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

An MIT lab has developed a system that creates the controller for a hybrid drone, UPS forms a drone delivery subsidiary, LAANC is expanded to include recreational Part 107 operators, Australian drone registration is delayed, a gas detecting micro-drone, and a quadcopter that shrinks to get through small openings.

The MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) has developed a system that uses a neural network to design the controller for drones that combine the VTOL characteristics of a multi-rotor with the horizontal flight of a fixed-wing. Non-experts can easily design a hybrid drone in a few hours.

Video: Hybrid Drones: Drones that can hover like helicopters and fly like planes

UPS has filed for Part 135 certification from the FAA to operate a newly established subsidiary called UPS Flight Forward, Inc. The certification, when granted, will allow application for FAA-approved flight operations beyond line of sight, at night, and with an unlimited number of drones and operators in command. UPS intends to be at the forefront of commercial drone aviation for routine flights.

On July 23, 2019, the FAA expanded the Low Altitude Authorization and Capability (LAANC) system to include recreational flyers. The FAA says this “will significantly increase the ability of drone pilots to gain access to controlled airspace nationwide.” It is accessible to all pilots who operate under the FAA’s small drone rule (Part 107).

The roll-out of the Australian drone registration scheme has been delayed by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). CASA said, “We’re going to be toughening up the drone safety rules” and also that “Commercial operators [will be] first [to register], then recreational. Recreational users are likely to start in mid to late 2020.”

The SNAV (Smelling Nano Aerial Vehicle) is a tiny drone that fits in the palm of your hand. It has MOX (metal oxide) gas sensors that can detect carbon monoxide, methane, and other organic volatile compounds like ethanol, acetone, and benzene. Spanish researchers from the University of Barcelona and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia modified a commercially available Crazyflie 2.0 mini quadcopter.

Q: How do you get a larger quadcopter through a smaller opening, like a window? A: Shoot toward the window, fold the arms back at the last moment, pass through the opening with momentum, then unfold the arms and recover on the other side. UC Berkeley researchers have demonstrated a foldable drone that does just that.

Video: Design and Control of a Passively Morphing Quadcopter

Proceedings: 2019 FAA UAS Symposium held June 3-5, 2019, in Baltimore, Maryland is now available.

DJI announces it’s “Government Edition” hardware and software to address data security fears, while one company drops Chinese drones from its services. A public safety alliance announces its board of advisors, an unmanned surface vehicle rescues swimmers, an interim report on UAS mitigation at airports is published, a drone operations app is launched in Australia, and a de-confliction service for drone flights is available via an API.

Amid all the government concerns and restrictions concerning Chinese drones, DJI has come up with a solution: the DJI Government Edition hardware and software. This is intended exclusively for government agencies and DJI says the Government Edition offers advanced security measures, ensuring governments can perform their essential drone work confidently and securely. The drone does not require activation with DJI, drones and controllers will not pair with off the shelf components, and local data mode is permanently enabled.

Video: DJI – Introducing DJI Government Edition

California-based startup Cape says it’s going to tell its customers that it will no longer sell software that is compatible with Chinese drones. The Cape Aerial Telepresence™ software platform allows clients to quickly and remotely dispatch and operate drones to surveil incidents or crime scenes. An on-site iPad with internet connectivity is connected to the drone’s remote control transmitter. The pilot live-streams video to any iOS or Android platform and during remote operations, the teleoperator can use a computer to control the drone from anywhere.

DRONERESPONDERS is a non-profit program that was formed to bring together aerial first responders, emergency managers, and search and rescue specialists. They want to foster drone operations for public safety by learning, training, and testing one another. The DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety Alliance is operated as an official program under AIRT Inc., the Airborne International Response Team, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization formed in 2017 to help provide unmanned aviation research and charitable contributions for public safety and disaster relief.

The Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard (EMILY) USV was recently used to rescue four swimmers from the ocean at Rockaway Beach in Oregon. The unmanned surface vehicle was deployed by the Rockaway Fire Department deployed EMILY to save two young boys and their family members that tried to rescue them.

