Tag Archives: FAA

278 Animal Identification with Drones

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Drones that locate wildlife and select sick livestock, the FAA looks to Kittyhawk to redesign the B4UFLY app, an expanded role for LANNC, principles for autonomous vehicles in the city, a tourist is jailed for misusing a drone, and speculation about stealthy drones.

UAV News

Koala-spotting drones proves a flying success

The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) published a study in the nature journal Scientific Reports describing drones that use infrared imaging to locate koala’s, even under the eucalyptus trees. An algorithm differentiates the koalas from other animals and the system is more efficient and less invasive than traditional techniques.

Kittyhawk to redesign FAA app for drone pilots

In February 2019, the FAA entered into a partnership with Kittyhawk to redesign the B4UFly app. The FAA says Kittyhawk will redevelop B4UFLY “to improve the user experience so that recreational drone operators know where they can and cannot fly.” The current B4UFLY App will continue to be available to the public until the new App is deployed. Last fall, Kittyhawk joined the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) program. Kittyhawk investors include Boeing’s HorizonX Ventures and insurance company Travelers.

Hobbyist drone pilots will soon be required to use LAANC to fly in controlled airspace

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 establishes new conditions for recreational use of drones and repealed the Special Rule for Model Aircraft. On October 12, 2018, the FAA published a news item saying they were “evaluating the impacts” of the rule change. (FAA Reauthorization Bill Establishes New Conditions for Recreational Use of Drones.) Previously, hobbyists flying in controlled airspace had to notify the ATC tower. The new language says, “In Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport, the operator obtains prior authorization from the Administrator or designee before operating and complies with all airspace restrictions and prohibitions.”

Pittsburgh Mayor announces ‘Pittsburgh Principles’ for autonomous vehicles

Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto issued an executive order known as the “Pittsburgh Principles.” The order outlines city objectives and expectations for the safe testing of autonomous vehicles in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It also assigns responsibilities for the development of transparent and constructive reporting guidelines. The Department of Mobility and Infrastructure (DOMI) becomes the principal point of contact.

Myanmar Court Sentences Frenchman to Jail for Flying Drone

A French tourist was convicted under the Illegal Export-Import Act for flying a drone close to the parliament complex, and for bringing the drone into the country. Under the Illegal Export-Import Act, he could have been sentenced to a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment. The court sentenced him to one month in prison with hard labor minus time served, so he may be released after a week.

‪Drones Expected to Reduce Antibiotics in Livestock

The Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center is looking at drones to help identify sick or injured livestock. They are studying the use of thermal imaging sensors to look for hot spots on the animals. Instead of injecting the whole herd with antibiotics, only livestock that need an injection can receive the antibiotic.

Pocket Force Of Stealthy Avenger Drones May Have Made Returning F-117s To Service Unnecessary

There have been recent rumors that some F-117A Nighthawk stealth combat jets have been used for operations in the Middle East. The Drive says, “there is a strong possibility that the United States did deploy another aircraft, a variant of the General Atomics Avenger drone, carrying the base designation Q-11, to meet a similar requirement for a stealthy, but armed platform that could strike high value and mobile targets in contested areas.”

277 NUAIR Alliance and UAS Integration into the NAS

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The NUAIR Alliance and UAS stakeholders establish a plan to support integration into the NAS, North Dakota kills a drone privacy bill while the University of North Dakota supports drone tech for bee populations, 50 applications for LiDAR-equipped drones, drone complaints in the UK, a new FAA drone marking rule, a drone shoot-down in Australia, a UAV helped a SWAT team, an agricultural drone fleet, and Boeing’s new UAS from Australia.

UAV News

Drone Stakeholders Come Together to Plot Next Steps for UAS Integration

A two-day conference in Syracuse, New York was held with the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research (NUAIR) Alliance and more than 40 UAS stakeholders from 20 companies. Objectives to move the UAS industry forward were established, including tests to help integrate UAS into the national airspace system, BVLOS use-case scenarios, and the part to be played by the UAS test site at Griffiss International Airport.

