Tag Archives: Altitude Angel

346 The Longest Organ Delivery Flight by UAS

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Long-distance organ delivery flight, a survey-grade micro drone, a UK drone zone, research on multi-fuel drones, heavy-lift drones, a UAV landing at a commercial airport, locating pregnant dolphins, Verizon’s wildfire drone waiver, and a former FAA Administrator lands a new job.

UAV News

Mission Go completes longest organ delivery flight via UAS in Las Vegas

In this MissionGO and Nevada Donor Network collaboration, two successful test flights were made. The first flight delivered research corneas from Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center to Dignity Health – St. Rose Dominican, San Martín Campus. The second flight delivered  a research kidney from an airport to a location outside of a small town in the Las Vegas desert. This was the longest organ delivery flight in UAS history.

IdeaForge Raises The Bar With The Launch Of RYNO UAV

The RYNO UAV is a survey-grade micro-drone from IdeaForge, a drone manufacturer in India. RYNO is designed for high accuracy mapping applications and delivers centimeter-level accuracy. The drone has a flight time of over 40 minutes and a range of up to 4 km. The performance of the RYNO UAV is claimed to be comparable to more expensive categories of drones.

U.K. has plans to create aerial drone zone superhighways to contain UAV traffic

The U.K. is establishing a commercial drone corridor called the “Arrow Drone Zone.” Airspace will be available to any fully automated drones, including flying beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS). The zone will be located in the town of Reading, to the west of London, and managed by Altitude Angel with their GuardianUTM O/S platform.

US Army funding research to allow drones to run on multiple fuel sources 

The Army awarded the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign a four-year, $8 million contract to research multi-fuel chemistry and investigate advanced propulsion technologies for high-speed air launches. Researchers will study the ignition chemistry of fuels using machine learning algorithms and develop materials for novel ignition assistant technologies for flexible-fuel drones.

Volocopter teams up with Schenker to deploy heavy lift drones

The two companies want to gain practical flying the VoloDrone before the VoloCity air taxi enters service. The drone Is remote-controlled, can lift up to 200 kilograms (440 lbs.), and has a range of 40 kilometers (25 miles). Volocopter CEO Florian Reuter said, “The logistics opportunity in the urban market is just as big as the passenger market.” 

Israeli Company Carries Out Historic First-Ever UAV Landing at a Commercial Airport

The landing was conducted by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) with their Heron reconnaissance UAV. The landing at Ben Gurion International Airport was entirely remote-controlled. This is reported to be the first time a UAV was operated alongside commercial flights in civilian airspace.

Video: Heron UAV Landing at Ben Gurion Airport

Dolphin reproductive research aided by UH Drones

The University of Hawaii is collaborating with Dolphin Quest on a study to better understand the health of dolphin populations. A Ph.D. student has been operating a drone over a pregnant bottlenose dolphin at the Dolphin Quest facility. The goal is to detect pregnancy in female dolphins in the open ocean.

Verizon deploys remote network-connected drone during Big Hollow Wildfire

The FAA granted a special temporary waiver to Skyward, A Verizon company, that allows civilian operations to inspect critical communications infrastructure in the U.S. Company pilots can fly the Percepto Sparrow drone from their homes to inspect critical communications infrastructure near the Big Hollow wildfire in Washington. The waiver permits operations 24 hours a day, with less than 3 miles of visibility, and no pilot or observer on site. Skyward spent nearly a year testing and proving that it could safely fly without onsite personnel.

Former Head of Federal Aviation Administration Michael Huerta Joins D-Fend Solutions’ Advisory Board

The former top Federal Aviation Administration executive brings airspace management and airport safety expertise to the D-Fend counter-drone technology company. 

UAV Video of the Week

Colors of Vermont Fall Foliage Captured in Drone Footage

Vermont photographer John Rowe captured drone footage of the fall colors at Norton Pond.

342 Countering Drone Swarms

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Technology developing to counter drone swarms, a blended wing body drone to catch poachers, studying pollinating bees, and Norway’s first UTM system.

