UAV News Talk – Drone News, eVTOLs, UAS Policy & Air Mobility

Canada selects a national drone management system, BlueBird Aero Systems wins a large UAS order, North Texas aims to educate new drone flyers, Freedom of Information Act produces mystery drone emails, flying over (and into) the Golden Gate Bridge, and drones that monitor environmental changes.

UAV NewsNAV Canada signs strategic deal to help manage drones

NAV Canada has selected Unifly to provide a national system with digital services for safely operating and managing drones in Canadian airspace. The system has an intuitive user interface and Canadian drone pilots can use the web and mobile apps to identify safe and legal airspace. Requests for authorization to fly in controlled airspace can be made and drone flights planned. See also the Unifly YouTube channel.

BlueBird Aero Systems Secures an Order for Over 150 Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) UAS

BlueBird Aero Systems received an order for more than 150 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAS of various categories. A European military customer has ordered the WanderB-VTOL Mini UAV and ThunderB-VTOL Tactical UAV. These will be operated by infantry soldiers, armored units, artillery corps, and special forces. The order is worth “tens of millions of euros.”

“Know Before You Fly”: North Texas Community Steps Up to Provide Drone Flyers with Resources

The North Texas UAS Safety and Integration Task Force is working to provide new drone flyers with a free “Know Before You Fly” training workshop. They are working with sponsors including Women and Drones, AUVSI Lonestar, and drone industry solution providers. The Task Force, under the North Central Texas Council of Governments, wants to help mitigate reckless UAS operations and promote the safe integration of UAS technology into the DFW regional airspace.

Internal Air Force Emails Show Confusion And Concern Over Colorado’s Mystery Drones

There has been no serious explanation of the mystery drones that were spotted in several states. However, a volunteer researcher operating in affiliation with the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies recently obtained emails through the Freedom of Information Act that include internal communications of the public affairs office at F.E. Warren Air Force Base and the 90th Security Forces Group. The heavily redacted emails indicate that the military took the sightings seriously.

Drones fly illegally and crash at the Golden Gate Bridge in hunt for photos

People are violating the prohibition of flying drones in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which surrounds the Golden Gate Bridge. Five drones have crashed onto the roadway, and an additional drone crashed into one of the towers. Park rangers handle drone enforcement in the National Recreation Area, have issued citations, and have seized drones.

Monitoring climate change from the sky: DRONES could play a ‘critical role’ in tracking the effects of global warming but only if their battery life improves, expert claims

Drones can be used to monitor climate change over large areas. But they need to stay aloft a long time to collect data, and drones with long flight times are expensive. Researchers at the University of Southampton are working with Dr. Ewan Kirk to develop new drones and batteries that are less expensive and fly longer. Three teams of fourth-year students will work to create better drones, then test them by monitoring a live volcano in Guatemala.

Micro-drones for law enforcement, a laser C-UAS system, DJI and the Coronavirus, drone remote ID interaction with manned aircraft, airplane modelers and remote ID, and a new reality show featuring drones.

UAV NewsCalif. PD deploys new indoor micro-drones

The Sacramento Police Department is testing micro-drones indoors during conflicts. Drones with video cameras can give officers a real-time view and they can also avoid direct physical confrontations with suspects. The Sacramento police have a fleet of 12 small FPV drones that cost only about $90.

This Is How a Laser Weapon Torches Drones Out of the Sky

In a just-released video, you can watch a C-UAS system from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems take down drones with a laser. The system is truck-mounted on a Land Rover Defender and a DJI Phantom plays the role of a hostile drone. The system detects the Phantom, tracks it, and fires a high-powered laser. The laser continues to melt the drone even as it tries to maneuver.

Video: RAFAEL's DRONE DOME with LASER Intercepts Multiple Targets

DJI drones join worldwide fight against Coronavirus

DJI explained how its drones have been helping fight the Coronavirus. The company has pledged almost $1.5 million in aid and developed best practices for spraying a chlorine or ethyl alcohol-based disinfectant from the air. DJI adapted its Agras series of agricultural spraying drones to spray disinfectant in potentially affected areas.

FAA Exploring How Manned Aviation Can Benefit from Drone Remote ID

The FAA’s roadmap for integrating unmanned aircraft into the NAS relies on remote ID, but how will the remote ID signals from drones interact with manned aviation? The FAA plans to ask industry that question and is Internally discussing a request for information on how manned aviation could take advantage of remote identification signals.