House kills drone privacy bill in second vote, citing harm to UAS sector, language

North Dakota House Bill 1493 would have made it a Class B misdemeanor to intentionally violate another person’s privacy using unmanned aerial systems. Reasons given for voting against the bill included its impact on the UAS industry in the state, that it singled out drones, unclear language and lack of intent language in the bill.

Australian company specializing in bees taps into UND drone expertise

Australian company Bee Innovative says they “provide real-time bee identification, tracking and reporting services.” They provide early biosecurity hazard detection and significantly increase honey bee productivity. The company is working with the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks to enhance its current “BeeDar” drone technology.

50 Ways to Love Your LiDAR: How LiDAR is Used in Commercial Drone Applications

LiDAR, or Light Detection And Ranging, uses a pulsed laser to capture data that can be utilized to construct highly detailed 3D maps. This article relates many applications for LiDAR-equipped drones.

Police say drones being used to vandalise homes and stalk victims, as reports of incidents surge

Across 20 of the 45 UK police forces, there had been more than 2,400 reports of incidents involving drones last year. In 2016, there were 1,700 reports. These include cases of anti-social behavior, stalking and harassment, hate crimes, and dropping paintballs. The Home Office recently unveiled new drone legislation.

FAA imposed this big change Saturday for drone pilots

The FAA posted an Interim Final Rule in the Federal Register requiring small drone owners to display their FAA-issued registration number on an outside surface of the aircraft. Previously, owners and operators could place or write registration numbers in an interior compartment. See FAA Makes Major Drone ID Marking Change.

The FAA will consider comments from the public on this Interim Final Rule, and will then review any submissions to determine if the provisions of the ultimate Final Rule should be changed. The 30-day comment period will end on March 15, 2019. To submit comments, go to Regulations.gov.

Commercial drone shot down, police launch investigation

Australian electricity and gas network Evoen e rgy was using a drone for surveying work when it was reportedly shot down. Local landholders had experienced an increasing number of drones in the area in recent years, and farmers were concerned that drones were being used by criminals and animal activists.

This drone helped a SWAT team defuse an armed standoff

A SWAT team in Campbell, California used a 90-minute version of the Impossible Aerospace US-1 quadcopter to help end a standoff. The drone flew over the building for 45 minutes, monitoring the scene with thermal sensors and conventional cameras.

Over 400 DJI drones in world’s largest agricultural drone fleet

The Corteva Agriscience™ Agriculture Division of DowDuPont has partnered with DroneDeploy on a fleet that will be used for operations in the U.S., Europe, Canada, and Brazil.

Boeing introduces new unmanned system for global defense customers

The Airpower Teaming System is designed by Boeing Australia for global defense customers. This unmanned aircraft will complement and extend airborne missions through smart teaming with existing military aircraft. It’s Boeing’s first unmanned aircraft developed in Australia.

272 FAA Draft NPRM for Night Flying and Flights over People

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The FAA has released a draft of the NPRM that proposes rules for night flying and flights over people. Also, three UAS UTM Pilot Program projects awarded, drones survey Africa and identify illegal activity in India, Japan will issue underwater drone guidelines, and NASA contemplates a quadcopter for Titan.

UAV News

New FAA proposal would let drones fly over people and at night without a waiver

Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao released a draft NPRM [PDF] that removes waiver requirements for flying after dark and flying over people. It expands the activities permitted under Part 107.

Night flying for small UAS would be allowed without a waiver or exemption. Drone operators would be required to “complete knowledge testing or training, including new subject matter areas related to operating at night.” The sUAS would have “an anti-collision light illuminated and visible for at least 3 statute miles.”

Flights over people would be allowed without a waiver or exemption under certain conditions. The FAA proposes three categories of permissible operations over people based on the risk of injury they present.

The NPRM is to be published in the federal register soon, followed by a 60-day open comment period.

State of Nevada Unmanned Aircraft System Test Site Selected for Milestone DOT / FAA UAS Traffic Management Pilot Program

The FAA-designated State of Nevada UAS Test Site was awarded a project under the UAS UTM Pilot Program. The Smart Silver State project will focus on urban drone operations using advanced airspace, drone, and sensor technology. The Nevada UAS Test Site proposal included over 20 partners and the project will be demonstrated in the City of Reno with additional testing in other areas.

