Commercial
A Chinese hybrid multirotor drone achieved 7.3 hours world record endurance. It was a Hexa multirotor with 44 lbs (20kg) all up weight powered by hybrid system and carried 2.8 gallon (10.5 liter). On January 19, 2018, a hybrid drone named 'Owling' took off at
Commercial
AeroVironment, Inc. has announced that its automated Quantix hybrid drone and AeroVironment Decision Support System (AV DSS) analytics software are now available for sale through its authorized reseller network. AeroVironment will be showcasing this pioneering ecosystem at three upcoming tradeshows: World Ag Expo, National Farm Machinery Show and Commodity Classic.
Commercial
The Commercial Unmanned Aircraft Association of Southern Africa (CUAASA), an affiliate of the Commercial Aviation Association of Southern Africa (CAASA), hosted its Annual General Meeting on Saturday 27 January 2018 and set out a plan of action for 2018. In his opening remarks, Dean Polley, President of CUAASA, emphasised the
Commercial
Skyfire Consulting, a public safety-focused drone company, kicked off 2018 by gaining the FAA's sign-off on the Los Angeles Fire Department's in-house UAV program. LAFD, one of the nation's busiest fire/rescue agencies, put their trust in the four-year-old consulting company, based on their
Commercial
The southern Polish mining city of Katowice has started testing a drone to pinpoint offenders who break anti-smog rules. The machine, supplied by the local Flytronic company, can analyse the chemical composition of smoke emitted from the chimneys of individual houses. Local authorities hope that the eye in the sky
Commercial
GreenSight Agronomics, a drone services and agricultural intelligence provider, has secured a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate its drone system beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). BVLOS operations allows GreenSight to control its drone systems stationed anywhere in the world remotely from its Boston command center. While
Commercial
For fried chicken lovers and drone enthusiasts alike, in India, KFC is set to offer what is being called ‘the most fly meal ever.’ Dubbed the ‘KFO’ which obviously stands for ‘Kentucky Flying Object’, the limited edition option encompasses a special smokey grilled wings order, while its packaging can be
Commercial
PrecisionHawk, Inc. has announced that it has raised a $75 million round of funding from a group of venture and strategic investors. This investment brings PrecisionHawk’s total funding to more than $100 million since being founded in 2010, making it the world’s most well-capitalized commercial drone company. The
Commercial
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is launching a competition to see who can design and build a cost-effective drone that carries the biggest payload and stays in the air the longest. Top contestants in the Unmanned Aerial Systems Flight and Payload Challenge can win cash prizes up to
Commercial
Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER S-100 proved its suitability for search and rescue missions as part of an ongoing homicide investigation in Stiwoll, Austria, in late 2017. In the first operation of its kind, Schiebel provided Austrian law enforcement with a CAMCOPTER S-100 and operating personnel to assist in the search for
Regulations
Chinese civil aviation industry insiders have called for tighter regulation on illegal drone flights, as the country has become the world's largest manufacturer of consumer drones. China currently has about 20,000 unregistered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), said attendees at the China UAV Safety Development Forum which opened
First Responders
Lennox Head on the state’s Far North Coast made history last Thursday when it became the scene of a dramatic rescue involving the deployment of the Westpac Little Ripper UAV and Rescue Pod. Lifeguards from the Australian Lifeguard Service were preparing for a training session to familiarise themselves with