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New Certificate of Waiver (COW) Process Streamlines Approvals for Public Safety Agencies

For Ukrainian and Russian drone operators, constantly evolving tech means they can never rest on their laurels. Since it's become a frontline job, physical fitness is key. And tactics have gone crazy. There are now elite units that hunt one another, operators conduct drone ambushes and drone dogfighting, and even Russians even target drone units for war crimes.

Comments made by new US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy during his Senate confirmation hearing indicate the FAA will move forward with a rule-making process to establish regulations for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations

A bill pending in the Arizona state legislation is proposing to grant immunity from liability from any damages caused by a drone falling from the sky after being shot down or disabled by state and local law enforcement officers near the U.S.-Mexico border.

At the National Public Safety UAS Conference, hosted by DRONERESPONDERS, a panel of FAA officials provided critical updates on new waivers, regulatory processes, and efforts to improve access to airspace for public safety drone operations.

New initiative aims to equip students with industry-recognized certifications and meet the growing demand for skilled drone operators.

The 60th Maintenance Group completed the first in-house drone training for Small Unmanned Aerial Systems used for aircraft maintenance in the Department of Defense Jan. 27-31, 2025.

If you are considering a drone as a holiday gift, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wants you and your loved ones to understand how to fly it safely.  The FAA is again launching its 12 Days of Drones campaign to educate people about the rules, regulations and best practices of operating a drone.  

Twelve pilots from around the globe will race high-speed drones in Miami's skies on February 1, 2025.

A draft rule for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, currently under review by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), could unlock the scalability of critical drone applications when passed. Yet, with deadlines looming, industry leaders stress the urgency of publishing the rule before potential political shifts in early 2025.

DRL U.S. Air Force Miami Invitational, debuting in 2025. This future-forward collaboration seeks to find the next generation of technical talent and STEM prodigies through the electrifying fusion of sports entertainment and immersive technology. 

Across the US, schools are taking steps to help students prepare for careers in the drone industry by providing everything from Part 107 test training to specialized coursework on drones in agriculture, data collection with UAVs, drone maintenance, and more.

Hands-on Flight Experience and FAA Certification Prepare Students for Careers in Civil Engineering and Beyond

Drone pilots are the backbone of the commercial UAV industry - you can find them tirelessly out in the field with a drone in the air, but also doing all of the preparation for successful flights, and spending hours in their offices working through deliverables for their clients and their use cases.

Specialized UAS for Disaster Response workshops train remote pilots to help assess damage and restore community lifeline services following a major storm impact.

Finding FAA-Recognized Identification Areas Made Easier with New Online Map

One of the biggest challenges of autonomous vehicles, regardless of the type of operations, ground, marine or aerial, is the fact that the required technology must combine the topographic reality of the terrain with the rules that guide the use of the specific environment.

North Carolina General Assembly has passed House Bill 198, effectively removing the requirement for a state uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) operator knowledge test and permit.

As the temperature rises, this post is a timely reminder that LiPo Batteries require special handling in hot temperatures: and provides a detailed explanation of how best to minimize risk.

Exploring the Future of Human-Aircraft Interaction with NASA Researcher Andy Lacher at AUVSI Xponential 2024

The FAA has approved the AVSS Means of Compliance (MOC) for Category 2 and Category 3 flight over people operations.

Drone Safety Day (DSD) is an annual campaign designed to educate  drone users of the importance of flying safely, inspiring fun drone activities and connecting a community of enthusiast.

DRL unveils "Women Taking Flight" to recruit women pilots and spotlight women pursuing underrepresented career paths

n September 2023, the FAA issued a policy for exercising discretion in determining whether to take enforcement action for drone operators who were not able to comply with the Remote ID rule. That policy ends on March 16, 2024. Operators who do not comply after that date could face fines and suspension or revocation of their drone pilot certificates.

A panel of FAA representative provide updates and insights for public safety and law enforcement drone community with updates on the B4UFly app, remote ID, and  along with fielded questions from the audience.

Both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate versions of FAA reauthorization bills direct the agency to develop a UAV BLVOS notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) within 4-6 months of the legislation's passage, setting a path to adoption of a final rule within two years.

At the DRONERESPONDERS National Public Safety UAS Conference, Jeffrey Vincent, the Executive Director of the FAA's UAS Integration Office, spoke what is next for drone regulations – including a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for BVLOS flight by the end of this year.

Mark Bathrick, former U.S. Department of the Interior's Director of the Office of Aviation Services (OAS) spoke about the practical impact that the American Drone Security Act and proposed bans on Chinese made drone technology.

