Washington becomes the first state to use drones to cover up graffiti.
drones
Video: Soccer in the sky
An NBC news report looks at a drone soccer program at the Sato Academy of Mathematics and Sciences in Long Beach, California. Compared to the Harry Potter game Quidditch, drone soccer is producing some of the school’s star athletes, according to the report by Gadi Schwartz, who notes the school has placed first in every competition it enters.
First flight: Solar-powered Skydweller
Skydweller, an uncrewed solar-powered aircraft that has a wingspan greater than a 747, completed its first flight April 4, 2024. According to company officials, the aircraft, took off, flew, and landed by itself, without humans on board or in control, from Stennis International Airport (KHSA) in Bay St Louis, Mississippi.
Drone pilots now must comply with Remote ID
The FAA has ended its discretionary enforcement policy on remote identification for drones. That means pilots who do not comply could face fines and suspension or revocation of their drone pilot certificates.
Getting Started with Drones and Model Airplanes released
Written for a beginning remote pilot, the new book will help readers understand how drones and model airplanes work and how to fly them safely.
Picture of the Day: Cub from above
Chip Newman submitted this photo and note: “This is a picture of my 1945 Cub “Wendybird” at Hartness State Airport (KVSF) in Springfield, Vermont. My son Phil Newman took the picture with a drone while he was visiting from Los Angeles.”
Choctaw Nation awarded expanded FAA approval for BVLOS operations for drones
“CNO’s continued success of demonstrating safe and controlled Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations is critical to meet the growing demand for the many use cases of drones including, but not limited to, package delivery, search and rescue operations, infrastructure inspection, and much more,” adds Marcus Hartman, Aviation Operations Senior Manager for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
One step closer to developing Skyway Range in Oklahoma
Skyway Range is a flight test facility that connects Oklahoma State University’s Unmanned Aircraft Flight Station — currently OAIRE’S primary unmanned aerial systems (UAS) flight test facility — with the Osage Nation Skyway36 Droneport, and eventually link to downtown Tulsa. This corridor will be unique in both its breadth but also in its proximity to an urban center, according to officials.
12 Days of Drones
The FAA is launching a new safety campaign, 12 Days of Drones, to educate people who are giving — and receiving — drones during the upcoming holiday season.