dronelife

CA -based Fruity Chutes, a manufacturer of parachute recovery systems for drones and other aerospace systems, has launched a critical piece of the recovery solution: the Raven On-Landing Parachute Release (ROPR). The ROPR (patent pending) allows a parachute to be released automatically from a payload upon landing – limiting the damage caused if a payload […] The post Fruity Chutes: New Drone Parachute Release Protects Payloads appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

EU drone regulations 2019/947 and 2019/945 became effective on December 30, 2020. The risk-based approach does not differentiate between recreational and commercial operations, but considers the weight and specifications of the drone and the operation planned. Operators will need to become familiar with the categories (Skybound Rescuer Project has developed a free “Drone License Finder” […] The post EU Drone Regulations: a Risk-Based Approach appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced new additions and changes to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Drone Advisory Committee membership. New members include representatives from U.S. manufacturer Skydio and Amazon Prime, as well as individual drone operator Vic Moss and President CEO of the Drone Services Providers Alliance, Kenji Sugahara. The term of members including […] The post Drone Advisory Committee Membership Changes: Skydio, Amazon Prime, Drone Service Providers appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

The final rule was published last week, and the elimination of the network requirement for Remote ID has been both lauded and criticized. Drone industry thought leader and Kittyhawk CEO Jonathan Hegranes has written a thoughtful response to the new rule. Kittyhawk has also published a ​whitepaper​ on Remote ID, providing a “deep dive” into the […] The post Kittyhawk on Eliminating the Network Requirement for Remote ID appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Following the publication of the final rule on remote identification for drones last week, the industry has voiced opinions both for and against the concept of Remote ID as well as the actual rule. DRONELIFE is honored to publish this joint op-ed from two of the industry’s leading voices: AUVSI President and CEO Brian Wynne, […] The post Op-Ed: Brian Wynne and Kevin Burke on Remote Identification for Unmanned Systems appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

A strategic partnership between P3 Tech Consulting and Five-Alpha will combine expertise to address issues in the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) market. The partners will form a team that combines P3 Tech Consulting‘s expertise in tech law, regulation, policy and plans with Five-Alpha’s industry leadership in infrastructure standards, regulations, and code development – two areas critical […] The post Advanced Air Mobility: P3 Tech Consulting and Five-Alpha Enter Strategic Partnership appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

If you got – or gave – a drone this holiday season, there are important rules for new drone flyers to be aware of and follow. We asked an FAA representative to point out the top 10 items new flyers need to be aware of. Part of an occasional series, “Things the FAA Wishes More […] The post 10 Rules for New Drone Owners: Flying Legally in the United States appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Pea Ridge, AR, is a beautiful little town renowned for lovely scenery and Civil War history. If local Planning Commissioners approve tomorrow, Pea Ridge will also be the site of a Walmart drone delivery hub. The Walmart drone delivery hub will be the site of the drone delivery trials executed by Zipline International in partnership […] The post Walmart Drone Delivery Hub: Never Heard of Pea Ridge, AR? You Have Now appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Drone delivery and unmanned traffic management (UTM) company Wing has weighed in on the newly published rule on Remote ID for Drones. The Wing response to Remote ID says that the rule may have unintended consequences for American consumers, and leads to signficant privacy concerns. While Wing expressed appreciation for the FAA’s efforts to accommodate […] The post Wing Response to Remote ID: “Unintended Consequences for American Consumers” appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

News and Commentary. DRONELIFE published more than 840 pieces of drone industry news this year. From drone delivery in the pandemic, the U.S.-China trade war, and new government regulations, we covered it a vast variety of drone industry drivers. Out of all of those stories, here are three of the top themes of 2020: and […] The post Drone Industry News: the Top Stories of 2020 – and What’s Next for 2021 appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

The latest Elsight funding round of $8.3M will fund product development and market growth, says CEO Yoav Amitai. DRONELIFE wrote about Elsight’s Halo product earlier this year: the company’s flagship connectivity solution. Elsight’s powerful bi-directional algorithm splits any kind of data (video, audio, telemetry and more) into encrypted packets, using secure VPN tunnelling to transmit via multiple cellular and […] The post Latest Elsight Funding Round: $8.3 Million for Product Development, Market Expansion appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

DJI‘s response to Remote ID, the FAA regulation released on Monday, is a positive one. The world’s largest drone manufacturer says that they will work towards complying with the new regulations. “DJI has long supported the FAA’s Remote ID initiative because it will enhance drone accountability, safety and security. The FAA’s deliberative process of reviewing […] The post DJI’s Response to Remote ID: “A Rule That Will Serve the Whole Industry” appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Alpine 4 Technologies Ltd. (OTCMKTS:ALPP) stock had risen 1,900% in 4 weeks as of December 15. The stock price isn’t high – it went from $.04 on November 16 to $.80 on December 11 – but market analysts say Alpine 4’s Impossible Aerospace acquisition, combined with the U.S. Department of Commerce decision to add Chinese […] The post Alpine 4 Stock Surges After Impossible Aerospace Acquisition and DJI Blacklist appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

