RENO, Nevada — 7-Eleven, the world’s largest convenience retailer, and Flirtey, an independent drone delivery service, have completed the first fully autonomous drone delivery to a customer’s residence to advance research toward integrating drones into the National Airspace System. The delivery was conducted in celebration of the convenience store chain’s 89th birthday. The goal of advancing […]
UAS
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 […]
Drone pilots reminded to respect wildfire operations
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Know Before You Fly campaign is reminding operators of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to respect temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) over and around wildfires as this year’s wildfire season makes an early start. Wildfires or other hazardous conditions often lead to authorities putting in place TFRs, which allow first responders to do their […]
Kansas State offers UAS students emergency management training
SALINA, Kansas — The unmanned aircraft systems program on Kansas State University’s Polytechnic Campus is adding to its academic offerings through a new collaboration with a neighboring university. Starting this fall, students in Kansas State Polytechnic’s UAS program will be able to enroll in an emergency management minor taken through Kansas Wesleyan University (KWU), which is […]
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 […]
Flirtey drone donated to the Smithsonian
The Flirtey drone used to make the first FAA-approved drone delivery in the United States has been accepted into the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, which displays the Space Shuttle Discovery, the SR-71 Blackbird and the first aircraft operated by FedEx. The six-rotor drone delivered medication to a rural medical clinic […]
Video: First ship-to-shore drone delivery
CAPE MAY COUNTY, N.J. — Independent drone delivery service Flirtey and Dr. Timothy Amukele, an assistant professor of pathology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, successfully conducted the first ship-to-shore drone delivery in the U.S. on the New Jersey coastline June 22. “Imagine a future where in the event of a natural disaster like […]
FAA finalizes rule for commercial drones
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The FAA has finalized the first operational rules for routine commercial use of small unmanned aircraft systems — also known as UAS, remotely piloted aircraft or drones.The rules are designed to open a pathway to fully integrating UAS into the nation’s airspace, according to FAA officials. “We are part of a new era in aviation, […]
Drone-related revenue estimated to hit $8.7 billion by 2025
A new report shows that annual revenue from drone-enable services — such as film and media, oil and gas, insurance, public safety and agriculture — will reach $8.7 billion annually by 2025. According to a recent report from Tractica, by the end of the next decade, annual revenue from these services will be more than double […]