Drones for good: UAVs help survey poorly mapped areas of Africa

Many areas in rural Africa are poorly mapped and having GPS doesn’t help disaster relief agencies and local authorities. Now people in Tanzania are volunteering to survey unmapped areas with drones. In Zanzibar, a mapping initiative was started in 2016 to survey about 900 square miles with senseFly eBee drones taking high-resolution images.

Government keen on drones with night-vision to track illegal sand mining

Eight months ago the Indian government started a UAV surveillance project targeting illegal riverbed sand mining. Forty-six UAV missions were flown with a 48 percent success rate. Now the Geology & Mining Department is looking at fixed-wing drones with infrared for night surveillance.

Japan to set rules for drones

The Japanese government plans to issue guidelines for underwater drones by fiscal 2020. This is a response to increased private sector use for missions such as inspecting offshore wind power plants and underwater pipelines. Expected guidelines include collision avoidance mechanisms and collection of drones after their batteries are depleted.

NASA May Decide This Year to Land a Drone on Saturn’s Moon Titan

The proposed Dragonfly mission to explore Saturn’s moon Titan is one of the options NASA is considering. Titan has a thick atmosphere (four times as dense as Earth) which allows for a flying vehicle instead of a rover. The quadcopter would fly to multiple sites to conduct experiments, recharging its flight batteries via nuclear power. The project is led by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab.

Artist's impression of Dragonfly at work on Titan's surface. — Artist’s impression of Dragonfly at work on Titan’s surface. Dragonfly’s focused instrument payload would help scientists answer key questions about prebiotic chemistry and astrobiology, meteorology, geophysics and geomorphology. Image credit: Johns Hopkins APL.

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From Rupprecht Law: Drone Sprayers: Uses, Laws & Regulations, Tips to Save Money

268 Drone Surveillance Systems

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Drone surveillance systems for your home, around your yacht, and at maritime ports. Also, Intel inspects bridges with drones, a drone down under flies over an Airport, and a former FAA Administrator finds a home with drones.

The "Bee" drone surveillance system. Courtesy Sunflower Labs. — The “Bee” drone surveillance system. Courtesy Sunflower Labs.

UAV News

Sunflower Labs is building a drone surveillance system for high-end homes

Sunflower Labs is developing an outdoor home security system with three components: an autonomous drone with a camera called the “Bee,” sensors that also light up the area called “Sunflowers,” and a self-charging station for the done called the “Hive.” The Sunflowers identify people, cars, and animals and determine speed and direction of approach. The Bee flies autonomously to the scene, guided by the Sunflower sensors, and streams live video. When the Bee is done, it returns to the Hive which recharges the drone, protects it from the weather, and houses the system’s computer.

Port of Amsterdam trials GPS-based UAV monitoring system

Martek Anti-Drone Systems is providing its M.A.D.S. (Marine Anti-Drone System) in a 4-week trial at the Port of Amsterdam. Port customers are looking at their own legitimate drone operations but there is also the opportunity for illegal drone operations. The Port wants to find out who is flying what, where, and why.

Martek also markets its system to yacht owners. When a threat is detected, M.A.D.S. creates an electronic exclusion zone around the yacht. If a drone enters, the system blocks the drone’s control/video communications signal, which initiates the drone’s fail-safe mode to land or returns to its operator.

Intel Collaborates with Two Departments of Transportation for UAS Bridge Inspections

Intel’s Falcon 8+ drone hardware and software were used for bridge inspections and the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge over the Ohio River connecting Ohio and Kentucky, and the Stone Arch Bridge in Minnesota, a pedestrian and bicycle bridge.

The 8-lane Daniel Carter Beard Bridge would normally experience lane closures for the inspection. With inspection by drone, this was not required. Inspection hours at the Stone Arch Bridge was reduced by 28 percent, at a cost savings of about 40 percent. Video: Intel Commercial Drones Speed Up US Bridge Inspections.

Hunt after drone flies near plane at Perth Airport

A drone was spotted flying over Perth Airport, first by a pilot in a plane taking off and then by an airport worker. Air traffic control alerted all pilots and the Federal Police and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority were notified. Neither the drone nor the operator has been found.