The Blue Ribbon Task Force on UAS Mitigation at Airports was commissioned in 2019 by AUVSI and ACI-NA to address the issue of incursions by unauthorized UAS at US airports and how best to mitigate the threat. The Task Force released its Interim Report on July 12, 2019, with over twenty recommendations to industry and government on steps that should be taken to safeguard airports from UAS incursions. The Task Force will also solicit comments on its website from interested parties.

Alphabet’s Wing has formally introduced its OpenSky app for iOS and Android devices in Australia. Wing says OpenSky is “a family of software products that will give drone operators a greater understanding of, and access to, the sky around them. OpenSky products will help users comply with rules and plan flights more safely and effectively.” After entering a location, the Australian OpenSky app gives you a checklist of critical factors such as airspace restrictions, known hazardous situations, and proximity to airports and heliports. Users also get alerts that relate to emergency response situations, nearby sporting events, or other situations that may impact available airspace.

Altitude Angel is a U.K. aviation technology company with a purpose-built cloud platform that supports both U-Space and UTM. The company is launching a de-confliction service for drone flights that is available via its developer API platform. Altitude Angel says the Conflict Resolution Service addresses some of the key risks which prevent BVLOS operations today.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) has performed a number of drone market research studies, including a consumer study titled Drones: Public Perceptions & Consumer Attitudes which looks at the number of owners by type of drone, general awareness of drones and safety messaging, purchase likelihood, and drone applications. Other aspects of consumer behavior such as the influence of geofencing and an aeronautical knowledge test requirement were determined.

We discuss CTA drone market research with Steven Hummel, a senior research analyst at CTA. Steven manages the execution of consumer and B2B market research projects, both domestic and international, across a variety of CTA’s technology categories. 

Steven explains the survey methodology and some of the CTA research projects, including the Public Perceptions & Consumer Attitudes study released in February 2019 which looks at individuals, and the annual Consumer Technology Ownership and Market Potential Study which studied drones from the household perspective.

Steven communicates his insights through in-depth reports and blog posts published on CTA’s website and Steve is also an active speaker at industry events, including at this year’s FAA UAS Symposium. Steven is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park where he earned his Master’s degree in Survey Methodology and Bachelor’s degree in Criminology.

Learn more about all the CTA studies at cta.tech/research.

Diana Cooper is the Senior Vice President of Policy & Strategy at PrecisionHawk, a company that leverages advanced robotics, robust software, and rich data to extract the commercial value of drones. PrecisionHawk provides training, drone consulting, and global flight services.

PrecisionHawk has joined the Alliance for Drone Innovation (ADI), a D.C.-based coalition of drone manufacturers, suppliers, and software developers. Diana will lead the ADI’s Drone Operators Federation as the inaugural president of the Federation.

Diana was president of the Small UAV Coalition and she serves on the Advocacy Committee of AUVSI as well as on the board of Drone Alliance Europe and the advisory board of the Energy Drone Coalition. Diana is a member of the UN Working Group on Legal and Policy Frameworks for Geospatial Information Management and is a subcommittee member of the FAA Drone Advisory Committee (DAC). She served on the FAA UAS Identification and Tracking ARC as well as the NTIA Multi-stakeholder Process on UAS Privacy.

Diana has testified on UAS policy before the Senate Commerce Committee, briefed the House UAS Caucus, and participated in White House meetings on UAS.

Recently, PrecisionHawk CEO Michael Chasen was appointed as chairman of the Drone Advisory Committee (DAC) by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao. Additionally, former U.S. Congressman Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) has been appointed as a Special Advisor to the company on drone regulatory and policy initiatives. In Congress, LoBiondo was a senior member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee and was a vocal proponent of integrating UAS technology for commercial applications into the National Airspace System.

