Monthly Archives: February 2020

319 Canadian Drone Management System

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Canada selects a national drone management system, BlueBird Aero Systems wins a large UAS order, North Texas aims to educate new drone flyers, Freedom of Information Act produces mystery drone emails, flying over (and into) the Golden Gate Bridge, and drones that monitor environmental changes.

UAV News

NAV Canada signs strategic deal to help manage drones

NAV Canada has selected Unifly to provide a national system with digital services for safely operating and managing drones in Canadian airspace. The system has an intuitive user interface and Canadian drone pilots can use the web and mobile apps to identify safe and legal airspace. Requests for authorization to fly in controlled airspace can be made and drone flights planned. See also the Unifly YouTube channel.

BlueBird Aero Systems Secures an Order for Over 150 Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) UAS

BlueBird Aero Systems received an order for more than 150 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAS of various categories. A European military customer has ordered the WanderB-VTOL Mini UAV and ThunderB-VTOL Tactical UAV. These will be operated by infantry soldiers, armored units, artillery corps, and special forces. The order is worth “tens of millions of euros.”

“Know Before You Fly”: North Texas Community Steps Up to Provide Drone Flyers with Resources

The North Texas UAS Safety and Integration Task Force is working to provide new drone flyers with a free “Know Before You Fly” training workshop. They are working with sponsors including Women and Drones, AUVSI Lonestar, and drone industry solution providers. The Task Force, under the North Central Texas Council of Governments, wants to help mitigate reckless UAS operations and promote the safe integration of UAS technology into the DFW regional airspace.

Internal Air Force Emails Show Confusion And Concern Over Colorado’s Mystery Drones

There has been no serious explanation of the mystery drones that were spotted in several states. However, a volunteer researcher operating in affiliation with the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies recently obtained emails through the Freedom of Information Act that include internal communications of the public affairs office at F.E. Warren Air Force Base and the 90th Security Forces Group. The heavily redacted emails indicate that the military took the sightings seriously.

Drones fly illegally and crash at the Golden Gate Bridge in hunt for photos

People are violating the prohibition of flying drones in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which surrounds the Golden Gate Bridge. Five drones have crashed onto the roadway, and an additional drone crashed into one of the towers. Park rangers handle drone enforcement in the National Recreation Area, have issued citations, and have seized drones.

Monitoring climate change from the sky: DRONES could play a ‘critical role’ in tracking the effects of global warming but only if their battery life improves, expert claims

Drones can be used to monitor climate change over large areas. But they need to stay aloft a long time to collect data, and drones with long flight times are expensive. Researchers at the University of Southampton are working with Dr. Ewan Kirk to develop new drones and batteries that are less expensive and fly longer. Three teams of fourth-year students will work to create better drones, then test them by monitoring a live volcano in Guatemala.

318 Police Micro-Drones

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Micro-drones for law enforcement, a laser C-UAS system, DJI and the Coronavirus, drone remote ID interaction with manned aircraft, airplane modelers and remote ID, and a new reality show featuring drones.

UAV News

Calif. PD deploys new indoor micro-drones

The Sacramento Police Department is testing micro-drones indoors during conflicts. Drones with video cameras can give officers a real-time view and they can also avoid direct physical confrontations with suspects. The Sacramento police have a fleet of 12 small FPV drones that cost only about $90.

This Is How a Laser Weapon Torches Drones Out of the Sky

In a just-released video, you can watch a C-UAS system from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems take down drones with a laser. The system is truck-mounted on a Land Rover Defender and a DJI Phantom plays the role of a hostile drone. The system detects the Phantom, tracks it, and fires a high-powered laser. The laser continues to melt the drone even as it tries to maneuver.

DJI drones join worldwide fight against Coronavirus

DJI explained how its drones have been helping fight the Coronavirus. The company has pledged almost $1.5 million in aid and developed best practices for spraying a chlorine or ethyl alcohol-based disinfectant from the air. DJI adapted its Agras series of agricultural spraying drones to spray disinfectant in potentially affected areas.

FAA Exploring How Manned Aviation Can Benefit from Drone Remote ID

The FAA’s roadmap for integrating unmanned aircraft into the NAS relies on remote ID, but how will the remote ID signals from drones interact with manned aviation? The FAA plans to ask industry that question and is Internally discussing a request for information on how manned aviation could take advantage of remote identification signals.