Oklahoma model aircraft hobbyists fight back against drone proposal

The Academy of Model Aeronautics and Oklahoma model aircraft fliers have some problems with the FAA’s proposal for remote ID. The 400-foot requirement is not far enough for an RC glider. The FAA needs to have a compliance path for competitions outside the fixed sites. Adding a transmitter to a low-risk aircraft is too expensive and Remote ID requires access to the Internet. Also, the AMA doesn’t want owners to have to individually register every aircraft. NPRM comments are being accepted until March 2, 2020.

Reality show to highlight role of drones in difficult survey ops

A new reality series called “Down to Earth” shows real surveyors working with drones under challenging conditions. The surveyors use aerial drone imagery and analysis and the series is sponsored by MicroDrones. Viewers can register to watch a one-hour webinar at either 9 am ET or 6 pm ET February 19, 2020, covering episodes 1-3 of Down to Earth, project overview and objectives, workflow analysis, and a review of final surface model and deliverables.

Video: Down to Earth 15

The FAA proposal to type-certify UAS, autonomous EA-18G Growlers, surveillance with drones in China, no Remote ID NPRM extension, DoD counter-UAS contract, an unmanned kit for the K-Max, delivering ice cream, and an arrest for busting the Super Bowl TFR.

UAV NewsHow Does the FAA Aircraft Certification Process Affect UAVs?

The FAA proposes to type certify unmanned aircraft the same way they certify manned aircraft. Criticism has arisen because of the long, complicated, and expensive process can only be met by large companies. Type Certification of Unmanned Aircraft Systems is the rule proposed by the FAA to type certify certain UAS as a special class of aircraft under current regulations. (Docket No. FAA-2019-1038.) Comments must be received on or before March 4, 2020.

EA-18 Growlers Can Be Controlled Autonomously

Boeing has announced they and the U.S. Navy have successfully flown two unmanned and autonomously controlled EA-18G Growlers. A third Growler acted as the mission controller for the other two. This showed that F/A-18 Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers can perform combat missions with unmanned systems.

All the Invasive Ways China Is Using Drones to Address the Coronavirus

Drones with loudspeakers are calling out pedestrians in China who are not wearing a mask. They are also being used to monitor traffic infractions, students taking exams, illegal border crossings, and hospital disposal of waste.

FAA denies requests to extend drone remote ID comment period

A number of organizations requested that the comment period for the Remote ID NPRM be extended due to the complication of the rule and the number of people impacted. The FAA denied the request. Comments will be accepted until March 2, 2020, at Regulations.gov.

The Pentagon is spending millions to scoop drones out of the sky with nets, Fortem Technologies Wins Contract From Department of Defense for Advanced Airspace Security and Defense System

F​ortem Technologies​ announced it was awarded a contract with the Department of Defense (DoD) through the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). DoD purchased various solutions from Fortem including its SkyDome®, DroneHunter®, DroneHangar, and TrueView radar for a layered C-UAS solution.

Kaman K-Max advances civil and military autonomous flight programs

The Kaman Air Vehicles division of Kaman Corporation is developing the K-Max UAS kit that will convert the helicopter for unmanned operation. First flight scheduled in Q3 2020. Launch customers are Helicopter Express Inc. of Chamblee, Georgia, and Swanson Group Aviation of Glendale, Oregon.

Terra Drone Europe and British-Dutch transnational consumer goods giant Unilever collaborate to deliver ice cream in New York

Delivery of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream in New York is being explored by Terra Drone and Unilever. A demonstration flight was conducted at a recent Unilever annual investor event where a multi-copter drone was fitted with a delivery box designed to carry three Ben & Jerry’s mini cups.

Pilot faces a year in federal prison for flying a drone during Super Bowl week

The FBI announced that a 46-year-old man was arrested for flying a drone through the TFR during Super Bowl week in Miami. Authorities say he faces up to one year in federal prison if he is convicted. The man told the FBI that he just wanted to capture images of the Super Bowl-related festivities in South Beach.

Mentioned

Omniscient season 1 is on Netflix. The series is about a city that has chosen to ensure safety by assigning drones to watch each individual and report any crimes.