Princess Aliyah Pandolfi from the Kashmir World Foundation is our guest. We spoke with her at the Innovations in Flight Family Day and Outdoor Aviation Display, held June 15, 2019, at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

This annual event is held the Saturday before Father’s Day. Besides the museum exhibits, a number of commercial, military, and general aviation aircraft fly in for the day. There are also special exhibitors throughout the museum providing information and activities.

The Kashmir World Foundation promotes wildlife education and conservation, often utilizing drones. Listen as Max, Micah, and Robert catch up on Kashmir World Foundation activities with Aliyah.

Highlights of the FAA UAS Symposium held June 3-5, 2019 at the Baltimore Convention Center. Presented by the Federal Aviation Administration and AUVSI.

Over 1000 attendees from industry, the government, and academia gathered for three days of keynotes, breakout sessions, and “how to” sessions.

We discuss some highlights of the Symposium, including industry/government collaboration, drone remote identification, education and outreach, urban air mobility, drone delivery, public agency use of drones, counter-UAV issues, UAS traffic management, and more.

Alliance for Drone Innovation

Blue Ribbon Task Force on UAS Mitigation at Airports

Flight Plan 2030 white paper on Urban Air Traffic Management from Embraer.

Innovations in Flight Family Day and Aviation Display at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, Saturday, June 15, 2019, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

DHS resources for the threat of UAS to critical infrastructure, urban testing of drone flights in Reno, using drone images as evidence, a delay for the remote ID NPRM, and a drone used by the Army Corps of Engineers.

NPR references the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) website Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) – Critical Infrastructure. It contains a video describing the UAS threat to critical infrastructure, as well as a description of what the threat is, why the threat is important to critical infrastructure, actions critical infrastructure organizations can take, available DHS UAS resources, and contact information.

Video: UAS and Critical Infrastructure – Understanding the Risk

Tests in downtown Reno have included an autonomous drone flight from one rooftop of a five-story parking garage to a roof across the street. The drone adjusted itself for gusty winds. In another test, drones approached each other and avoided colliding. The drones have onboard software for landing, avoiding crashes, surveillance, detection, and identification. Ground system software communicates flight plans and positions to other software systems. The Nevada Institute of Autonomous Systems is conducting the Reno tests.

A man in Indiana bought a 35-acre property in 1985, but his new neighbors didn’t like what he was doing on his own land. The neighbors complained to the county accusing him of violating county ordinances. Apparently, they flew a drone over the property taking pictures as evidence. The property owner says they had to be BVLOS to get those pictures.

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Remote Identification of UAS was scheduled for July 2019. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs says the NPRM will instead be issued in September 2019. This comes from the May 22, 2019 OIRA publication of the Trump Administration’s Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District has begun using a Microdrones quadcopter. The District’s 4-person UAS team has been trained by Microdrones. Two of them are Part 107-certified UAS pilots. Applications include video footage and photos for the Public Affairs Office, creating detailed site maps, and high-resolution 3-D images for team members and partner agencies.

Microdrones is hosting GeoDays 2019 at their location in Germany. They’ll be conducting flight demonstrations and explaining how to integrate surveying, mapping, LiDAR, and inspection into your business.

Drones: Latest incidents around the world – A map highlighting the latest drones incidents around the world has been published as part of the Countering Drones Conference, taking place July 9-11, 2019 in London, UK.

Opinion piece: Risk, regulation and resilience in countering drones – A report you can download on risk and regulation around drones.

The FAA has new recreational drone restrictions, along with exceptions for those that cannot be presently met. Also, drones that identify polluting ships, data security fears for Chinese drones, professional sports leagues weigh-in on drones, UAS that measure environmental conditions for weather prediction, and states in the US are actively using unmanned aircraft.

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 repealed the Special Rule for Model Aircraft and replaced it with “new conditions to operate recreational small unmanned aircraft without requirements for FAA certification or operating authority.” Recreational drone users must meet eight statutory conditions. However, since the FAA cannot implement all of them immediately, exceptions were published in the Federal Register May 17, 2019, as Exception for Limited Recreational Operations of Unmanned Aircraft.