UAV News

The U.S. Navy Plans To Foil Massive ‘Super Swarm’ Drone Attacks By Using The Swarm’s Intelligence Against Itself

Isaac Kaminer, an engineering professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School says “large-scale adversarial swarms” of drones are an “imminent threat.” Instead of trying to shoot down super swarms, Kaminer proposes to use the swarm against itself.

Eagleray UAS Scans for Poachers

Laws exist to protect endangered species, but organized criminal networks don’t follow laws so the Kashmir World Foundation (KwF) is fighting back with technology. KwF designs, develops, and applies unmanned autonomous systems, including the Eagle Ray blended wing body Eagle Ray anti-poaching drone. See: Eagle Ray UAS Scans for Poachers.

How Did This Colombian Use Drones To Solve A Bee Mystery?

Entomologist Diana Obregon has been studying the effect of pesticides and deforestation on pollinating bees. She used drones to assess the forest around crops, then correlated that to pesticide residues in the crop and the diversity and abundance of bees visiting the crop.

Avinor ANS Begins Roll Out of First Nordic UTM System at Two Airport Towers in Norway Paving the Way for its Future Tech-Economy

Norwegen airport operator Avinor is testing an unmanned traffic management (UTM) system at two airports. The UTM system provides an operational overview of the airspace and allows two-way communication between air traffic control and drone operators. Ultimately, the system is planned for 18 towers in Norway. Avinor Air Navigation Services (ANS) is working with Frequentis and Altitude Angel to implement the UTM system.

UAV Video of the Week

Kid amazes Dad with his drone flying skills

301 Drones for Activism

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Climate activists plan to use drones for activism at Heathrow Airport. Also, how the trade war is impacting the drone community, the FAA is issuing more emergency COA’s, the RAAF is working closely with the U.S. Navy on the MQ-4C Triton, a startup is using a drone to generate electricity, an anonymous reporting portal for drone incidents is coming, and a look at the “drone bubble.”

UAV News

Climate activists plan to use drones to shut down Heathrow Airport next month

UK organization Heathrow Pause says they will fly drones for activism near Heathrow to protest the third runway proposed for the airport. Starting on September 13, 2019, they intend to fly toy drones at up to 6 feet high inside the airport 5km no-fly zone, not within flight paths, and early in the morning when no flights are scheduled. Travelers who may be impacted by this drone activism can read a statement by Heathrow Pause on their website: About the Disruption to Travellers.

Tariffs with a Capital T: How the Trade War with China is Affecting the Drone Community

Tariffs are paid to Customs when certain goods are imported. They are generally baked into the price charged to consumers, like any cost of doing business. How are Chinese drones and replacement parts affected by tariffs, and how are sellers responding?

FAA Requests for Emergency UAS Airspace Authorizations on the Rise

The number of requests and approvals for emergency COAs are up over last year. In 2018, FAA issued 708 Special Government Interest (SGI) airspace authorizations while through July 2019, more than 600 had been issued by the FAA System Operations Security Directorate to law enforcement for major events like fires and hurricanes.

U.S., Australia work side-by-side on Triton UAS development

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has been working with the U.S. Navy’s Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton team. The HALE UAV is designed to provide ISR over the ocean and coastal regions. The RAAF has agreed to purchase up to six Triton aircraft and associated Mission Control Stations.

Swiss start-up dreams of powering homes using drones

Swiss startup company Skypull wants to use drones to generate electricity from high-altitude winds. The wind generator that can be deployed almost anywhere. A high-lift, low drag “box wing” drone pulls a tether to a drum on the ground that converts the force into electricity.
Video: Skypull promo 2017.

Altitude Angel launches industry first “just culture” reporting system

In Episode 294 we reported that UK company Altitude Angel planned to launch a UTM conflict resolution service as an API. Now Altitude Angel says they’ll launch an anonymous web portal reporting system for drone pilots and operators, similar to that used in manned aviation.