Video of the Week

An even brighter future is on the horizon. This television commercial from Florida Power and Light includes the NASC Teros Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAS.

DJI takes off the gloves and issues a statement of displeasure, Japan Airlines looks at the drone delivery business, why we need standards, drones shut down the airspace over a fatal crash, the Army launches a new counter-drone office, stalking with a drone, and were mystery drones really mass hysteria?

UAV NewsDJI Statement On U.S. Department Of Interior Drone Order

DJI says they are “extremely disappointed by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) order… which inappropriately treats a technology’s country of origin as a litmus test for its performance, security and reliability.” Further, “This decision makes clear that the U.S. government’s concerns about DJI drones, which make up a small portion of the DOI fleet, have little to do with security and are instead part of a politically-motivated agenda to reduce market competition and support domestically produced drone technology, regardless of its merits.”

Japan Airlines and Yabu City in Japan to trial UAV delivery trials

Japan Airlines wants to offer a medical supply delivery service to remote areas using UAVs. Meanwhile, Yabu City has been using drones for agriculture applications and they want to expand into other fields, like disaster, logistics, and medical care assistance. Starting in the Spring of 2020, Japan Airlines and Yabu City will collaborate on UAV trials using Terra Drone Corporation UAV technology.

Developing Drone Standards Is Key to Successful Growth in the UAV Industry

The potential UAV market is recognized as huge, but growth depends on having public standards, frameworks, and certifications. Last April, the Drone Advisory Council of CompTIA released Drone Standards and Best Practices which is targeted to companies who want to implement UAS operations internally or through outsourcing. There is still much to be done and CompTIA’s chief technology evangelist will represent CompTIA’s members and work with the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). The AIA wants to have a completed standards protocol by Q2 or Q3 2020.

So many drones and aircraft swarmed the site of Kobe Bryant’s helicopter crash that the FAA was forced to close the airspace

A recent crash of a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter in California killed 9 people, including Kobe Bryant. So many drones showed up that the FAA had to issue a temporary airspace restriction for 5 nautical miles from the crash site, up to 5,000 feet.

Defense Department to Stand Up New Counter-Drone Office

The military is concerned about small weaponized drones. The Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord said, “We see that small UAS are becoming a more popular weapon of choice … [and] we need to be agile and pivot to that challenge.” A new counter-unmanned aerial system office will be created under the Army.

Untangling Maine’s Drone Stalking Mystery

A woman in Gorham, Maine says a drone has been following her over the course of several days. When responding to her call, law enforcement also observed the drone.

What happened to the mysterious Colorado drones?

NBC affiliate KUSA in Denver says those mysterious drone sightings have significantly dropped off. Are the drone gone? Were there ever any drones? The Colorado Department of Public Safety issued a news release that calls into question the credibility of the sightings. See also, The Colorado Mystery Drones Weren’t Real.

PrecisionHawk appoints a new CEO, a plan to deliver cannabis in Seattle with drones, flying medical specimens to the lab with UAS, a Chinese 3-engine MALE drone, taking down small drones with an F-16, a Gremlins maiden flight, and a drone solution to parasitic disease in humans.

UAV NewsWe’re Welcoming James Norrod as CEO of PrecisionHawk

James Norrod has been named the new Chief Executive Officer of PrecisionHawk. Norrod has 25 years of experience leading companies and “specializes in forming strategic partnerships, optimizing domestic and international operations, establishing new sales distribution channels, and developing management teams.” Previous CEO Michael Chasen will lead PrecisionHawk’s advisory board and continue to act as chair of the FAA’s Drone Advisory Committee.

Deloitte, Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine Announce Project to Accelerate Medical Sample Delivery Via Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Genomic test results for acutely ill babies and children would get back to the medical team more quickly if the specimens were flown to the lab in a UAS, instead of using slower ground transportation. Deloitte Consulting principal Josh Nelson says, “This UAS project is an innovation to speed transport and delivery of samples to their lab. Together with [the Children’s Institute], we plan to go from strategy to testing to operational and develop a blueprint for other health care organizations to use.”

Three-engined variant of China’s Tengden TB001 UAV makes maiden flight

China showed images said to be of the first flight of the Sichuan Tengden Technology Company TW328/TB001 UAV. The strike-capable, reconnaissance MALE UAV is a new three-engined variant with an overall wingspan of 20 m and an 11 m length. The maximum take-off weight is 3.2 tons with an endurance of 35 hours.