Mr. Michael Huerta, Former USA FAA Administrator, has Joined ParaZero’s Advisory Board

Huerta is now on the Advisory Board at ParaZero, the drone parachute system we talked about in Episode #262.

Mentioned

The UAV Digest will be attending the 4th Annual FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Symposium, February 12-14, 2019 at the Baltimore Convention Center. The FAA, industry, academia and other government agencies will discuss the latest topics related to the growing use of UAS and its integration into the national airspace. Registration for the 2019 event is now open.

266 A Modular Drone Taxi

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Audi and Airbus demonstrate a drone taxi, Piaggio Aerospace goes into receivership, drones map the Great Wall of China, drone recovery by parachute, industry concerns about the pace of drone regulations.

UAV News

Audi and Airbus’ Idea of the Future is Modular Drone Taxis

Watch Audi, Italdesign and Airbus design and test an autonomous flying taxi

Audi, Airbus, and Italdesign showed a 1:4 scale model of a drone taxi concept during Drone Week in Amsterdam. The drone picks up the cab of an autonomous vehicle and delivers it to its destination. The “Pop.Up Next” is modular and includes a road module, a cabin module, and a flight module. Audi is testing in South America with Airbus subsidiary Voom.

The president of Italdesign said, “Flying taxis are on the way. We at Audi are convinced of that. More and more people are moving to cities. And more and more people will be mobile thanks to automation. In the future, senior citizens, children, and people without a driver’s license will want to use convenient robot taxis. If we succeed in making a smart allocation of traffic between roads and airspace, people and cities can benefit in equal measure.”

Video: AUDI Flying Car prototype – Flying cars are on the way!

Piaggio Aerospace seek receivership

Piaggio Aerospace has asked to be put in receivership. Is this the end of the P1.HH Hammerhead, or will the Italian government step in? The Italian Air Force was to be the launch customer for three systems.

China’s Great Wall is ‘crumbling,’ and drones are being used to save it

Chinese authorities are using drones to map and measure sections of the wall. As much as 30% of the walls are crumbling and in danger of being lost. BBC reports that data collected by the drones are already being used to build support structures.

Why It’s So Incredibly Hard to Attach a Parachute to a Drone

If one motor of a multicopter fails, a drone goes unstable. Try to launch a parachute and it might get shredded by the other rotors. Indemnis has a solution called Nexus. A tube is inflated at 30 psi in 30 milliseconds with the end away from the rotors. The parachute ejects from that tube with a launch velocity of 90 mph. The company hopes this will facilitate allowing flights over people.

Drone Rules Likely Still Years Away, Dragging on Industry’s Growth

FAA regulations for BVLOS, flights over people, night flying, etc. are taking a long time. Some trade-association leaders think it will be 2022 before this is worked out. Brian Wynne, president and chief executive of AUVSI says, “I’m not happy about it.” George Mathew, chairman and chief executive of Kespry says, “There has been a process of kicking the can down the road.” Meanwhile, an FAA spokesman says, “We have to get this right the first time. We are moving as quickly as possible to address the complex issues.”

Mentioned

Interlocking Brick System MicroQuad

The Festo SmartBird, inspired by the herring gull.

An unbelievable image proves the shape of the B-2 stealth bomber was suggested by Mother Nature

265 AUVSI’s Trusted Operator Program

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AUVSI creates the Trusted Operator Program (TOP) for professional certification, Aurora Flight Sciences builts the Odysseus HALE aircraft, fast food delivery service generates some complaints, the DRL announces the Alpha Pilot Challenge for autonomous drone racers, the Office of Aviation Services wants information about using drones to fight wildfires, and the Office of the Inspector General conducted an audit of the FAA’s UAS waiver process.

UAV News

Unmanned systems: New AUVSI Trusted UAS Operator Program

AUVSI worked with industry experts to create the Trusted Operator Program™ (TOP) for professional certification. AUVSI says the program was created “to raise the trust and acceptance of the use of unmanned aircraft around the world. TOP is a professional unmanned systems community initiative aimed at supporting industry accepted remote pilot standards and protocols, which will result in the safe and sustainable advancement of the industry.”

