Unmanned‘Detecting’ the Path to BVLOS Operations for Commercial Drones in US Airspace The full commercial potential of drones in civilian airspace in the United States is, for the moment, locked, as drones are unable to fly beyond their operator’s visual line of sight (BVLOS),…
Air TaxiIris to Test Commercial Drone Sense and Avoid System in BVLOS First Iris Automation, a Silicon Valley-based startup, has been working on an onboard collision avoidance system that — for the first time — will power an FAA-sanctioned flight beyond an operator’s visual line…
RegulationAmazon Seeks FAA Approval for Prime Air Drone Delivery Amazon has formally requested FAA approval to operate as a Part 135 unmanned air carrier to conduct commercial drone deliveries in the United States. The 29-page letter sent by Amazon also…
ATM ModernizationAltitude Angel and Wing Release Tools to Safely Plan Automated Drone Flights Two companies, UK-based Altitude Angel and Google’s Wing Aviation, recently announced unmanned traffic management solutions that aim to help drone operators safely conduct automated flights beyond visual line of site — a…
CommercialGetting BVLOS off the Ground with 91.113 The FAA has been trying to streamline drone processes: Low-altitude authorization and notification capability speeds up airspace applications. May's updated guidance removes exceptions for hobby drones. Now, the agency is pushing Part…
RegulationOne Year Later, Will the FAA's Drone IPP Pave the Way for New Regulation? It has been a year since the FAA launched its nation-wide UAS Integration Pilot Program with 10 teams around the country. What does its progress mean for the broader scope of rulemaking…
UnmannedIris Automation Releases Detect-and-Avoid for Drones Iris Automation has released a commercially available avoid-and-detect solution for Part 107 drones, dubbed Casia. Iris is currently working with the FAA to "confirm [the] technology is at the highest levels of…
ATM ModernizationEchodyne Supporting Northern Plains UTM Testing of BVLOS Capability Radar-maker Echodyne will partner with North Dakota's Northern Plains UAS Test Site as part of the next phase of the UAS Pilot Program (UPP), one of the FAA's endeavors testing the feasibility…
ATM ModernizationLive in London: Demonstration Integrates Unmanned Traffic into Active Airspace The integration of unmanned traffic into London's airspace was tested last month in a large-scale endeavor dubbed Operation Zenith. A collaboration including air navigation service provider NATS, Manchester Airport, Altitude Angel, Frequentis,…
CommercialGE-Owned Avitas Granted First Large Commercial BVLOS Waiver Avitas Systems, a GE venture, received the first FAA approval to fly a 55-plus-pound UAS beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) with no spotter for commercial purposes. Operating on Shell oil facilities…