Drone bubble bursts, wiping out startups and hammering VC firms

Teal Group says venture capitalists poured $2.6 billion into drones from the beginning of 2012 to June 2019. Now we are seeing startups fold or consolidate. Kay Wackwitz, founder and chief executive officer of research group Drone Industry Insights says, “There was some irrationality around drones, a period of hype driven by the popularity of the hobby sector. We’re getting past that and people are coming back to reality.”

UAV Video of the Week

Dronehackers was created to showcase how drones can be used to help solve real-world problems. The project seeks to inspire the next generation of builders, DIY’ers, and creators with something entertaining and educational.

The sizzle reel: Dronehackers – Episode 0 (Sizzle Reel)

The full episode: Dronehackers – Episode 0.

294 DJI Government Edition

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DJI announces it’s “Government Edition” hardware and software to address data security fears, while one company drops Chinese drones from its services. A public safety alliance announces its board of advisors, an unmanned surface vehicle rescues swimmers, an interim report on UAS mitigation at airports is published, a drone operations app is launched in Australia, and a de-confliction service for drone flights is available via an API.

UAV News

Interior Department Approves Government Edition DJI Models

Amid all the government concerns and restrictions concerning Chinese drones, DJI has come up with a solution: the DJI Government Edition hardware and software. This is intended exclusively for government agencies and DJI says the Government Edition offers advanced security measures, ensuring governments can perform their essential drone work confidently and securely. The drone does not require activation with DJI, drones and controllers will not pair with off the shelf components, and local data mode is permanently enabled.

Video: DJI – Introducing DJI Government Edition

Technology Supplier to U.S. Police Agencies Bans Chinese Drones

California-based startup Cape says it’s going to tell its customers that it will no longer sell software that is compatible with Chinese drones. The Cape Aerial Telepresence™ software platform allows clients to quickly and remotely dispatch and operate drones to surveil incidents or crime scenes. An on-site iPad with internet connectivity is connected to the drone’s remote control transmitter. The pilot live-streams video to any iOS or Android platform and during remote operations, the teleoperator can use a computer to control the drone from anywhere.

DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety Alliance Announces Inaugural Board of Advisors

DRONERESPONDERS is a non-profit program that was formed to bring together aerial first responders, emergency managers, and search and rescue specialists. They want to foster drone operations for public safety by learning, training, and testing one another. The DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety Alliance is operated as an official program under AIRT Inc., the Airborne International Response Team, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization formed in 2017 to help provide unmanned aviation research and charitable contributions for public safety and disaster relief.

EMILY USV saves four swimmers at Oregon beach

The Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard (EMILY) USV was recently used to rescue four swimmers from the ocean at Rockaway Beach in Oregon. The unmanned surface vehicle was deployed by the Rockaway Fire Department deployed EMILY to save two young boys and their family members that tried to rescue them.

Blue Ribbon Task Force Releases Interim Report on UAS Mitigation at Airports

The Blue Ribbon Task Force on UAS Mitigation at Airports was commissioned in 2019 by AUVSI and ACI-NA to address the issue of incursions by unauthorized UAS at US airports and how best to mitigate the threat. The Task Force released its Interim Report on July 12, 2019, with over twenty recommendations to industry and government on steps that should be taken to safeguard airports from UAS incursions. The Task Force will also solicit comments on its website from interested parties.

Introducing OpenSky — a platform to empower everyone to safely access the sky

Alphabet’s Wing has formally introduced its OpenSky app for iOS and Android devices in Australia. Wing says OpenSky is “a family of software products that will give drone operators a greater understanding of, and access to, the sky around them. OpenSky products will help users comply with rules and plan flights more safely and effectively.” After entering a location, the Australian OpenSky app gives you a checklist of critical factors such as airspace restrictions, known hazardous situations, and proximity to airports and heliports. Users also get alerts that relate to emergency response situations, nearby sporting events, or other situations that may impact available airspace.

Altitude Angel Launches World First UTM Conflict Resolution Service

Altitude Angel is a U.K. aviation technology company with a purpose-built cloud platform that supports both U-Space and UTM. The company is launching a de-confliction service for drone flights that is available via its developer API platform. Altitude Angel says the Conflict Resolution Service addresses some of the key risks which prevent BVLOS operations today.