Air Weapons: The Little Little UAV Killer

The U.S. Air Force tested a system where an F-16 fighter shoots down a small UAV with a laser-guided missile. The APKWS II (Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System) uses a targeting pod that spots and identifies small flying objects. It enables the pilot to launch an AGR-20A missile that can hit slow-moving targets, UAV of all sizes, and cruise missiles.

Dynetics’ X-61A Gremlins air vehicle performs its maiden flight

The Dynetics X-61A Gremlins Air Vehicle has flown for the first time. This is part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Gremlins program. The flight was carried out in November 2019 at Dugway Proving Ground near Salt Lake City, Utah. One captive-carry X-61A flew a TBM, Inc. C-130A which was then air-launched and flew for one hour and 41 minutes.

Flight test video: Gremlins X-61A Maiden Test Flight

Identifying aquatic plants with drones could be the key to reducing a parasitic infection in people

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by worms in the human circulatory system. The parasitic worms incubate in snails and people become infected through contact with contaminated water. More than 200 million people are affected, worldwide. There is no vaccine. Now a University of Washington lab found that snail clusters favor certain types of aquatic vegetation, which can be identified through drone images. The snails can then be targeted.

Cannabis delivery drones are likely to fly above Seattle this year

GRN Holding Corporation announced in December that it was signing a non-binding letter of intent to purchase Squad Drone. The drones would be used for a business-to-business marijuana delivery service. Squad Drone will license its drones and technology to state-registered hemp and cannabis companies. Press release: Cannabis Delivery Drones Could be in Seattle Skies by March.

Initial reactions to the FAA Remote ID NPRM, a high-accuracy photogrammetry solution, Apple hires a familiar face to lobby in Washington, an anti-drone system for Heathrow, a stealthy new target drone, and a fixed-wing eVTOL personal ultralight aircraft.

UAV NewsProposed FAA Drone Rules Prompt Industry Pushback

Engineering News-Record reports on some of the statements that are being made about the Remote-ID NPRM that is currently in the public comment period.

Frank J. Segarra, president and CEO of drone photography firm Connexicore said, “It is my personal opinion that drone operators or services should not bear the cost of carrying a specific type of remote identification system that broadcasts over the internet. This should be the responsibility of all drone manufacturers, not the pilots.”

Lloyd Garden, a commercial drone photographer, says the proposed rules only make sense in controlled airspace where connectivity exists. “I think people need to know where drones are. But [these rules] are a little restricting for me.”

Mike Winn, CEO of drone-imaging and software firm DroneDeploy commented, “In the long term, if we’re going have a drone on every construction site, we’re going to need these kinds of regulations on the technology.” He notes that by the time any regulations are in place, a lot of drone technology will have changed.

DJI supports Remote ID but warns against FAA’s “deeply flawed” NPRM

DJI vice president for policy and legal affairs Brendan Schulman posted an article titled, We Strongly Support Drone Remote ID. But Not Like This. Schulman says “DJI wants governments to require Remote ID for drones, but the FAA has proposed a complex, expensive, and intrusive system that would make it harder to use drones in America, and that jeopardizes the success of the Remote ID initiative. Instead, we support a simpler, easier, and free version of Remote ID that doesn’t need a cellular connection or a service subscription.”

The Leica Aibot AX20 Promises High Precision, High Accuracy Photogrammetry

Leica Geosystems offers “a complete UAV solution at the very top end of the photogrammetry use case.” It’s called the Aibot AX20 (pronounced “i-bot”), “a complete UAV solution for land surveying, civil engineering and construction.” Leica says the customized DJI Matrice 600 Aibot features high resolution and high precision photogrammetry, better than one-centimeter accuracy, a high-end survey-grade GN-18 T GNSS receiver, Gimbal-mounted sensors, a Sony aR7ii 42.4 megapixel CMOS and a Sony a6300 mirrorless camera.

Apple Taps Drone Specialist to Lobby Washington on Aviation

Apple has hired Lisa Ellman, a partner at Hogan Lovells, as a Washington lobbyist. Ellman is a co-founder of the Commercial Drone Alliance. Representatives for Apple and Ellman declined to comment.

