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
VTOL
Carbonix and CASA Certify First SAIL III Drone in Australia
Carbonix says it is the first company in Australia to receive SAIL III certification for a drone, clearing a path to scalable long-range BVLOS operations. Sydney-based autonomous aviation company Carbonix has become the first company in Australia to achieve Safety Assurance Integrity Level (SAIL) III drone certification, according to the company. Carbonix says the milestone, … [Read more...] about Carbonix and CASA Certify First SAIL III Drone in Australia
From The Floor of XPONENTIAL: AIRO and Jaunt Reveal Dual-Use VTOL Aircraft for Defense and Cargo Missions
Jaunt Air Mobility's autonomous slowed-rotor platform targets defense ISR, cargo logistics, and remote operations in two mission variants. AIRO Group Holdings has publicly unveiled its full-scale autonomous VTOL aircraft at AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2026 in Detroit. The Nasdaq-listed aerospace and defense company announced the reveal on May 12, 2026. The aircraft comes from AIRO's … [Read more...] about From The Floor of XPONENTIAL: AIRO and Jaunt Reveal Dual-Use VTOL Aircraft for Defense and Cargo Missions
Emergency Response Aircraft Progresses in Global Competition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivjUpLEpp3U Cranfield University's CraneAERO team has been selected as one of eight Stage Two Prototype winners in the GoAero Challenge, a global competition that attracted 1,800 innovators from 85 countries. The team is the only UK-based competitor advancing to the next phase of the competition for its emergency response aircraft … [Read more...] about Emergency Response Aircraft Progresses in Global Competition
Phenix Solutions Soars to New Heights with Prestigious US Air Force Contract
Phenix Solutions Secures US Air Force Phase II Contract for Ultra 2XL Heavy Lift VTOL Aircraft Aerospace company Phenix Solutions has recently been awarded a Phase II contract by the United States Air Force for Agile Manufacturing of the Ultra 2XL Heavy Lift VTOL Aircraft. This significant milestone marks a collaboration between Phenix Solutions and The Air Force Research … [Read more...] about Phenix Solutions Soars to New Heights with Prestigious US Air Force Contract
