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

Guest Kevin Kelly describes how Stampede is including UAV products and services in its portfolio so resellers can then offer complete drone video systems to business customers. Guest Kevin Kelly is President and COO of  Stampede Presentation Products , a large, value-added distributor of professional audio-visual (ProAV) products. They represent more than 150 technology manufacturers through...

Analysis of the DOT/FAA announcement that operators will be required to register their unmanned aircraft. News U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx Announces Unmanned Aircraft Registration Requirement Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta announced the creation of a task force to develop recommendations for a registration process for unmanned aircraft. Se...

FAA proposes $1.9 million penalty against UAS operator, Pathfinder expanded to detect UAS near airports, NAV Canada wants jail time for flying near airports, detect-and-avoid standards on the way, Boeing tests joined wing body UAS, and DARPA working to develop vanishing drones. News FAA Proposes $1.9 Million Civil Penalty Against SkyPan International for Allegedly Unauthorized Unmanned Aircraft Op...

We talk with U.S. Customs and Border Protection Deputy Director John Murphy, Jr. about the UAS they use. Guest Guest John Murphy, Jr. is Deputy Director, National Air Security Operations for U.S. Customs and Border Protection ( CBP ), Office of Air and Marine Operations ( AMO ). John is responsible for providing oversight, mission alignment, and associated administrative requirements for national...

Industry reacts to FAA missing the UAS integration deadline, lasers on drones, UAS testing at Wallops Island, a million drones for the holidays, and interviews from UAS Industry Days 2015. News Drones Armed With High-Energy Lasers May Arrive In 2017 Predator and Reaper manufacturer  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems  is looking at mounting a 150-kilowatt solid-state laser onto its Ave...

A first report on UAS Industry Days 2015 with the keynote by Lisa Ellman and an interview with Lawrence Brinker. NUAIR Alliance and Empire State Chapter of AUVSI Second Annual UAS Industry Days: Collaboration for Innovation Held September 22-23, 2015 at the NUAIR Alliance Hangar and at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino Events Center in New York, this conference offered speakers, exhibits, flight...

Lockheed Martin adds drone flight plans to pilot briefings, the AMA takes a closer look at FAA drone sightings data, Canadian farmers don’t want onerous regulations, California legislators want more drone laws, InterDrone product announcements, and the Reaper gets a long-range update package. Think Before You Launch Think Before You Launch (TBYL) is an awareness campaign that seeks to educate both...

An Interview with the National Retail Hobby Stores Association, bad drone legislation vetoed in California, UAS awards, and mass jackassery. Interview We wanted to know how hobby shop retailers feel about their responsibilities toward UAV buyers at point-of-sale. So we called Noel Bays, the president of the  National Retail Hobby Stores Association  (NRHSA), and asked him. He was happy t...

Local and state drone laws and regulations at odds with federal authority, a reported mid air collision and other reports by pilots, updated model aircraft guidance from the FAA, two UAS executive positions filled by the FAA, and Sony shows us its camera-equipped quadcopter. Guest Sarah Nilsson has both an aviation and a legal background. She holds an airline transport pilot certificate for single...

Drone legislation in the news: private property overflights in California, mandatory drone geofencing, and weaponized drones for law enforcement. Also, ALPA responds to pilot encounters with drones, counter-drone systems, and a Sony prototype drone. News Drone no-fly zone in California will stifle innovation, say industry advocates The California Assembly has passed a bill (SB 142) that prohibits...

We talk with Dr. Ella Atkins about UAS privacy regulations, regulatory and legislative jurisdiction over the airspace, developing a drone safety culture, and UAS air traffic management challenges. Guest Dr. Ella Atkins is an Associate Professor in the  Department of Aerospace Engineering  at the  University of Michigan , where she is director of the  Autonomous Aerospace System...

Reports of unmanned aircraft sightings by pilots on the rise, FPV racing gets a financial boost, Google tests package delivery, proliferation of rogue drones, and knocking down drones with light, sound, and shotguns. News Pilot Reports of Close Calls With Drones Soar in 2015 According to the FAA, pilots reported 238 unmanned aircraft sightings in 2014. Through August 9, 2015, more that 650 sightin...

We talk with faculty members from  Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University  about their unmanned systems degree programs. Embry-Riddle Worldwide’s College of Aeronautics currently offers a Master of Science in Unmanned Systems, a Bachelor of Science in Unmanned Systems Applications, and an undergraduate minor in Unmanned Aerial Systems. We talk about how programs are developed, the types of...