Heathrow Airport installs anti-drone system that can locate UAV pilots

London’s Heathrow Airport has installed a counter-drone system that will detect and track unauthorized drones. The system will also locate the drone pilots. Designed by Operational Solutions Ltd. (OSL), the system employs a holographic radar system. The Operational Solutions press release [PDF] states:

“This one-of-a-kind Counter Drone system works by detecting and tracking drones in surrounding airspace and alerting airports of unauthorised drone use quickly and efficiently. This new and innovative system also works to locate the drone pilots themselves and can be used to identify their location.

“This technology has been specifically designed for Heathrow Airport by Operational Solutions Ltd, integrating for the first time a variety of leading counter drone technologies from different manufacturers.”

Stealthy UAS Unveiled For USAF Target, Loyal Wingman Needs

Sierra Technical Services has shown photos of its Fifth Generation Aerial Target (5GAT) prototype. 5GAT components cannibalized from other aircraft include engines (the GE J85) and metallic components from the Northrop T-38 trainer and F-5 fighter, and aileron actuators from the Boeing F/A-18. Sierra Technical Services was founded by retired Lockheed Martin Skunk Works engineers.

EVTOL drone developer launches BlackFly with new CEO

Opener calls its BlackFly the world’s first fixed-wing, all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) personal ultralight aircraft. Ben Diachun was announced the new CEO. He was president of Scaled Composites in Mojave, California. Founder and former CEO, Marcus Leng, will oversee next-generation manufacturing and international operations as Chairman of the Board. 

Uber and Hyundai team-up on an air taxi, mystery drones still flying in the U.S. midwest, UK investigations of drone crashes lead to safety recommendations, a drone that can see dead people, and a drone that brews beer.

UAV NewsUber and Hyundai team up to put flying taxis in the sky

At CES in Las Vegas, Uber and Hyundai showed a model of a four-seat electric flying vehicle. The actual prototype is to be ready in 2023. Ultimately, their air taxi is intended to be autonomous, but they will be manned at the beginning. Last year, Hyundai appointed a longtime NASA administrator to lead its air taxi division.

Amid drone mystery, state-owned plane flew over northeast Colorado for 5 hours Monday night

“Mystery drones” are still being spotted in several U.S. states. The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control is reportedly conducting night flights of manned aircraft to investigate the source of the drones. Colorado’s Multi-Mission Aircraft includes two Pilatus PC-12 airplanes, one of which was seen flying in circles at night in northeastern Colorado.

What to do if you spot multiple drones

The Nebraska Information Analysis Center is asking people to report sightings of clusters of four or more (not single sightings) UAS. The NIAC asks that suspicious activity be reported using the Nebraska Information Analysis Center reporting tool.

Are the mysterious drones actually planes? One local expert thinks so

The general manager of a Council Bluffs FBO watched a video of the “drones” and says the strobe lights and sound are that of an airplane, not a drone.

AAIB Report: Safe overflight of people by Unmanned Aircraft Systems

The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch published results from 8 UAS investigations. These are the first investigations that resulted in AAIB Safety Recommendations. One crash was a DJI Matrice 200 operated commercially to record video footage of an outdoor athletics event. It failed while operating in the rain. The AAIB made two Safety Recommendations.

A Drone’s-Eye View of the Quick and the Dead

We’ve seen drones being used to survey damage after a disaster. Taking it to the next level, researchers at the University of South Australia are applying machine learning to 30-second video clips of the human body. The system is able to distinguish between living people and dead people which could aid responders after a disaster.

A Philadelphia Brewery Is Releasing a Beer Brewed with a Drone

Philadelphia craft brewery Dock Street Brewing and local drone maker Exyn Technologies are producing what they say is “the first beer brewed by a drone.” It’s a “light, floral” pale ale called Swarm Intelligence. An Exyn drone drops hops into the kettle.

Video: The World’s First Beer-Brewing Drone

An NPRM for drone remote ID was published by the FAA, drones used by the NYPD for event security, public agencies contracting for UAS services, methanol-powered drones, a mystery swarm of drones, and delivery by UAS in the 2020s.

