Drone News of the Week May 12: DRONELIFE Headlines, All in One Place to Read or Listen

Read or listen to all of the headlines in one place: excerpts from the DRONELIFE drone news of the week ending May 12, 2023.  Click on the titles below for the full story.

Continue reading below, or listen:

Leading UAV solutions provider Ascent AeroSystems has announced that its Blue UAS-approved Spirit UAV is currently available for purchase through the General Services Administration (GSA) Advantage website.

Autel Robotics Hosts Inaugural Partner Summit, Showcasing New Products

Last week, Autel Robotics held its inaugural Autel Robotics’ Global Partner Summit at Le Meridien Xiaojing Bay in Huizhou, Guangdong, China.

DRONEII’s Annual Drone Industry Barometer is Now Open: Add Your Input, and Get Insight on Other Industry Players

DRONEII’s  Annual Drone Industry Barometer is now open!  Be counted in this critical piece of drone industry research.  Respond at this link to the survey in all languages.

BlueHalo’s Newest UAS: IntenseEye is Lighter, Stronger, Better with Injection Molding Engineering

BlueHalo has partnered with Alpine Advanced Materials for the newest version of its Intense Eye Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). This new model incorporates an injection molded chassis built with Alpine’s HX5 multi-scale reinforced polymer, which has been proven in the harshest of environments. HX5 renders the Intense Eye UAS both stronger and lighter, increasing its efficiency and payload capacity.

Manna Drone Delivery Flies into the US, Scores New Investment from Coca-Cola HBC

Irish drone delivery company Manna is beginning a trial in the Dallas-Ft.Worth area in partnership with real estate development company Hillwood, offering drone delivery to a sample of Hillwood’s residential developments. Hillwood is the developer of AllianceTexas, a 27,000-acre mixed-use, master-planned community and home to the Mobility Innovation Zone.  Pending FAA approval, Manna has developed a plan to provide rapid drone delivery service to more than 10,000 local residents.

Radar for Advanced Air Mobility: Echodyne and Hyundai’s Supernal Partner

Today, radar platform company Echodyne announced a strategic agreement with minority investment from Hyundai’s AAM company, Supernal. Currently developing an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle, Supernal is aiming to launch commercial flights in 2028. Together, the partners will explore how best to utilize Echodyne’s radars for the increased safety of Supernal’s vehicle and its operations.

BVLOS Inspections, No Humans Onsite: Percepto Wins FAA Waiver for Operations Within Shielded Airspace

Autonomous inspection leader Perceptoannounced that it has received a first-of-its-kind waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), allowing the company to conduct beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) inspection and monitoring operations within shielded airspace.

AUVSI Xponential: The Keynote on Cybersecurity for Drones

AUVSI Xponential is taking place in Denver this week.  This morning, the keynote sessions kicked off, including a conversation on cybersecurity issues with AUVSI’s Chief Advocacy Officer Michael Robbins and Tobias Whitney, VP of Strategy and Policy at Fortress Information Security.

From the Floor of Xponential 2023: Making Aviation Profitable

Today in Denver at Xponential 2023, a panel of experts discussed a topic on the minds of everyone in the industry: how do we make aviation profitable?   In the last several years, investment in the drone industry has grown significantly.

Passenger eVTOL Wisk Aero, Japan Airlines Partner to Bring AAM to Japan

Advanced Air Mobility leader Wisk Aero is partnering with Japan Airlines (JAL) to bring Wisk’s self-flying, all-electric air taxi services to Japan. Wisk and JAL Engineering (JALEC) will also be collaborating on the development of plans for the maintenance and operation of Wisk’s autonomous air taxis.

AUVSI Xponential: FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen on What’s Next for Drone Regulation

Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen announced last month that he would be leaving the position this summer.  President Biden’s first nominee to the position, Phil Washington, has withdrawn from the process: a new nominee has not yet been named.  The vacancy comes as the agency also waits for another funding package to move through Congress (FAA Reauthorization) which will both grant the agency continued funding and outline a series of priorities.

Watts Innovations Launches PRISM Lite: We Talk to Bobby Watts About Development, US Manufacturing, and More

Watts Innovations keeps something of a low profile – but industry insiders know that the Huntsville, MD-based company engineers and manufactures exceptionally high quality, heavy lift drones designed for both pilot and end user.

Expansion of Zipline Home Drone Delivery Services: GNC, Pagliacci Pizza, and More

Drone delivery leader Zipline is expanding its services through the formation of new partnerships with health and wellness brand GNC in Salt Lake City, Pagliacci Pizza in Seattle, and healthcare logistics provider Associated Couriers in Long Island.

 

Who Owns the Airspace Over My House? The Chicken Farmer Case, and Advocating for Reasonable State and Local Drone Regulations

In 1946, a chicken farmer located outside of Greensboro, North Carolina named Thomas Lee Causby sued the United States.  At the time, Causby’s farm was located near a military airport.  Frequent flights over his property frightened and killed more than 150 of his chickens, forcing Causby to abandon his business.