The program features three certification levels where each corresponds to the level of safety precautions required. Level one covers relatively low-risk operations for flights under Part 107. Level two is for companies that conduct flights near expensive infrastructure requiring an FAA waiver. Level three addresses flights in “safety critical” environments, such as near chemical, oil, gas, nuclear or mining facilities, even if they are offshore and no waiver is required.

TOP training providers:

TOP Certification bodies:

TOP uses a set of safety protocols and includes aviation regulations from the Federal Aviation Administration, Civil Aviation Safety Authorities, Directorates General of Civil Aviation and others.

Aurora Builds Stratospheric Solar Aircraft With Boeing’s Backing

ODYSSEUS: Global Reach, Airborne for Months, Powered by the Sun

Aurora Flight Sciences built the 243-foot span Odysseus, a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) aircraft. Odysseus uses lithium-polymer batteries and Alta Devices thin-film gallium-arsenide solar cells. Flight testing is scheduled to begin in 2019 in Puerto Rico. The first aircraft is battery-powered and the second and third aircraft will be solar-powered.

The Odysseus High Altitude Long Endurance drone. Courtesy Aurora Flight Sciences.

Odysseus uses thin-walled carbon-fiber tubes bonded together into box-section trusses for the wing spar and fuselages, and truss ribs for the wing and tails.

Food delivery drones are annoying residents in Australia because…of course!

Launched by Wing, an initiative from Alphabet X, Google’s parent company, the trial fast food delivery service in Canberra, Australia is generating some complaints. Some residents find the drones noisy, they scare away local birds, and they are perceived as an invasion of privacy.

The Next ESport Craze: Autonomous Drone Racing

The Drone Racing League has announced the Alpha Pilot Challenge for autonomous drone racers. Using the same courses that human drone pilots use, the series is intended to accelerate the pace of innovation. Eventually, the autonomous drone racers will be pitted against human pilots.

OAS Requests Information for Heavy-Lift UAS During Wildfires

The Office of Aviation Services (OAS) wants information about using drones to carry water and fire retardant and conduct heavy-lift cargo delivery during wildfires and emergency situations. See the solicitation: Heavy-lift Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) to conduct cargo delivery during wildfires.

OIG Audits FAA on Drone Waivers, Calls for Eight Actions

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conducted an audit of the FAA’s unmanned aircraft system waiver process between May 2017 and September 2018. In a summary of its findings, the OIG says the FAA has “established processes for reviewing and granting waivers but has experienced difficulties obtaining sufficient information, managing the volume of requests and communicating with applicants, particularly in explaining reasons for denying requests.”

“As a result, FAA’s Flight Standards office has disapproved 73 percent of operational waiver requests (e.g., over people and beyond line of sight), and a significant backlog of waiver requests to operate in airspace with manned aircraft exists,” the audit summary explains.

On the FAA’s “risk-based oversight system,” OIG says, “While FAA has developed guidance for planning annual inspections, few UAS operators have received inspections to verify their compliance with regulations and the terms of their waivers. Moreover, the agency’s ability to perform meaningful risk-based surveillance is hindered by limited access to detailed UAS operator, FAA inspection, and risk data. As a result, FAA does not have assurance of operators’ compliance with regulations, is not well-positioned to develop an oversight strategy, and is missing opportunities to gather information that will help shape rulemaking and policies.”

The audit offers eight recommendations for the FAA:

Assess the workforce tasked with reviewing waiver and authorization requests to determine if Air Traffic Organization (ATO) staffing is adequate, and take appropriate action as needed.
Assess the performance of the ATO’s non-automated airspace waiver request process to determine if volume and timeliness goals would improve the process, and if so, implement these goals.
Implement performance metrics for the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) to evaluate its effect on application processing volume and timeliness, and take appropriate action as needed.
Create internal controls to improve consistency in standard template responses used to correspond with applicants regarding requests for information.
Update National Flight Standards Work Program Guidelines to require field offices to perform inspections on a sample of commercial drone operators in their area for a two-year period (designed to increase available inspection data for creating a risk profile of UAS).
Develop a baseline risk assessment profile of small commercial drone operators to inform inspector surveillance planning decisions, as well as procedures to periodically update this profile.
Issue guidance to field offices on how to obtain FAA information on waiver- and/or authorization-holding UAS operators (designed to help inform their inspection planning).
Provide clarifying guidance to UAS operators regarding the small UAS rule’s provision relating to operations over people.