The eight conditions, and where exceptions apply:

1. The aircraft is flown strictly for recreational purposes.

2. The aircraft is operated in accordance with or within the programming of a community-based organization’s set of safety guidelines that are developed in coordination with the FAA.

The Act requires the FAA to establish guidelines for recognizing community-based aeromodelling organizations (CBOs). Since those guidelines don’t exist and CBOs thus cannot be recognized, the FAA will allow “operations conducted in accordance with existing safety guidelines of an aeromodelling organization.” As an alternative, the basic safety guidelines published in faa.gov/uas are sufficient. But, you “should be able to explain to an FAA inspector or law enforcement official which safety guidelines you are following if you are flying under the exception for limited recreational unmanned aircraft operations.”

3. The aircraft is flown within the visual line of sight of the person operating the aircraft or a visual observer co-located and in direct communication with the operator.

The visual observer is optional unless flying FPV and the operator can’t see the surroundings.

4. The aircraft is operated in a manner that does not interfere with and gives way to any manned aircraft.

5. In Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace [controlled airspace] or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport, the operator obtains prior authorization from the Administrator or designee before operating and complies with all airspace restrictions and prohibitions.

Until Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) is upgraded to enable recreational flyers to obtain automated authorization to controlled airspace, the FAA is granting temporary airspace authorizations to operate at certain fixed sites that are established by an agreement with the FAA. The list of authorized fixed sites is available on the FAA’s website.

6. In Class G airspace, [uncontrolled airspace where the FAA does not provide air traffic services] the aircraft is flown from the surface to not more than 400 feet above ground level and complies with all airspace restrictions and prohibitions.

7. The operator has passed an aeronautical knowledge and safety test and maintains proof of test passage to be made available to the Administrator or a designee of the Administrator or law enforcement upon request.

The test doesn’t yet exist. Recreational flyers who adhere to the other seven conditions may use the exception for limited recreational unmanned aircraft operations.

8. The aircraft is registered and marked and proof of registration is made available to the Administrator or a designee of the Administrator or law enforcement upon request.

Registration and marking requirements are published and an online registration process is in place. Each unmanned aircraft used for limited recreational operations must display the registration number on an external surface of the aircraft. Proof of registration must be available upon request.

New regulations apply to air pollution from ships, specifically sulfur oxides. Drones are being tested or used in ports around the world. These will quickly fly through a ships exhaust plume and measure the emissions. If a “dirty” ship is encountered, that vessel can be singled out for a test of its fuel. The Skeldar V-200 drone is an example.

The US Department of Homeland Security issued an alert through the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency that says the drones “contain components that can compromise your data and share your information on a server accessed beyond the company itself.” Further, that “…certain Chinese-made (unmanned aircraft systems)-connected devices capable of collecting and transferring potentially revealing data about their operations and the individuals and entities operating them, as China imposes unusually stringent obligations on its citizens to support national intelligence activities.”

DJI said that it gives customers “full and complete control over how their data is collected, stored, and transmitted,” adding that “customers can enable all the precautions DHS recommends.”

Through the NPRM commenting process, the NFL, MLB, NASCAR, and NCAA have expressed concerns. The Leagues want to see the rules explicitly state that UAS operations at night comply with rules applicable to aircraft. Also, they want to see the requirement that pilots make their credentials available to law enforcement expanded to include private security officials.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials found all but one State public transportation agency was using drones. (Rhode Island wasn’t, but since then they bought a drone.) In 2016, no state transportation agency was using drones every day. Now, 36 states have certified drone pilots on staff.

This is a project with the National Severe Storms Laboratory, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Colorado, and Meteomatics. Researchers used fixed-wing and rotary small UAS in Oklahoma to test the value of UAS for observing local environmental changes that can lead to severe thunderstorms.