Observations from the NASA Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Traffic Management Convention, including the Amazon Prime Air proposal for drone traffic management. Guest Max Trescott  attended the  NASA Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Traffic Management Convention  (or UTM) and gives us his impressions of the event. Max is a general aviation pilot, a certified flight instructor, an aviation...

A weaponized quadcopter, shooting down drones, legislation that would permit disabling drones, and nine ways to not be an idiot. Guest Max Trescott  joins the conversation. Max is a GA pilot, a certified flight instructor, aviation author, a glass cockpit expert, and a budding drone pilot. News Handgun-firing drone appears legal in video, but FAA, police probe further Father Says ‘Flying Gun’...

We talk with the founder and CEO of a startup that is providing commercial UAS services for precision agriculture and other industries. Guest Eileen Shibley is the founder and CEO of  Monarch, Inc.  Monarch designs, engineers, and manufactures unmanned commercial aerial systems for the agriculture, energy, and land survey industries. Eileen incorporated Monarch, Inc. in 2014, and her tea...

Package delivery by autonomous drone, drone company management changes, making interfering with firefighters illegal, drone service on demand, North Dakota innovation hub, drone photography contest results, USAF addresses pilot shortage, and accidents increase in Netherlands. News Swiss Postal Service, Air Cargo Carrier Begin Drone Testing Freight carrier  Swiss WorldCargo  announced on...

We talk with Leslie Bates regarding her efforts to get young women and girls involved in the growing field of unmanned aerial systems. Guest  Leslie Bates is the founder of  SheDrones , an emerging non-profit which is being created to engage, educate, and train girls in unmanned aerial systems and related technologies. SheDrones will also support and collaborate with existing drone-speci...

The optionally piloted Centaur flies at a UAS test site, a NASA-led team tests a sense and avoid system, more bad drone behavior, and an interview with the founder of the Kashmir World Foundation. News Remote-controlled passenger flights 5 years away, CEO says An  Aurora Flight Sciences Centaur  was flown over the New York UAS test site from Griffiss International Airport. The Centaur is...

We look back at the first 100 episodes, and ahead to the next 100. We also talk with Curator Roger Connor from the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum. The First 100 Episodes The UAV Digest was started as a spinoff of the  Airplane Geeks  podcast, with Episode #1 published on August 16, 2013. David and Max wanted to explore the exploding unmanned aircraft industry and communica...

Guest Chris Thomas from  MultiGP  talks with us about the sport of FPV multirotor racing. Guest Chris Thomas is the founder of  MultiGP , a grassroots racing organization with a mission to make FPV multirotor racing a real sport. With over 30 chapters in the United States, MultiGP provides the rules, equipment, and software for FPV racing. We talk with Chris about what you need...

HeliVideo to cover U.S. Open, commercial drone market share, China uses drone to catch cheaters, using TV signals to sense aircraft, a Google drone patent, and UAS full type certificates. News How FOX Sports will use drones at the U.S. Open, and why the FAA is watching FOX Sports is using octocopters from Austin-based  HeliVideo  to cover the golf championship at Chambers Bay....

Conversation with drone lawyer Jonathan Rupprecht, a NASA and Verizon UAS tracking system, the Google Internet HALE drone crashes, and Boeing patents a drone charging concept. Guest In December 2014, Jonathan Rupprecht formed  Rupprecht Law , a firm providing legal services for operators of unmanned aerial vehicles. Jonathan authored a book on the law in the United States pertaining to unmann...

DOJ privacy guidelines for agencies using drones, dumb drone flying, a drone-only store, interesting Kickstarter drone projects, NOAA says don’t mix drones and whales, drones as a tool for football practice, and a drone film festival. News What the Justice Department’s New Drone Rules Mean for Your Privacy On May 22, 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice announced agency-wide guidelines that set st...

A drone powered by a fuel-cell, UAS use policy for police, a defensive anti-drone system, UAS training at a community college and at Textron Systems, a backup system for GPS, and the Commercial UAS Modernization Act. News Hycopter Drone Flies for 4 Hours via Hydrogen Power The Hycopter drone from Singapore-based  Horizon Unmanned Systems  (HUS) uses a hydrogen fuel cell for power. Four l...