The Reno Air Racing Association has signed an agreement with MultiGP Drone Racing League to host the National Drone Racing Championship during this year’s National Championship Air Races, which are slated for Sept. 13-17, 2017. The championship will be held in the Drone Zone. The top two pilots from each of the 14 MultiGP regional […]
RPA
The easiest certificate ever, Part II
Christmas came early for me. Back in October I completed all the requirements to add a Remote Pilot certificate to my list of ratings and certificates. In the mail the week of Dec. 5 came my official certificate from the FAA. As I walked back from the mailbox, envelope in hand, my emotions quickly ran […]
‘Enter the Drones: The FAA and UAVs in America’ published
Schiffer Publishing has released “Enter the Drones: The FAA and UAVs in America.” The book details how UAVs — unmanned aerial vehicles, remotely piloted aircraft, drones, unmanned aerial systems, the labels vayr — are a disruptive technology on par with computers and smartphones. Present since soon after the dawn of manned aviation, they have become controversial only in recent […]
Facebook flies full-scale solar-powered Aquila
Facebook — the ubiquitous social network — is determined to connect the entire population of the world to the internet. For remote areas, where traditional infrastructure isn’t possible, Facebook designed Aquila. “When complete, Aquila will be able to circle a region up to 60 miles in diameter, beaming connectivity down from an altitude of more than 60,000 feet […]
Consumer drone sales predicted to increase tenfold by 2021
Falling prices and increased capabilities are driving strong consumer interest in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) — also known as drones or remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) — for aerial imaging, recreation, and aerial games, according to a new report. Rapid advances in technology and economies of scale have enabled consumer drones to be prototyped and sold at an […]
First ship-to-shore drone delivery test slated
A team of medical personnel, emergency management specialists and drone technology experts, including from New Jersey Institute of Technology‘s New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII), will conduct the first ship-to-shore drone delivery in the U.S. on June 23 on the New Jersey coastline. The flights will demonstrate the capacity of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to provide […]
Updated analysis shows drop in UAS sightings
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) has released an updated analysis of the FAA’s drone data which finds a month-by-month decline in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) sightings since peaking in August 2015. The apparent decrease in monthly sightings is remarkable as it comes despite an influx of nearly 700,000 to 1 million new devices sold […]
Model Code of Conduct released for pilots flying near unmanned aircraft
Flight Safety in the Drone Age (FSDA) has been released by the Aviators Model Code of Conduct Initiative’s Permanent Editorial Board. The publication offers voluntary guidance to advance the safety of flight when operating near unmanned aircraft also known as drones or remotely piloted aircraft (RPA). The product of peer review within the manned and unmanned aviation […]
Air Tractor enters RPA market
OLNEY, Texas — Air Tractor has expanded into the field of unmanned aerial systems, also known as drones or remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), with the recent acquisition of Hangar 78 UAV, and its flagship aircraft, the Yield Defender unmanned aerial system (UAS). “We have done our research, and it’s clear that aggressively investing and further developing unmanned […]