FAA approves Kansas for first unique drone flight

Friday

Aug 16, 2019 at 6:21 PM

The Kansas Department of Transportation received the green light from the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct a unique drone flight.
This flight will be performed beyond the visual line of sight, meaning it will fly past the operator’s ability to monitor it from the ground.
“With very few exceptions, the Federal Aviation Administration restricts operations of commercial Unmanned Aerial System to remain within Visual Line of Sight of the operating crew at all times,” said Kurt Carraway, UAS executive director of Applied Aviation Research Center at Kansas State University Polytechnic. “For many applications, such as linear infrastructure inspections, cargo delivery and public safety, there is a demand signal for operations of unmanned aircraft beyond the visual line of sight of the operating crew.”
This flight is a result of efforts by the Kansas Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program team. The team is made up of 31 members who ..

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Utilising drones to deliver health supplies

New health
applications for drones and UAVs are being considered to mitigate logistical
problems and make health-care distribution more affordable. LAUREN DAVITT writes:

Tautvydas Juskauskas, Unicef Malawi’s Drone Specialist with civil aviation officials

The empty airfield, while devoid of planes, feels full
of life and excitement. The breeze keeps a tattered orange wind sock moving.
And in the distance, the sounds of young people playing at a nearby school fill
the air, reminding everyone why we are here.

The Unicef
Humanitarian Drone Corridor in Kasungu has been an innovation testing ground
since it opened in 2016, in conjunction with the Government of Malawi.

Drone takeoff near the Lifupa health centre
after delivering supplies

Companies,
universities and other partners can use the air strip to test drone projects
that can one day be used to support humanitarian work and help save lives.

On this
bright June day, something new is about to start; the longest drone test
fligh..

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Get Ready, China- Taiwan Is Developing Suicide Drones Interest

Taiwan is developing at least two exploding “suicide drones” as it scrambles to counter an increasingly modern and aggressive Chinese military.

A new suicide drone appeared at the August 2019 edition of the biennial Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition in the island country’s capital.

The unmanned aerial vehicle bears a strong resemblance to the small, hand-launched drones that are popular with U.S. forces. The other clearly draws inspiration from Israel’s Harpy anti-radar drone.

A suicide drone essentially is a small, inexpensive cruise missile, usually possessing some loitering capability. They might include a simple seeker head. Alternately, their operators remotely could steer them toward their targets.

Often based on commercial UAVs, suicide drones typically pack a small, grenade-size explosive warhead.

The Fire Cardinal drone, which first appeared at the Taipei trade show, is “an air-to-ground strike assault UAV,” according to the aviation-news website Alert 5, c..

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Self-driving tractors to cattle-ranching drones — ag show looks at future of farming

CalgarySelf-driving tractors to cattle-ranching drones — ag show looks at future of farmingOn Tuesday, in Olds, Alta., farmers and ranchers gathered for a glimpse of the cutting-edge technologies that some believe will usher in the next transformation of the industry.'Agriculture isn’t about the red barn and the overalls anymore,' says Olds College president Stuart Cullum.CEO of Dot Technology Corporation Robert Saik. (Dan McGarvey/CBC)From scythes to combines, from oxen-pulled ploughs to tractors — it's not hyperbole to say technological upgrades in farming have laid the groundwork for modern civilization.
On Tuesday, in Olds, Alta., farmers and ranchers gathered for a glimpse of the cutting-edge technologies that some believe will usher in the next transformation of the industry.
“Agriculture isn't about the red barn and the overalls anymore. It's high-tech and sophisticated and it requires a lot of skillsets now. That's something the public doesn&#039..

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Mountain View Residents Concerned About Citywide Drone Use

MOUNTAIN VIEW (KPIX 5) — Mountain View residents will soon get to weigh in on whether they think the city’s fire, police and public works departments should use drones for city business.

“These drones have saved lives when people go missing out in the woods, in certain wildfire situations,” said Armin Monajemi who is a chief drone pilot at a Bay Area start up. “Using drones, you could easily see someone’s backyard; and the laws, the way they’ve been written in the past, we didn’t have drones, we didn’t have aerial imagery.”

During a presentation to the city council earlier this year, the police staff said the drones could help them with suspect or missing persons searches, as well as measure accident scenes. The fire department wants to use them during fires, mass casualty and hazmat incidents and natural disasters.

The public works department also said the drones could benefit them for roof, gutter and tree inspections, as well as environmental assessments.

If passed, Mountain Vie..

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B.C. Corrections looks at how to prevent contraband drops by drones

A drone flies as an airplane is seen in the background.

FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP/Getty Images

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Smugglers are taking to the air and using drones to get past walls and fences to deliver drugs, cellphones and other contraband to inmates at correctional centres.
That is why B.C. Corrections is gathering information about ways it can use technology to protect its 10 provincial institutions from drones.
While drones are not yet “a significant concern,” as they are in other jurisdictions, the agency says it is always looking for ways to respond to potential new threats.
“To this end, B.C. Corrections is currently consulting with security advisors on drone detection options,” the service said in an email.
B.C. Corrections would not provide data about drone-related incidents at its facilities “due to security.”
In a request for information that closed on Monday, Corrections B.C. noted that the drone industry has grown over the years, and there is potent..

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The Drone Wars

Let the Drone Wars begin!

Google’s drone delivery service, Wing, has been rolled out in the north of Canberra after successful trial runs in Bonython and Royalla. Wing is apparently the world’s first permanent delivery drone service, now serving eligible homes in Crace, Palmerston and Franklin.

The introduction of drone delivery has pushed the ACT to the forefront of the Drone Wars, with residents divided on whether the noise and the risks to safety and privacy are worth the convenience.

In July 2018 when the drone trial first began in Bonython, opponents of the program had concerns regarding privacy, noise, and the danger of having someone’s hot coffee (or the drone itself) dropped on them from above.

So who regulates the drones?
The ACT Government has very limited scope to regulate drones as most incidents of “fly machines” falls to the Federal Government. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has oversight of drones and approves certified operators, but does not regulate no..

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