, arrests for illegal anti-drone systems, drone technology and the travel industry, UAS ID and tracking proposals, a business competition winner, mapping with a LIDAR-equipped drone, and an outdoor drone testing facility that is really indoors.

UAV News

NBAA Warns of Commercial UAS Violations

In UAS Operators Must Understand What Commercial Use Entails, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) expresses concern about “the unwelcome matter of recreational operators flying drones for compensation.” The organization is worried that some drone operators don’t understand what “commercial use” means.

3100 Google employees protest company’s involvement in Pentagon drone project

Google has been working with the United States Department of Defense under Project Maven, which applies machine-learning and AI to weapon systems. Google algorithms would analyze drone footage and identify objects. Some Google employees feel this violates the Google “don’t be evil” motto.

Swiss engineer arrested for illegal anti-drone system sales

Rome, Italy financial crime police arrested a Swiss engineer and an Italian entrepreneur for selling anti-drone systems. The systems can allegedly detect, track, and neutralize UAVs by jamming the communication signal as well as the global satellite navigation system.

Drones, phones changing way vacationers plan their trips

At the annual National Association of Broadcasters show (NAB), travel marketing experts envision the use of drones and VR technology to impact the $1 trillion travel industry.

FAA’s ARC Submits Recommendations On UAS ID and Tracking, Despite Lack of Consensus

While the UAS Identification and Tracking Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) lacked complete consensus in the recommendations they sent to the FAA, some options were provided for UAS ID and tracking requirements. Reviews at the Department of Transportation and the Office of Management and Budget are pending.

Drone maker Fotokite wins $1 million Genius NY competition

Swiss-based Fotokite won the grand prize in the Genius NY business competition. Their fully autonomous tethered drone can stay aloft almost indefinitely. Applications include firefighting, law enforcement, broadcasting, and sports events.

Mentioned

LIDAR map for fully self-driving cars

Toll-road operator EastLink used a LIDAR-equipped drone to create a map of the inside of the Mullum Mullum tunnel. Future self-driving cars will require this detailed data.

Drone captures 3D LIDAR data for fully self-driving car trials in EastLink tunnel

University of Michigan opens up its M-Air UAV testing facility to students

The University of Michigan has opened the M-Air outdoor drone testing facility. Students and companies can use the five-story, 80 by 120 foot netted enclosure to test experimental algorithms and aircraft.

Ella Atkins | Drone Policy or Not?

Data Crunch Podcast

Deep research into niche artificial intelligence and machine learning industries.

UAV066 Drones with Brooms

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Aerial Power Limited

Drones assist with solar energy production, the satellite industry sees UAS opportunities, a quadcopter approaches a commercial flight, NYPD is developing a plan to counter weaponized drones, and more from the NBAA panel discussion on UAS.

News

These Drones With Little Brooms Keep Solar Panels Clean

Large solar panel farms are increasingly being used to generate electricity. You can capture a lot of solar power in the desert, but the panels need to be cleaned to remove the dust that accumulates. Startup Aerial Power Limited is testing brush-carrying UAVs that gently keep the solar panels clean.

Different Industries Debate the Potential of UAVs and the Need for Satellite

UAVs often depend on satellite-based technology, and the satellite industry sees business opportunity in that. By their nature, satellite data transmissions are global, and that means international standards are needed.

Quadcopter drone ‘deliberately flown at passenger airliner’ over Essex

The UK Airprox Board has released its report on the May 2014 incident where a quadcopter came close to an ATR72 on approach to runway 06 at Southend Airport. The report (No. 2014073) states:

“As the aircraft was about to intercept the ILS Glide-Slope, the pilot saw a remote-controlled quadcopter very close to the right wing-tip. The aircraft captain did not see the quadcopter but the sighting was reported to Southend ATC. The co-pilot formed the impression that the quadcopter had been flown deliberately close to the AT72 because he had seen it around 100m away as it approached from the right-hand side and made a turn to fly in the opposite direction to his aircraft, around 25m away and at the same level.”