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‘Lambulance’ drones used to check animal health in lambing season

UAV261 Universal Traffic Management

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Skyward urges the industry to think Universal Traffic Management, Ryanair CEO looks to autonomous airliners, Hoverfly introduces a new tethered drone, NYPD eyes drone threats, FAA reauthorization addresses drones, looking for a kangaroo, and testing drone impacts on an airplane wing.

UAV News

Skyward Works to Redefine UTM as ‘Universal Traffic Management’

To this point, “UTM” has meant UAS Traffic Management, but Mariah Scott, President at Skyward, A Verizon company, says we should think of “Universal Traffic Management.”

Novartis to cut 500 UK jobs, Ryanair CEO says ‘pilot-less planes’ could become reality, and more top news

BusinessInsider reports that Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary says that we’ll see autonomous planes in the next 40 to 50 years.

Hoverfly introduces new tethered LiveSky SENTRY drone

Hoverfly Technologies Inc. a manufacturer of tether-powered drones, introduced their new LiveSky SENTRY, an all-weather, military-grade UAS.

NYPD looking to the skies for drones during UN meetings

The New York Police Department had in mind the threat of a drone attack as they provided security for the recent UN General Assembly meetings.

Approved FAA Reauthorization Act Allows Government to Control, Confiscate Drones

The new FAA reauthorization act grants authorities new powers, while the Academy of Model Aeronautics says that under Section 349 [PDF] members should continue to fly in accordance with AMA’s safety guidelines.

Drones help search for runaway kangaroo in Florida

A kangaroo in South Florida named Storm escaped and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers used two drones to help in the search.

UAV Video of the Week

Even small drones, like a DJI Phantom, pose a risk to manned aircraft

The University of Dayton Research Institute’s Impact Physics Lab conducted tests designed to simulate a drone striking an airplane mid-air at 238 mph. A DJI Phantom 2 drone was launched into the wing of a Mooney M20 aircraft.

Are Drones Dangerous?

UAV255 Virginia UAS Integration Pilot Program

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Project Wing demonstrates package delivery under the Virginia UAS Integration Pilot Program, Zephyr achieves altitude and duration records, DARPA recharges drones with lasers, drone-themed tours entice enthusiasts, FAA details shortcomings with many waiver applications, and DroneSeed raises venture capital.

Wing package delivery drone flying under the Virginia UAS Integration Pilot Program.

UAV News

Country’s first long-distance, residential drone delivery touches down in Montgomery County neighborhood

Alphabet subsidiary Wing is a partner in the Virginia UAS Integration Pilot Program, which had proposed package delivery in Wise County, Montgomery and Roanoke counties, and Loudoun County. Under the Pilot Program, Wing can now fly long distances, over people, and beyond visual line of sight. Demonstration flights are underway.

Zephyr claims new endurance record

The Airbus Defence and Space Zephyr ‘pseudo-satellite’ has achieved an endurance record with a 26-day flight. At the same time, the solar-powered production-standard Zephyr S also set an altitude record for a UAV in its class at 70,740 ft. A Zephyr has previously held the record with a 14-day flight in 2010. Note that the record still has to be officially ratified by the FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale).

Drones Recharged by a Laser Could Fly Forever

DARPA’s Stand-off Ubiquitous Power/Energy Replenishment – Power Beaming Demo (SUPER PBD) uses lasers to recharge drone batteries. The Silent Falcon drone has solar panels on the wings and batteries in the fuselage. When batteries get low lasers are aimed at the solar panels to recharge them.

Tour operators take a flyer on multi-thousand-dollar drone photography trips

The New York Times Journeys travel program now offers the Drone Photography Journey, departing June 2019 for an eight-day trek around Norway. Daily drone-photography sessions will be led by a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer. You can bring your own drone or use one of theirs. As an alternative, Airbnb Experiences offers single day, lower cost drone experiences.

