Read or listen to all of the headlines in one place: excerpts from the DRONELIFE drone news of the week ending August 25, 2023. Click on the titles below for the full story.
Continue reading below, or listen:
Skydio’s ASCEND, September 20: What Will the Next Evolution Look Like?
The Skydio ASCEND 2023 Conference, set to take place on September 20, 2023 within the serene Presidio National Park in San Francisco, CA, promises a significant reveal about Skydio’s newest products and direction.
The Drone That Flies Itself: HoverAir X1 Introduces Pocket-Sized Self-Flying Aerial Camera
Zero Zero Robotics, a tech company specializing in embedded AI technology, has unveiled the HoverAir X1 – a compact and autonomous aerial camera that takes the art of drone photography to new heights. The HoverAir X1 offers users features ranging from pre-programmed flight modes to stabilization technology, all bundled in a pocket-sized device.
Clock Ticking on FAA Administrator: Still No Permanent Pick
As a recent article in Politico highlighted, the clock is ticking on the current Acting Administrator of the FAA. FAA Acting Administrator Polly Trottenberg, the Deputy Administrator of the Department of Transportation, is limited by law to a term of no more than 210 days. This term will expire on October 25, 2023: at which time internal emails indicate that Deputy Administrator and former FAA Chief of Staff Katie Thomson will take over the position, failing a permanent appointment.
EHang Announces New Milestones on Air Taxi Type Certification in China
EHang has now completed the final flight tests required in the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) type certification (TC) process for the EH216-S. The process has taken 31 months – but EHang says that they expect to receive type certification soon, having finished the last stage of the evaluation with flights to demonstrate and verify compliance with regulations.
Titan Aviation on the Drone Radio Podcast Show! Integrating Crewed and Uncrewed Systems
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show with Randy Goers: Toni Drummond, President US of Titan Aviation, talks about advance airflight, the challenges and opportunities for integrating crewed and uncrewed systems into the same airspace and how Commercial UAV Expo Advance Airspace Summit will help elevate the discussion among industry professionals.
Remote ID in a Real World National Security Event: Pierce Aerospace at Super Bowl LVII
Remote ID is designed to allow stakeholders to detect and track drones in the air – both mitigating the risk of unauthorized drones and allowing greater utilization of legitimate commercial operation. In a high stakes national security event like the Super Bowl, Remote ID becomes a critical tool for the federal and local agencies responsible for keeping participants safe
D-Fend Announces EnforceAir 2: Counter Drone Technology in a Backpack
D-Fend Solutions has launched the newest version of their EnforceAir product, EnforceAir2. EnforceAir 2 xpands and improves on the success of their previous product, EnforceAir, which received the 2023 Intersec Homeland Security/Service of the Year Award. EnforceAir2 has increased drone detection and mitigation capabilities, as well as added operational flexibility for covert and mobile applications.
Red Cat’s Teal 2 Gets Remote ID Certification as US Defense Logistics Doubles Order
Red Cat Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: RCAT), a drone technology company integrating robotic hardware and software for military, government and commercial operations, announced August 22 that the military-grade Teal 2 had received Remote ID certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The news was closely followed on August 23 by an announcement that the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) had doubled its order for Teal 2, ordering an additional 172 units plus spare parts and training. The DLA order now totals over $5 million.
FAA Grants Phoenix Air Unmanned Waiver for BVLOS Flight with Swiss Drones Uncrewed Helicopter
In May, the FAA asked for public input on requests for waivers to fly Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS.) Phoenix Air Unmanned, uAvionix, Zipline, and UPS Flight Forward all applied for waivers: today, FAA announced that Pheonix Air Unmanned has been granted authorization to operate BVLOS for “aerial work, aerial photography, survey and powerline and pipeline patrol and inspection. The authorization allows these operations below 400 feet altitude over certain roads and sparsely populated areas below pre-planned flight paths.”
Walmart Parters with Wing on Drone Delivery in Dallas Fort Worth
Retail giant Walmart and drone delivery provider Wing are poised to launch drone delivery service from two Walmart stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The partnership, which builds upon Walmart’s ongoing efforts to provide efficient last-mile delivery solutions and Wing’s expertise in drone technology, will bring an array of Walmart products directly to customers’ doorsteps.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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