DroneDJ

Has Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium become a hub of illegal drone activity during the National Football League (NFL) Ravens’ home games? It’s starting to sound that way, with news that several more UAVs were active on November 16 than the craft that famously caused that day’s contest to be suspended.

Australian drone delivery company Swoop Aero has returned to sector headlines after a long period of maintaining a relatively low profile by playing a critical role in the recently completed trial of Ethiopia’s first UAV medical distribution system.

How bad is the reputation of California utility Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E)? Poor enough that it’s conspicuously displaying the sight and sounds of its drone flights to endear itself to the public (that’s a joke, kind of – read on). 

What at its launch was hailed as the UK’s first permanent UAV postal delivery operation has been temporarily suspended after a Skyports Drone Services craft encountered a technical glitch, leading an observer to abort a routine mission linking Orkney Islands destinations for the Royal Mail.

Drone show organizer and tech creator Verge Aero has taken another step towards its apparent goal of putting itself out of business (kinda), with the introduction of its eponymously branded Composer software designed to transform neophytes into celestial Twyla Tharps.

The European Union organization researching, testing, and validating urban air mobility (UAM) services, AiRMOUR, has issued a guide to assist businesses, communities, and member nations to facilitate the integration of next generation aviation tech into daily activities.

Guardian Agriculture, a manufacturer of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) drone systems for sustainable farming, says it has started operating on behalf of customers in the Salinas Valley region of California. With this, Guardian has become the first US-based agri eVTOL drone maker to begin commercial operations. The company reportedly has more than $100 million in customer orders at the moment.

Autel Robotics has issued a new statement, reiterating that the “Chinese high-tech enterprise” is firmly against the use of drone products for military purposes or any activities that infringe upon human rights.

Just hours after leading US electric car company Tesla unveiled its new Cybertruck, Chinese UAV dock specialist Heisha unveiled its new drone nesting system tailor-made to fit Elon Musk’s newest ride.

Months after they first hit the shelves, the DJI Air 3 and Mini 4 Pro drone models have managed to earn Remote ID Declarations of Compliance from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

DJI has released a new firmware update for its flagship commercial drone with interchangeable payloads, the Matrice 300 (M300) RTK.

Fast-moving California defense startup Anduril has announced the release of a new type of aircraft called Roadrunner, which is situated somewhere between a drone and missile and designed to address the kind of military and economic dilemmas that cash-strapped countries like Ukraine face in responding to aerial attacks.

It’s been a bit of a troubled path for DJI’s iOS MSDK development team of late, but now the drone maker has clarified it will no longer support the development of third-party apps for Apple devices. Instead, DJI is urging businesses to switch to Google’s Android platform for app development.

UK-based Skyports Drone Services is pursuing its international business growth and geographical expansion through a new partnership with Norway’s Field, offering specialized, cutting-edge aerial infrastructure inspection and monitoring activities.

Dromamics, the world’s first drone delivery airline is setting an additional air transport precedent by partnering with Qatar Airways Cargo, forging the first global network linking the longer-haul routes of a major carrier with the smaller, more local destinations that the middle-mile UAV startup plans to serve.

Litchi, one of the most popular third-party flight apps for DJI drones, has released new updates across its iOS, Android, and web products. Here are the key highlights…

DJI’s latest pocket-sized gimbal camera, Osmo Pocket 3, has received a huge firmware update today. Read on to know what’s new…

In UAV terms, in may rank up there with standing “in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot(ing) somebody” with quasi-impunity. Yesterday, a California man was sentenced for buzzing three different piloted aircraft with his drone, yet suffered nothing worse than community service and a hefty fine for acts the law defines as criminal offenses.

Police in New York City have added an another use case to their expanding deployment of drones: dissuading people from recurring rooftop “subway surfing” activity that has resulted in deaths and serious injuries this year.

To prepare the United Kingdom for increased adoption of drone technology, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has suggested several major changes to the current laws and regulations. Among the reforms proposed are the implementation of the Remote ID rule and making registration and remote pilot competency tests compulsory for sub-250-gram aircraft as well.

Surging automated drone tech company Percepto has added another Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) achievement to its growing list, which in this case allows the company to remotely operate up to 30 of its UAVs using only one pilot.

Aerial tech and communications group Ondas Holdings is leveraging its subsidiaries’ strengths by deploying Airobotics’ automated nested drone platform under the beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operation of American Robotics, as part of a pilot program it will oversee for the aeronautics division of Massachusetts Department of Transport (MassDOT).

HevenDrones has made good on its pledge at the outset of the year to introduce three hydrogen-powered UAVs during 2023 with today’s unveiling of two new craft in its H2D200 drone series.

German electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) plane startup Lilium has obtained authorization from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) that will allow it far greater flexibility and range in developing its future battery-powered air taxi toward certification.