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 […]
Unmanned Aerial Systems
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, […]
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 […]