New EU drone laws will be implemented on January 1, 2021. The EU UAS Regulation Package offers welcome codification of drone laws, but even the “Easy Rules for UAS Regulations” aren’t all that easy to understand. Don’t worry – the experts at SkyBound Rescuer have developed a free tool to make understanding the new EU […] The post EU Drone Laws Change January 1: SkyBound Rescuer Makes it Easy with Free “Drone License Finder” appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

The FAA has published new drone rules for Remote ID and Operations Over People. While it will take some time to fully unpack the final rule on Remote ID, the drone industry is weighing in on the new regulations and the impact that they will have. (See the announcement with links to the full text […] The post Industry Weighs in on New Drone Rules for Remote ID, Flight Over People appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Remote ID Q & A: Who will enforce Remote ID? When does it become effective? Where is it required? For all of these questions and more, DRONERESPONDERS, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping public safety agencies use drones, has your answers. The FAA released the long-awaited rule on Remote ID for Drones today. “Remote ID will […] The post Remote ID Q & A: DRONERESPONDERS Answers Questions appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

The FAA has released the Remote ID for Drones final rule along with a rule on operations over people and moving vehicles, and night operations. The long-awaited publications will clarify the details of Remote ID, and allow stakeholders from the commercial and recreational drone communities to begin to prepare for implementation – while expanding the scope of […] The post BREAKING: FAA Publishes Remote ID for Drones Final Version, Ops Over People appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

U.K.-based Altitude Angel, leading UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management) technology provider, is the latest to receive a new influx of funding as VC investment in the drone industry continues. Altitude Angel has raised £4m ($5.3m US) from one of Europe’s largest VC investors, Octopus Ventures. “The latest fundraising concludes Altitude Angel’s series A round, led by […] The post VC Investment in Drone Industry Continues: U.K.’s Altitude Angel Scores Another £4million appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

How optimistic are stakeholders about the drone industry outlook for 2021? 2020 has been a year to remember, with ups and downs for everyone. We’ve seen drone conferences go remote, drone delivery expand with COVID, regulations shift and technologies change, and new players emerge as leaders in the industry. What’s next? In our latest DRONELIFE […] The post The Drone Industry Outlook for 2021 – Optimistic or Grim? DRONELIFE Minute Survey appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

OK, so maybe you didn’t get an official Red Ryder carbine action, 200-shot, range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time. That’s OK. You did, however, get a new drone for Christmas, which is much safer and cooler than a 1940s BB gun. Yes, we know you’re […] The post So You Got a Drone for Christmas. Now What? appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

A Senate Bill, now on the President’s desk, would require changes in the membership composition of the influential Drone Advisory Committee (DAC). The Drone Advisory Committee was established to provide “independent advice and recommendations” to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation and FAA on drone regulations, according to the DAC charter. S.2730 is titled “Drone […] The post Drone Advisory Committee: Senate Bill Would Require Greater Transparency, Representation appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

There are no Grinches at the FAA. “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced it has granted Santa Claus and his reindeer-powered sleigh special operating authority to engage in interstate air-cargo-delivery services directly to rooftops throughout the United States on Christmas Eve,” says an FAA press release. This year, Santa’s sleigh has been superpowered – […] The post FAA Issues Santa Special Operating Authority to Engage in Interstate Air Cargo Delivery appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

SPH Engineering‘s Drone Show Software (DSS) team initiated the 1st International Drone Show Choreography Competition – and now we have a winner! Angelito D. Jadormeo of the Philippines took 1st place, and you can see his amazing animation below. “Entries were evaluated by an internationally influential jury panel composed of EU, North and Latin American […] The post Drone Show Software Team Initiates 1st International Drone Show Choreography Competition! appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

The United States Air Force (USAF) has named Volansi defense subsidiary VOLY Defense Solutions (VDS) to the Skyborg Vanguard Program, a collaboration between best of breed aircraft companies and the USAF to develop next generation experimental aircraft. In a blog post written by Hannan Parvizian, Volansi CEO and Co-Founder, Parvizian says that “the multiple indefinite […] The post Volansi Defense Subsidiary Joins USAF Skyborg Project [VIDEO] appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article

Want a feel good drone story for the holidays? Check out these videos below – while the delivery went simply from the sidewalk to the front yard, kids receiving stockings by drone got a dual gift: the excitement of a holiday present and exposure to new technology. The Auburn-Hills, MI-based Kids First Initiative is focused […] The post Holiday Drone Drop: Kids First Initiative Delivers Presents by Drone! [VIDEO] appeared first on DRONELIFE. View the full article