Beautiful! Drone footage captures school of stingrays swimming off coast of Australia

Video: Unbelievable footage of a massive school of stingrays in Australia

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University offers an Unmanned Systems Science degree, delivery drones produce an annoying noise, Uber Eats is hiring UAS specialists, AUVSI announces humanitarian award winners, and autonomous BVLOS patrol drones are planned for the Australian coastline.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University UAS Flight Standards and Training Manager Michael Zebehazy talks about the Embry-Riddle BS in Unmanned Systems Science, and the Penguin C aircraft from UAV Factory for extensive hands-on training. Recorded at the 2019 Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-in & Expo in Lakeland, Florida.

Multirotor UAVs create an annoying buzzing sound. If delivery drones proliferate, who will set and monitor sound levels?

Video: QUADCOPTER Sound FX from the HISSandaROAR sound library.

Forty UAS positions have been posted on Uber’s jobs site since March 2018. Uber Eats is preparing to employ drones to deliver food on demand.

The five winners of the second annual XCELLENCE Humanitarian Awards announced at AUVSI XPONENTIAL:

North Carolina Department of Transportation – Using drones in an innovative response to Hurricane Florence.

Swoop Aero – Vaccine and health supply delivery on the island nation of Vanuatu.

NASA/MIT Search and Rescue Under the Canopy (SARUC) – Locating people and other important targets lost in challenging and cluttered forest areas.

Project Lifesaver International – Search and rescue for ‘at risk’ individuals who are prone to the life-threatening behavior of wandering.

Zipline International – Medical drone delivery operations in Africa.

Currently, The Ripper Group operates 51 ‘Little Ripper’ drones in New South Wales and Queensland. They spot sharks and drop self-inflating floats for people in distress. Now The Ripper Group is working on a much larger, beyond line-of-sight fixed-winged drone called The Ripper Ranger.

Academy of Model Aeronautics Programs & Benefits

Professional-grade UAS components, a fuel cell system for UAVs, drone flying in national parks, the Choctaw Nation UAS Integration Pilot Program, new life for Piaggio Hammerhead, and the Northrop Grumman Firebird surveillance aircraft.

Fifteen years ago, practically all the drone components came from the hobby business. Commercial and even military applications used R/C hobby parts and software. Back then, costs were low, but supply capacity was limited and the quality was sometimes poor. But that was all that was available. Now we’re seeing professional-grade UAV’s with professional-grade components as aviation industry standards are working into the commercial drone industry.

At the AUVSI Xponential Annual Conference and Expo 2019 in Chicago, Ballard Unmanned Systems launched the FCair fuel cell product line. It includes a hydrogen fuel cell power system, hydrogen storage vessels and pressure regulators, refueling solutions, and hydrogen gas supply.

Drones are banned in the park, but that’s frequently ignored. A few drone operators have been caught and fined after their videos were posted online. The park posts signs at the entrances and provides information on their website and in the newspaper that all visitors receive.

Farmers in Oklahoma have had crops decimated by feral pigs. The total economic damage could be as much as $2.5 billion annually. Oklahoma’s Choctaw Nation is one of the 10 sites under the UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP) and they are testing solutions. For example, drones could be used to rebait automated traps to catch feral pigs. Complications include an underdeveloped infrastructure where not all areas have broadband.

At the Choctaw Nation Emerging Aviation Technology Conference in Durant on April 18, 2019, the Oklahoma State University’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems team conducted flight demonstrations. Attending the demonstrations was the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Deputy Director. The OSU UAS program is in the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology and it gives students experience with hands-on analysis, design, construction and flight testing of UAS platforms.

The Italian government said it will buy four Piaggio Aerospace drones. The Italian Air Force doesn’t want the P.1HH HammerHead, but the Defence Ministry said it serves the operational needs of the Italian armed forces, protects the strategic value of Piaggio, and strengthens Italy’s partner role in the EuroMALE drone program.ind an “industrial partner.”

Northrop Grumman believes their Firebird surveillance aircraft has a large international market opportunity. Since other countries often want local manufacturing content, Northrop Grumman designed the Firebird with that in mind. The Firebird is available in manned, autonomous and optionally piloted configurations.

Absolutely Insane Drone Footage of a Tornado

5D/Wing fly as smooth as a quad??