FAA: Why Most Drone Rule Waiver Applications Crash and Burn

In 2018 to date, the FAA has reviewed 11,345 waiver applications, and only 16% of them were approved. At the FAA webinar on applying for Part 107 operational waivers, the agency noted that almost 8,000 of the rejections were for incomplete information and another 800 made “an insufficient safety case.” The biggest issue: not reading the requirements and leaving information out or not being specific enough.

A Seattle Startup Is Pioneering a New Way to Use Drones in Agriculture

As we described in Episode 195, the FAA approved delivery of agricultural payloads by DroneSeed with drone swarms. The company planned to plant tree seeds and spray fertilizer and herbicides on trees. In this update, we see that DroneSeed now has eight employees, they raised over $3 million in venture-capital backing, and two large timber companies are now DroneSeed customers. One pilot operates up to five drones, each carrying four gallons of payload with a 20-minute spray time. Planting tree seeds could take another year or so.

UAV253 High Altitude Pseudo Satellite Drone

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A pseudo satellite drone with deformable wings, an agricultural drone that sprays crops, a project for drone applications in cities, the FAA makes a Federal preemption statement, a payment concept for drone package delivery, and a deformable drone that absorbs impacts.

A high altitude pseudo satellite. Courtesy UAVOS Inc.

UAV News

Prototype Solar-Powered, High-Altitude UAV Undergoing Flight Tests

The UAVOS Inc. HAPS (High Altitude Pseudo Satellite) aircraft is solar-powered with a flexible wing for control. The ApusDuo prototype has been flown more than 1000 hours at altitudes of up to 65,617 feet (20,000 meters). Flight tests confirmed the aircraft can handle turbulence by actively changing the bend of the wing. UAVOS specializes in the design, development, and manufacturing of unmanned vehicles and autopilot systems and components. Their solutions range from small industrial surveillance drones to large UAVs.

North Dakota State University’s Herbicide-Spraying Drone Covers 33 Acres in an Hour

The University’s Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering department is using an AG V6+ agriculture drone from Homeland Surveillance & Electronics. It holds four gallons of herbicide and flies autonomously for 30 minutes, covering 33 acres in one hour. The department’s “smart farm” project looks to deploy the drone in precise areas of land and fly autonomously without the need for a high-resolution imaging drone.

Promotional video: AG v6a+ UAV Crop Sprayer

Report: UK has golden opportunity to shape future of drones

The Nesta innovation foundation conducted the Flying High Challenge pilot project to investigate applications for drones in cities. The objectives of the Challenge were to shape plans for the future of drones in UK cities, identify and address key complexities, and detail technical and economic plans. The project collaborated with five cities to analyze socially beneficial use cases. See the final report: Flying High: The future of drone technology in UK cities

FAA Clarifies Federal Authority Over Drone Rulemaking

Some state and local governments have passed laws that regulate drones, but who has authority over the airspace? In Press Release – FAA Statement–Federal vs. Local Drone Authority, the FAA says, “Congress has provided the FAA with exclusive authority to regulate aviation safety, the efficiency of the navigable airspace, and air traffic control, among other things. State and local governments are not permitted to regulate any type of aircraft operations, such as flight paths or altitudes, or the navigable airspace.” But local governments can control landing sites through their land use powers.

Worldpay’s Drone Delivery Mat Identifies Customer Before Releasing Package

While many companies are developing package delivery systems, Worldpay is thinking about the payment system: how the customer ensures they receive the package and how the seller ensures they get paid? Worldpay’s idea is that customers get a portable landing pad tied to their credit card, the delivery drone lands on the pad, and the drone confirms the delivery location is correct. Then payment is authorized and the package is released. Worldpay’s Drone Pay proof-of-concept uses EMV contactless payment card technology embedded into the drone landing pad.

Demonstration video: Drone Pay by Worldpay

https://youtu.be/YR9s_lp9l30

An insect-inspired drone deforms upon impact

Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) developed a drone that deforms on impact. The design is inspired by insect wings and also by origami. The hybrid origami drone can be stiff or flexible depending on the circumstances. The structure is stiff when airborne but if the drone runs into something, it becomes flexible and absorbs the shock.

