News

The  California Air National Guard‘s 195th Airlift Wing recently launched a drone reconnaissance mission to aid firefighting efforts in northern California. At least six people have been killed by the raging wildfires with more than 500 homes and buildings decimated. The unit deploys a MQ-9 Reaper drone to monitor and track …

The following is a guest post by Sasha Rezvina of leading aerial cinematography company Aerobo.  Drones were introduced into filmmaking as cheaper and safer alternatives for some helicopter shots. They could pull off (1) high-and-wide shots, so long as they weren’t too high, (2) sweeping shots, so long as they …

By Hugoshi [CC BY-SA 4.0] News and Commentary.  The drone news this week has been dominated by headlines about the purported assassination attempt on Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.  The timing couldn’t be worse for the drone industry. I use the word “purported” in an effort (probably in vain) to indicate …

Amit Ganjoo, Anra Technologies. The FAA reports that there are now over 100,000 licensed commercial drone operators in the U.S.  While the numbers come from the U.S., it’s an international trend: across Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America growth in licensed pilots is commensurate.  We spoke to industry leader Amit …

Have you ever wanted a DJI Spark with a picture of a bear on? Well, you’re in luck. Today DJI have announced a brand partnership with Line Friends, a global character brand and subsidiary of mobile messenger operator Line, which includes everything from virtual stickers to emoticons and stuffed animals. …

The largest commercial drone manufacturer in South Africa, ALTi, says that the day of the fixed-wing, VTOL drone could be here. In a piece titled “What is BVLOS and What Does it Mean to Commercial Drone Users,” the company points out that flight beyond visual line of sight represents a …

News and Commentary.  It’s time for drone operators in  the U.S.- both commercial and recreational – to start paying attention as regulation heats up.  On July 31, the Small UAV Coalition, AOPA and other industry advocates signed a letter opposing an expected amendment from Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) to the …

New drone laws have come into effect in the UK today, restricting drones from flying above 400 feet or within one kilometer of airport boundaries. More laws are due to come into place later this year. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will at the end of November require UK drone owners whose …

Commercial pilots looking to add inspection services to their portfolio have the perfect opportunity to train for the job at this year’s Commercial UAV Expo.  The world’s leading aeronautical university, Embry-Riddle, will be offering a pre-event training session. The following is a press release from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical …

So now we know. A matter of weeks after DJI indefinitely postponed the launch event for a new drone release, UK retailer Argos has gone ahead and printed the new products in its biannual catalog. It’s an easy mistake to make, particularly when you sell thousands of products and a …