UAV NewsU.S. Department of Transportation Issues Proposed Rule on Remote ID for Drones

The FAA published Remote Identification of Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the Federal Register. This Notice of Proposed Rule Making [PDF] describes the rules for inflight identification of recreational and commercial UAS and includes individual registration of all unmanned aircraft registered under part 48. Each registered UAS would have a unique serial number and identification data would be broadcast or transmitted over the Internet to government-contracted service providers. Comments from the public will be accepted through March 2, 2020, at the Regulations.gov website.

Everything we know about the drones watching over Times Square on New Year’s Eve

The New York City Police Department planned to fly drones over the New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square. Drone detection and interdiction units were planned to join bomb-sniffing dogs, radiation-detection teams, heavy-weapons squads, police helicopters, counterterrorism boats, and plainclothes officers. The NYPD has been working with “federal partners” on drone mitigation measures.

Connecticut Signs Participating Addendum with Avion Unmanned To Provide Drone Services to Public Agencies

Avion Unmanned has been chosen to provide UAS services throughout the US through the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) ValuePoint Cooperative Purchasing Organization. The company signed a Participating Addendum with the State of Connecticut and all its state agencies, political subdivisions, and institutions. With this contract, Avion Unmanned could provide UAS services to state and local government agencies in Connecticut.

This Methanol-Powered Drone Could Fly for a Straight 12 Hours

China-based drone-maker Feye UAV Technology claims to have developed a battery that can power a drone for 12 hours. The methanol-powered fuel cell powers the FY-36 flying prototype drone that weighs 15 kilograms with a top speed of 90km/hr. Feye UAV Technology plans to commercially launch the FY-36 after finetuning its performance.

Drones flying in rural Colorado and Nebraska have residents freaking out. No one knows who’s behind them

Multiple reports of drone swarms flying at night over rural Colorado and Nebraska. Even law enforcement has seen the objects. Authorities can’t figure out who’s behind the aircraft. Federal agencies are investigating.

From pizza to transplant organs: What drones will be delivering in the 2020s

During this decade, we may see delivery drones from Amazon Prime Air, Walmart, FedEx, and UPS. Applications may include pizza by drone, organs on-demand, and medical deliveries.

A new bi-copter for aerial photography, a waterproof fishing drone, a single-seat eVTOL aircraft for the GoFly competition, DOD wants U.S. designed and manufactured drones, a town grapples with public safety drones and privacy concerns, and the FAA revises the airman certificate process.

UAV NewsV-Coptr Falcon 4K camera drone gets 50-minute flight time with just two rotors

The new bi-copter from Zero Zero Robotics is called the V-Coptr Falcon, a tilt-rotor with a claimed flight time of 50 minutes. It features slower rotating propellers that are quieter, a 3-axis mechanical gimbal, 4K video and 12-megapixel photos, a controller with a flip-up mount for your phone. The bi-copter also has auto-follow, obstacle avoidance with a front-facing stereo camera and pre-programmed flight paths.

Gannet’s waterproof fishing drone to launch this month

Gannet offers a fairly complete range of drone fishing products including bait release systems and drone fishing rods. They’ve crowdfunded the development of the Gannet Pro waterproof drone that can release 3.5kg payloads of bait hundreds of meters away. A unique barometric pressure control system adjusts flight altitude.

Video: Gannet Pro waterproof drones

Silverwing reveals full-scale S1 prototype

The S1 is a single-seat, VTOL electric drone developed by a team from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. The S1 drone takes off and lands vertically on its tail, then tilts forward for horizontal flight. Silverwing says the S1 will be able to transport a passenger 60 kilometers (37 miles) flying at a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph). The S1 was designed to meet the requirements of the GoFly prize which is sponsored by Boeing. The competition is for innovators, inventors, engineers, and makers to design and build a personal flying device.

The Final Fly Off is at Moffett Federal Airfield at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California with support from Boeing, Google’s Planetary Ventures, and Pratt & Whitney. from Thursday, February 27th through Saturday, February 29th, 2020.

Pentagon Is Searching for Domestic Drone Options

The U.S. Defense Department wants to see a U.S. ecosystem for sUAS and counter technologies and they are making it a priority in 2020. Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Ellen Lord said, “We see this as developing an ecosystem to have investment in areas that the Department of Defense thinks are particularly critical for providing capabilities to the warfighter, but also translate many times into commercial products. …I think you know that DJI flooded the market with low-cost quadcopters particularly, which eroded our industrial base and really altered the landscape for the U.S. government and for the small drone industry. What we want to do is reinvigorate that.”

