Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

One potential disruption from the UK’s Brexit from the European Union was definitively averted this week with the nation’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announcement that it will adopt the European Aviation Safety Agency’s standards for certifying next generation electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

Developer of electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis Joby Aviation says it has obtained its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate nearly a half year ahead of schedule. The company will now use the permit to operate traditional aircraft to prepare the launch of services with next-generation vehicles in 2024.

News that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has changed its thinking on how it will certify electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for air taxi use has rattled developers of those vehicles – many prototypes of which are already well along in the approval process. In response to the jittery nerves that may have created, the regulator is assuring companies the alterations it has made won’t send any projects off the certification rails.

London-based electric takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer Vertical Aerospace has negotiated an arrangement with UK and European Union civil aviation authorities to pursue concurrent vehicle validation of its VX4 air taxis.

American Robotics, a leading provider of fully automated drone services to enterprise customers, has obtained authorizations to operate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights at seven work sites across the US, bringing the company’s total to 10.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has invested another $4.4 million in drone research through its Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE) program. The grants – focusing on the areas of electromagnetic compatibility, UAS detect and avoid classifications, and cybersecurity oversight – have been awarded to seven US universities.

Verizon Robotics, the automation and machine development unit of the global communications giant, has said it will expand its testing and proof-of-concept capabilities by basing those activities at Oregon’s drone and aerial tech trial facility, Pendleton Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Range.

The FAA’s UAS Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), which was formed to advance the regulatory path toward autonomous, safe, and routine BVLOS drone missions, has published its final report.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is looking to onboard new app developers that can help the government agency to provide Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) services to drone operators. The FAA will open the application period for the same on May 2, 2022.

To discuss all things drone, the 2022 FAA Drone Symposium has been scheduled for Thursday, April 28 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. The in-person event will be co-hosted by the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) during the XPONENTIAL 2022 conference.

In a sign that the oft-celebrated (and of late mourned) special relationship between the US and UK is alive still, a rapprochement between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on advanced air mobility (AAM) craft is stoking the ambitions of vehicle manufacturers like Joby already active in both nations.

The chief of the Federal Aviation Administration, Steve Dickson, has resigned from his post halfway into his five-year term. Citing family issues, Dickson told his staff late Wednesday that he will leave the FAA at the end of March.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says it will commence field-testing new drone traffic management capabilities as part of its ongoing effort to integrate UAVs into the national airspace, and prepare for anticipated expansion of craft operation for a variety of purposes.

Drone solution providers Censys Technologies and Soaring Eagle Technologies have secured a fresh beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This waiver covers a 12-mile distance, which the companies stress is the longest distance ever approved by the FAA.

The speed and efficiency of its automated Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) authorization system has permitted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue its millionth permit to drone pilots in record time.

Flytrex co-founder and CEO Yariv Bash may not be out to change the entire world, but he is intent on revolutionizing the way goods are delivered on the planet with a tightly focused, carefully defined plan of making drones the primary force of that progress.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has declared the SoFi Stadium in California’s Inglewood as a “No Drone Zone” ahead of this year’s Super Bowl. And to make sure that drone operators don’t take the safety advisory lightly, a minimum potential fine of $30,000 has been proposed, among other things.

Some exciting news coming from the Drone Racing League (DRL) today. The Federal Aviation Administration has accredited DRL as the first UAS event organizer. In addition, DRL will also participate in FAA’s Partnership for Safety Plan (PSP) program to help the agency establish standardized safety protocols that all individuals and organizations would be required to follow while conducting drone demonstrations, air shows, exhibitions, and events in front of a live audience.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded $90,000 in grant funding to train 40 high school teachers in drone fundamentals, as well as to equip each educator with a multi-rotor drone to use with their own students.

Everybody has heard about drones by now, but there are several other oft-used terms like UAS and UAV that tend to confuse readers. So, what exactly is a drone and how is it different from these other commonly heard terms such as UAS, UAV, FPV, RPAS, and model aircraft?

Did you buy your first drone this Black Friday/Cyber Monday to explore this incredibly rewarding hobby or to give the perfect gift to a gadget-loving friend or family member? Now, it’s time to learn how to fly it safely and responsibly.