At the beginning it was a trickle of enthusiasts curious about this new uncrewed industry but as the years passed, we have seen an evolution in which the number of Part 107 pilots now exceeds holders of traditional commercial and ATP (Airline Transport Pilot) combined.

As the demand for skilled drone pilots continues to soar, opportunities for success continue to expand, and, in this article, we'll explore five key opportunities to build drone pilot success. However, before we dive into those opportunities, there are a few topics that need discussion.

PG&E Explores Cutting-Edge Drone Technology to Elevate Utility Operations

Flying cars and quantum computers have long been shorthand for "technologies of the future," but they are both here and are now and on the verge of revolutionizing the world of transportation.

In a recent statement, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) has addressed two crucial initiatives aimed at facilitating the safe and seamless integration of advanced air mobility (AAM) into the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS).

The FAA is looking to develop the next generation of aviation professionals through two grants aimed at creating a more diverse pool of pilots and aviation maintenance technicians.

Sustainable Skylines claims its drones will reduce the carbon footprint of traditional banner-towing aircraft by 90 percent.

Technical challenges for alternative energy aircraft are daunting. Urban Air Mobility, Advanced Air Mobility, eVTOLs, batteries, hydrogen, hybrids—this list goes on.

Ever since the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hinted its position for the means to approve pilots and aircraft certification for eVTOL aircraft, stakeholders have been waiting for an example of how this would work in practice.

In a statement to Avionics International this week, the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that it will be modifying its regulatory approach for certification of powered-lift operations and the pilots that operate these aircraft. In the short-term, the FAA plans to use its "special class" process in 14 CFR 21.17(b) to type certificate powered-lift aircraft, in order to address the unique features of emerging powered-lift models.

Manufacturers of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft are working closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to establish a path to certification and make progress towards achieving certification for these new types of vehicles.

The U.S. Air Force and Drone Racing League (DRL) share a passionate interest in showcasing drone pilot skills and encouraging new entrants into the drone industry.

The Many Flavors of BVLOS – an explanation of the different types of BVLOS flight, and what they mean for regulators and industry.

Imagine you're a family of 4 heading to a ski resort in the region. You take an electric Uber to your local small airport. You're in the air in 15 minutes. You land near the resort and another electric Uber takes you to the hill. You fly quietly over the often dangerous mountain roads, enjoying the scenery from the air. All for the cost of getting there by other means, but in a fraction of the time.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently released its Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) final report. Weighing in at almost 400 pages, the document is full of surprises – including a hat tip to the need to increase accessibility in the drone industry.

The Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue (CRASAR), the world leader in robotics for disasters, is partnering with Women and Drones for 3.5 days of drone pilot training. The purpose is to introduce female pilots to the missions, skills, and regulations applicable to different types of disasters and enable them to work with local agencies. The training will take place during the highly realistic Public Safety Interoperability Institute (Interop 22) exercise with Texas emergency management agencies, Texas National Guard, and other groups at Disaster City® and surrounding facilities.

Women and Drones breaks down the latest Remote Pilot numbers released by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Most small autonomous fixed-wing aircraft are guided by a commercial controller, which works well for simple paths. But high winds, for instance, can cause a pilotless aircraft to go off course and crash. Demanding paths for demanding applications require new innovations for suitable performance to expand uses of such drones.

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers this week introduced legislation designed to help pave the way for the development of infrastructure to support the emerging advanced air mobility (AAM) sector.

From George Jetson to Prof. Brown in the Back to the Future movies, the dream of owning one's own flying car has captured the public imagination.
However, in recent years, planners envisioning urban air mobility solutions have focused largely on the creation of fleets of air taxis. Challenging this conventional wisdom is the CEO of an Israeli start-up company that has developed an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle, who believes that small personal flying machines will be the wave of the future.

CAE will demonstrate a new Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) desktop simulator based on the company's Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Mission Trainer at the Dubai Airshow from November 14 to 18, 2021. 
 
Increasing advanced air mobility (AAM) and UAS operations over the next decade will create a surge in demand for pilots, which by some estimates could be close to 60,000 pilots needed by 2028. However, training solutions geared specifically towards VTOL operations are currently limited.

As soon as he impacted the ground, he knew something was seriously wrong. In December 2016, a freak fall while snowboarding left U.S. Air Force veteran Rob Corbett, a decorated non-commissioned officer and Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) agent with more than a decade of active duty service to the nation, paralyzed from the neck down.
Ever since, he's dedicated his life to bringing inclusion into the drone community by advocating for and training others with disabilities, including veterans and their families.