Video: An insect-inspired drone deforms upon impact

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Webinar Invitation by the UAVs for Payload Delivery Working Group

August 1, 2018, 10am Eastern (GMT-4)

The newly developed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Procurement Guide will be shared by the USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program – Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project. The guide’s purpose is to share lessons and insight from the project’s experience to help other organizations undertaking similar efforts. The guide will prevent them from reinventing the wheel or starting from zero to expedite the rate at which this technology is applied and scaled up. This webinar is open to anyone to attend.

UAV251 General Atomics MQ-9B Flies Across the Atlantic

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A General Atomics remotely piloted drone flew across the Atlantic, military drone documents found on the dark web, Google’s delivery drone project moves forward, and recreational drone registration reaffirmed.

The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9B SkyGuardian.

The MQ-9B SkyGuardian remotely piloted aircraft. Courtesy General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.

UAV News

First ever trans-Atlantic drone flight lands in UK

The civilian-registered and remotely piloted General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardian flew 3,760 nautical miles from the Grand Sky park at the Grand Forks Air Force in North Dakota to the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford in Gloucestershire, UK in 24 hours and two minutes. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) says, “MQ-9B is the next generation of GA-ASI’s multi-mission Predator® B fleet. GA-ASI named its baseline MQ-9B aircraft SkyGuardian, and the maritime surveillance variant SeaGuardian. MQ-9B is a “type-certifiable” version of the MQ-9 Predator B product line. It’s [an]… RPA that can meet the stringent airworthiness type-certification requirements of various military and civil authorities, including the UK Military Airworthiness Authority (MAA) and the U.S. FAA… Type-certification, together with an extensively tested collision avoidance system, will allow unrestricted operations in all classes of civil airspace.”

AOPA Drone Social tickets almost gone

A few free seats remain available for the AOPA Drone Social during EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on July 27, 2018. Food and beverages will be provided, and a 20-minute presentation by event sponsor PrecisionHawk will be followed by time to network and socialize. Register now.

US Reaper drone data leaked on dark web, researchers say

Someone hacked into an Air Force captain’s computer and accessed documents. They included a private list of airmen working with General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper drones as well as maintenance and course material. The threat intelligence firm Recorded Future posted in their blog post, Military Reaper Drone Documents Leaked on the Dark Web, “On June 1, 2018, while monitoring criminal actor activities on the deep and dark web, Recorded Future’s Insikt Group identified an attempted sale of what we believe to be highly sensitive U.S. Air Force documents. Specifically, an English-speaking hacker claimed to have access to export-controlled documents pertaining to the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Insikt analysts engaged the hacker and confirmed the validity of the compromised documents. Insikt Group identified the name and country of residence of an actor associated with a group we believe to be responsible. This analysis is available to our customers via Insikt’s blog. We continue to assist law enforcement in their investigation.”

Google’s Parent Births New Businesses: Balloons and Drones

Two projects operated within the research lab of Google’s parent company Alphabet have now been moved out of the research lab and into their own Alphabet business units. “Wing” is the delivery drone project using fixed-wing VTOL drones that have made test deliveries in Australia. “Loon” is the high altitude balloon project that provides internet connectivity for rural or disaster areas.

FAA Says Avoid Drone Registration Schemes

The FAA warns against entities that offer to help drone owners and operators file an application for a registration number. Some attempt to mimic the look of the FAA’s website with similar graphic design and even the FAA logo. You can easily register yourself for $5 at the FAA Drone Zone. These registrations apply to those flying for recreational, commercial, governmental, or other purposes under Part 107. Also to those flying model aircraft under Section 336, the special rule for model aircraft.

Drone Regulations in U.S. Withstand a Hobbyist’s Legal Challenge

Back in episode 195, we reported that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down the FAA’s drone registration requirement for recreational UAV operators. John A. Taylor argued that the FAA requirement violated the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act passed by Congress. Since then, Congress passed a law allowing registration of hobbyist drones. Taylor requested that FAA rules be invalidated arguing that all hobbyists, not just those exempted by Congress, should be exempt from the law. But the appellate court said, “Because the rule is within the agency’s statutory authority and is neither arbitrary nor capricious, the petition for review is denied.”