Oklahoma model aircraft hobbyists fight back against drone proposal

The Academy of Model Aeronautics and Oklahoma model aircraft fliers have some problems with the FAA’s proposal for remote ID. The 400-foot requirement is not far enough for an RC glider. The FAA needs to have a compliance path for competitions outside the fixed sites. Adding a transmitter to a low-risk aircraft is too expensive and Remote ID requires access to the Internet. Also, the AMA doesn’t want owners to have to individually register every aircraft. NPRM comments are being accepted until March 2, 2020.

Reality show to highlight role of drones in difficult survey ops

A new reality series called “Down to Earth” shows real surveyors working with drones under challenging conditions. The surveyors use aerial drone imagery and analysis and the series is sponsored by MicroDrones. Viewers can register to watch a one-hour webinar at either 9 am ET or 6 pm ET February 19, 2020, covering episodes 1-3 of Down to Earth, project overview and objectives, workflow analysis, and a review of final surface model and deliverables.

317 Proposal to Type Certify UAS

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The FAA proposal to type-certify UAS, autonomous EA-18G Growlers, surveillance with drones in China, no Remote ID NPRM extension, DoD counter-UAS contract, an unmanned kit for the K-Max, delivering ice cream, and an arrest for busting the Super Bowl TFR.

UAV News

How Does the FAA Aircraft Certification Process Affect UAVs?

The FAA proposes to type certify unmanned aircraft the same way they certify manned aircraft. Criticism has arisen because of the long, complicated, and expensive process can only be met by large companies. Type Certification of Unmanned Aircraft Systems is the rule proposed by the FAA to type certify certain UAS as a special class of aircraft under current regulations. (Docket No. FAA-2019-1038.) Comments must be received on or before March 4, 2020.

EA-18 Growlers Can Be Controlled Autonomously

Boeing has announced they and the U.S. Navy have successfully flown two unmanned and autonomously controlled EA-18G Growlers. A third Growler acted as the mission controller for the other two. This showed that F/A-18 Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers can perform combat missions with unmanned systems.

All the Invasive Ways China Is Using Drones to Address the Coronavirus

Drones with loudspeakers are calling out pedestrians in China who are not wearing a mask. They are also being used to monitor traffic infractions, students taking exams, illegal border crossings, and hospital disposal of waste.

FAA denies requests to extend drone remote ID comment period

A number of organizations requested that the comment period for the Remote ID NPRM be extended due to the complication of the rule and the number of people impacted. The FAA denied the request. Comments will be accepted until March 2, 2020, at Regulations.gov.

The Pentagon is spending millions to scoop drones out of the sky with nets, 

Fortem Technologies Wins Contract From Department of Defense for Advanced Airspace Security and Defense System

F​ortem Technologies​ announced it was awarded a contract with the Department of Defense (DoD) through the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). DoD purchased various solutions from Fortem including its SkyDome®, DroneHunter®, DroneHangar, and TrueView radar for a layered C-UAS solution.

Kaman K-Max advances civil and military autonomous flight programs

The Kaman Air Vehicles division of Kaman Corporation is developing the K-Max UAS kit that will convert the helicopter for unmanned operation. First flight scheduled in Q3 2020. Launch customers are Helicopter Express Inc. of Chamblee, Georgia, and Swanson Group Aviation of Glendale, Oregon.

Terra Drone Europe and British-Dutch transnational consumer goods giant Unilever collaborate to deliver ice cream in New York

Delivery of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in New York is being explored by Terra Drone and Unilever. A demonstration flight was conducted at a recent Unilever annual investor event where a multi-copter drone was fitted with a delivery box designed to carry three Ben & Jerry’s mini cups.

Pilot faces a year in federal prison for flying a drone during Super Bowl week

The FBI announced that a 46-year-old man was arrested for flying a drone through the TFR during Super Bowl week in Miami. Authorities say he faces up to one year in federal prison if he is convicted. The man told the FBI that he just wanted to capture images of the Super Bowl-related festivities in South Beach.

Mentioned

Omniscient season 1 is on Netflix. The series is about a city that has chosen to ensure safety by assigning drones to watch each individual and report any crimes.

Video of the Week

An even brighter future is on the horizon. This television commercial from Florida Power and Light includes the NASC Teros Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAS.

https://youtu.be/La0gef3LAzs