Bruce Crumley

Drone giant DJI received more confounding news for its US operations this week when the Department of Defense (DoD) included the firm in a group of Chinese companies it has entered on an official blacklist.

Next-generation aircraft developer Joby is pairing up with air taxi infrastructure company Skyports in a trial vertiport they’re calling the Living Lab, which will be used for testing the configuration and operation of future hubs.

Will Joby become the Tesla of futuristic electric takeoff and landing craft (eVTOL) and operator of sustainable air taxi services while having to battle the kind of ferocious nay-saying that Elon Musk did? In some ways it already has, after attracting the unwanted attention of a hostile hedge fund that’s reinforcing its short positions on the company’s stock by circulating in-house research dramatically decrying the activity and revenue targets Joby presented to its investors as utterly unattainable.

European drone research and promotion organization AiRMOUR has released the results of its large opinion survey of sector stakeholders and members of the public on attitudes toward use of UAVs in different activities – particularly in response to medical emergencies. While not necessarily surprising, the findings bode well for increased acceptance of the craft operating in European Union skies in future.

Chinese drone company GreatHigh says it has established four new Guinness Book of Record achievements during a recent aerial show, including the largest number of UAVs flying in the same performance with 5,164 craft working aloft at once.

Leading instant logistics company Zipline is launching drone delivery of prescriptions and other medicines to the households of Intermountain Healthcare patients across Salt Lake City – an anticipated rollout that will eventually be capable of serving over a million people in Utah.

Wisk, the Boeing-backed developer of electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis, has unveiled its sixth-generation passenger aircraft it calls the “first self-flying, all-electric, four-passenger… candidate for type certification” from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Europe’s middle-mile drone delivery specialist Dronamics is moving to make its flagship Black Swan UAVs entirely carbon neutral through a linkup with UK company Zero Petroleum to supply fossil-free fuel for future aerial cargo transport.

Tampa Bay drone and robotic services company FLYMOTION has joined the expanding list of homegrown and national businesses and emergency responder organizations now hard at work to locate and care for survivors, and assist large areas of southwest Florida start recovering from the devastating passage of Hurricane Ian.

Spain’s National Police force is going big on drone deployment in its law enforcement activities, and has announced the introduction of EHang’s EH216 automated passenger vehicle to its fleet of smaller UAV.

There seems to be disagreement on a new element in the war between Ukraine and the invading Russian army. While some media reports in recent weeks have sounded alarms about the punishing potential of Iran’s drones being deployed by Russia for strikes in Ukraine, US officials have shrugged off the craft as rather rinky-dink contraptions prone to dysfunction, and of only limited concern.

Most people are aware that shooting guns at unwanted drones flying overhead can result in criminal charges, but who knew trying to take one out with a soccer ball was a yellow card offense? Brazilian pro player Marcal does – now – and will be sitting out his Botafogo club’s next match for his attempt.

Ukraine’s campaign to assemble an Army of Drones to push invading Russian forces out of the country staged a PR coup Thursday by welcoming its new ambassador Mark Hamill, the actor who played the consummate defender of good against evil Star Wars hero, Luke Skywalker.

A precautionary landing of a Wing delivery drone caused electricity to be cut to around 2,000 homes in an Australian town Thursday after the craft accidentally came to rest on power lines. The good news, according to one report, was utility workers arrived to find the food order payload still nice and hot.

This is shaping up to be a busy and auspicious week for electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi developer Lilium. Just days after the German company hailed the success of its Phoenix 2 prototype’s first full transition flight, its boss announced a search for new funding to enable what he said would be initial production targets of 400 craft each year.

Companies around the globe have been at work developing a category of UAV capable of hauling weightier payloads than the typical delivery craft can, and an Oxnard, California-based business says it’s done that – and more. Meet the Rhaegal super heavy-lift drone, whose Sabrewing manufacturer credits the craft with recently setting a world record by hovering with a payload of 347 kg (829 lb.).

The executive body of the European Union (EU) has introduced draft regulation that would make it easier for individuals and organizations to sue companies whose products – including drones – caused prejudice, damage, or injury due to malfunctioning or misuse of integrated artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

German fixed-wing drone manufacturer and aerial services company Wingcopter is partnering with the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences to test on-demand delivery of goods using UAVs and cargo e-bicycles to people in villages and other remote rural communities.

A research project experimenting with drones to identify overexerted athletes in states of distress turned into a real-life emergency medical response operation last weekend, when UAVs deployed to monitor the Montréal Marathon spotted an exhausted runner collapsing.

Drone delivery specialist Flytrex has announced further expansion of its aerial activities with the launch of services in Durham, North Carolina, flying orders from its new partner, Charleys Philly Steaks.

Embraer’s urban air mobility unit (UAM) Eve has struck a multi-faceted deal with aerial service provider BLADE India that includes an order of 200 of the Brazilian company’s future electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.