The quadcopter operator could not be traced. Beyond that… nothing to be done.

NYPD: Threat Of Terrorists With Drones Is A Growing Concern

New York police have been concerned about the possibility of an attack by drone. While they don’t have any intelligence about a specific threat, they want to be prepared. The NYPD is consulting with the military and they are working on a plan to counter weaponized drones.

NBAA2014 – BUSINESS AVIATION CONVENTION & EXHIBITION

We continue with more from the October 21, 2014 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition panel discussion titled:  Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Regulatory and Legal Developments.

The Panel was moderated by: Marc Warren , Crowell & Moring LLP with panel members: Dean Griffith , FAA; Mario Mairena , AUVSI; Govt Relations; Dave Hamrick, MITRE Corporation; and Ted Wierzbanowiski , ASTM standards for sUAS.

Topics:

  • Do you have to be a licensed pilot to fly sUAS?
  • What standards did the ASTM recommend?
  • Why does the Section 333 exemption require a private pilot’s certificate?

See Episode 65 for more clips from the panel discussion.

Videos of the Week

Drone Loses Contact With Operator, Activates Return To Home, Crashes GoPro4 Into Rock

Every Angle Films was shooting video of a beautiful sunrise at Pinnacle Peak, Utah with a new GoPro4 mounted on a DJI F550 with an H3-3D gimbal. When the F550 lost contact, it initiated a “return to home.” The only problem was that Pinnacle Peak was in the way.

OK Go – I Won’t Let You Down – Official Video

Shot by the OK Go band in Japan with 2,400 people and a drone. CNN (Music video shot with drone goes viral) tells the story.

Mentioned

‘Ambulance drone’ prototype unveiled in Holland

This prototype of a flying defibrillator can reach heart attack victims quickly.

 

UAV065 UAS Regulatory and Legal Developments

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NBAA 2014 Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Regulatory and Legal DevelopmentsWe review the Unmanned Aircraft Systems:  Regulatory and Legal Developments panel discussion at the NBAA 2014 conference.

NBAA2014 – BUSINESS AVIATION CONVENTION & EXHIBITION

At the NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition in Florida on October 21, 2014, a panel discussion was held titled, “Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Regulatory and Legal Developments.”

The Panel was moderated by Marc Warren of Crowell & Moring LLP. Panel members were: Dean Griffith, FAA; Mario Mairena, AUVSI; Dave Hamrick, MITRE Corporation; and Ted Wierzbanowiski, ASTM standards for sUAS.

In this episode, we bring you selected clips from the first half of the panel discussion.

Topics include:

  • Some early history of FAA and ASTM activity.
  • The process for providing the FAA with sUAS recommendations.
  • The NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking) for sUAS that the FAA intends to issue by the end of 2014.
  • RF spectrum allocation
  • The FAA view of sUAS as aircraft and the plan they have.
  • Challenges faced by the FAA to meet the Congressional mandates.
  • Next steps the FAA intends to take.
  • The COAs issued by the FAA.
  • Recreational (hobbyist) vs. commercial use.
  • How UAS technology might flow down to manned aviation, particularly General Aviation.

Other topics discussed by the panel that we’ll cover in the future::

  • If sUAS flyers should have a pilot’s license.
  • Educating UAS pilots.
  • Exemptions under Section 333 as a bridging authority.
  • Social risks with UAS, like privacy.
  • States and local governments enacting anti-UAS laws.
  • Is US competitiveness suffering?
  • What does the future of UAS (of all sizes) look like?
  • Are unmanned commercial passenger or cargo flights in the future?
  • Where did the 55 pound line come from?

Credit

We are grateful to Carl Valeri who attended the Convention and recorded the panel discussion for us. Find Carl at the Aviation Careers podcast and the Stuck Mic AvCast.