When it comes to unmanned air vehicle airspace integration, a blame game is typically played out between industry, users and regulators on why these operations still come second to manned aviation. While users are largely at the mercy of all other parties, regulators claim the technology is not safe enough to fully open up the airspace, and industry is refraining from investing significant sums...
The Royal Australian Navy is looking to acquire an interim vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft system (UAS). A request for tender (RFT) for the Navy Minor Project (NMP) 1942, released on the AusTender website on February 26 (with a closing date of April 11), seeks to procure a “proven” VTOL ‘Maritime Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System &nd...
In the first fully autonomous urban flight, a drone made a parcel delivery to a residence in Hawthorne, Nevada. It wasn’t from Amazon though. A startup company dispatched the package containing bottled water, emergency food, and a first aid-kit. Created by a Nevada-based startup Flirtey, the drone test flight beat out competitor Amazon.com, Inc. “Conducting the first drone delive...
The UK Airprox Board (UKAB) released their reviews of 25 recently reported air proximity occurrences. Four of these cases involved drones. On 13 October 2015, the pilot of an Airbus A380 reported being on the DET 1J SID from London-Heathrow Airport. In the right turn, the crew observed a large object at the same altitude which appeared to be taking avoiding action. The...
Amazon wants a future where drones will drop off practically anything you order within 30 minutes. To push legislation that will ensure the skies are filled with its autonomous, flying delivery robots, the e-commerce giant has ramped up its lobbying strategy in Washington, D.C. Amazon spent $9.4 million on lobbying in 2015, almost twice the total from the year before, according to records from...
European aviation regulators have vowed to implement new rules governing the commercial use of unmanned air vehicles this year in a bid to provide certainty to the fledgling industry. The proposed risk-based regulations were only released 12 months ago, but Trevor Woods, certification director for the European Aviation Safety Association (EASA), believes more needs to be done to bring "cla...
Mountain Aviation of Denver Colorado has received FAA approval as the first FAA certified airline authorized to conduct commercial unmanned aircraft systems (“UAS” or “Drones”) operations. After 23 years of operating private jets for business and leisure travelers, Mountain Aviation is expanding its product offering into the newly regulated field of commercial Drone ope...
Lockheed Martin’s unmanned SR-72 aircraft concept has surfaced again with renewed vigour, with company leadership now pushing a reusable, air-breathing hypersonic vehicle as an “affordable” way to validate a new propulsion concept for achieving speeds within the atmosphere between Mach 6.0 to Mach 20. Speaking at a Lockheed media event in Washington DC on 15 March, company chi...
Sikorsky's first CH-53K King Stallion has achieved speeds of 120kts as the heavy-lift helicopter development project presses forward with flight envelope expansion and adds a second test aircraft to the mix. The Lockheed Martin-owned rotorcraft manufacturer says its second triple-engine giant achieved flight on 22 January, and the two developmental aircraft have logged 35 flight hours since...
A team led by a 15-year-old pilot from England took first place Saturday in the World Drone Prix, a new contest hoping to take flight both in this Mideast country fascinated by the technology and with sports fans worldwide. Luke Bannister of Somerset led Tornado X-Blades Banni UK to win a $250,000 purse, part of $1 million in prizes handed out in the inaugural edition of this race as a Cabinet-...
The DJI Phantom 4 can see and avoid obstacles in its path. Chinese drone maker DJI wants to make flying a drone so easy that anyone can do it, thanks to easier-to-use controls and the ability to avoid obstacles. The $1,399 Phantom 4 can see and automatically avoid dangerous obstructions thanks to a new set of front-facing sensors. If the drone doesn’t think it can make it around a...
The FAA says it’s receiving more than 100 reports a month from pilots and others who spot unmanned aircraft flying close to airports or airplanes. The agency has partnered with CACI International to explore how the company’s prototype detection technology could help detect UAS in the vicinity of airports. CACI’s proof-of-concept system uses radio frequency sensors at strategic...
