Commercial drones have made their name by observing the world below. Now a new class of missions is moving the aircraft up into the atmosphere itself. The Utah Division of Water Resources is exploring drone-based cloud seeding to replace the crewed aircraft it tested from 2022 to 2025. That puts unmanned aircraft at the meeting point of aviation, meteorology, autonomy and water … [Read more...] about Guest Post: Why Drones May Change How We Operate in the Atmosphere
Airspace Integration
FAA Moves from Planning to Building for Advanced Air Mobility
New research facility signals shift from policy development to operational readiness The Federal Aviation Administration is taking another step toward integrating advanced air mobility (AAM) into the National Airspace System (NAS), breaking ground this week on a dedicated research facility designed to study how the next generation of vertical flight aircraft will safely … [Read more...] about FAA Moves from Planning to Building for Advanced Air Mobility
If Pilots Stop Trusting Safety Broadcasts, What Happens to Universal Conspicuity?
AOPA’s opposition to ADS-B billing highlights a growing issue for both crewed and uncrewed aviation News and Commentary. A new statement from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association may have implications far beyond general aviation airport fees. This week, AOPA publicly supported comments from FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford opposing the use of ADS-B data for billing and … [Read more...] about If Pilots Stop Trusting Safety Broadcasts, What Happens to Universal Conspicuity?
GAO Signals Rising Scrutiny as Drone Deliveries Expand
Federal watchdog highlights safety and oversight challenges as BVLOS operations grow Drone delivery in the United States continues to expand. But as operations scale, federal oversight is also intensifying. A recent blog post from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) examines the expected growth of drone delivery services and raises ongoing safety considerations. … [Read more...] about GAO Signals Rising Scrutiny as Drone Deliveries Expand
Two Days Left: FAA Reopens BVLOS Comments on Some of the Hardest Airspace Questions
Agency narrows focus to electronic conspicuity and right-of-way as February 11 deadline approaches Just two days remaining to comment, as the Federal Aviation Administration reopened a narrow portion of its proposed rule to enable routine drone flights beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) on January 28. The reopened comment period applies to the agency’s BVLOS Notice of … [Read more...] about Two Days Left: FAA Reopens BVLOS Comments on Some of the Hardest Airspace Questions