Menlo Park: Proposal for city drone program raises civil liberty questions

In California at a Menlo Park City Council study session, police, public works, and community development leaders described how drones could help them. The council was open to the idea of using drones, but they did have significant concerns about privacy and civil rights. Mayor Ray Mueller said, “For me, the use cases are great. I just want to have discussion about what the guard rails are.” City staff was asked to come back with a drone program expert and clearer policies on acceptable uses of the drones and relevant software applications, as well as more information about how many human-hours of work that drone use could save.

FAA to Improve Airmen Certificate Testing

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Jan. 13, 2020, will launch improvements to the way it tests all applicants for an FAA airman certificate. This applies to all certified pilots of manned and unmanned aircraft. One of the most important changes is the requirement that applicants obtain an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) by creating an Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) profile prior to registering for a knowledge test. IACRA is the web-based certification/rating application that guides the user through the FAA’s airman application process. The five-minute process enables the agency to rely on the name in the profile for all actions associated with that applicant.

Rides available in the Hexa Electric VTOL, mapping a railway project, low-altitude hurricane hunting, another reported drone strike, a DHS warning for private industry, another round of financing for PrecisionHawk, and spying on hippos with drones.

Lift Aircraft says 13,000 people have signed up for drone rides; flights begin in beta mode in Texas

In 2020, Lift Aircraft plans a 25-city tour of it’s Hexa electric VTOL passenger drone. You can register for a flight on Lift’s website. It will cost $149-$249 depending on flight duration. The 432-pound electric VTOL uses 18 independent electric motors and propellers and is controlled through a triply redundant autopilot computer and a single 3-axis joystick. Or you can tap on the seven-inch touchscreen for a “Look mom, no hands!” mode.

Video: Beta Flight 001 - Colin Guinn

What if? Norfolk Southern develops effective UAV program, but it did not come without some trial and error

Norfolk Southern Railway asked themselves if they could use lower-cost UAVs to image project areas and stitch them into survey-grade 3D mosaics for the project team. They formed a UAV field team, got a Part 107 license, and designated a 5-mile linear project. What they learned will help them (and others) in future projects.

Drones Provide a New Frontier in Hurricane Observations

Hurricane hunters fly through hurricanes, but not at sea level where the winds are strongest. Scientists flew expendable Raytheon Coyote drones as low as 360 feet into several hurricanes and measured atmospheric conditions in winds as high as 194 miles per hour. These were deployed NOAA’s P-3 reconnaissance aircraft. The Coyote UAS is adaptable for a variety of missions including surveillance, electronic warfare and strike. A swarm of Coyote drones has successfully flown and demonstrated autonomous networking. A paper was recently published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: “Eye of the Storm: Observing Hurricanes with a Small Unmanned Aircraft System.”

AIR7 HD struck by suspected drone over downtown LA, makes precautionary landing

Los Angeles ABC affiliate KABC reports that their helicopter was struck midair by an object. At first, the pilot and reporter thought it was a bird strike but after landing and inspecting the damage to the helicopter tail, they believe it was a drone strike. The incident occurred at 7:15 pm, flying at 1100 feet.

DHS Continues to Warn Private Industry Against Using Foreign-Made Drones

In late November, the FBI’s Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a bulletin to private industry warning about the risk of exposing private data when using UAS manufactured abroad. The bulletin warns of possible data compromise when operating UAS “designed, manufactured, or supplied abroad where the data is stored, transferred to, or accessible by servers in a foreign country.”

PrecisionHawk Raises $32 Million to Advance Next Phase of Growth in Commercial Drones

PrecisionHawk announced $32 million in funding by a group of venture investors. The company says this will allow them to innovate with their PrecisionAnalytics A.I.-powered aerial data analytics platform, accelerate sales initiatives, and support further market expansion. In total, PrecisionHawk has raised $130 million from leading venture capital firms. See also, We’ve Raised $32 Million to Build the Next Generation of Drone Software and Services.

Spying With Drones to Help Hippo Conservation Efforts

University of New South Wales conservationists used drones to monitor threatened hippos in Africa. They used a DJI Phantom 4 to film the hippos from a safe distance. The wild hippo population is declining because of habitat loss, and hunting for meat and ivory. They are under-studied because they are nocturnal, amphibious and aggressive.