Collision leads to arrest; BASE jump video


VOL 4, ISSUE 24	November 24, 2020

Top Stories

Man faces prison for allegedly flying drone into LAPD helicopter

A Los Angeles resident believed to be the first in the nation to face a criminal charge for reckless operation of a drone faces up to a year in federal prison for endangering a city police helicopter. Read more >

Amazon slashes Prime Air staff

Amazon laid off dozens of people who were overseeing the development of Prime Air drones as it outsources the construction of its future drone delivery fleet. Read more >

Training and Safety

AOPA marks drone safety week with webinar

If you missed the drone safety discussion hosted by the AOPA Air Safety Institute during National Drone Safety Awareness Week, do not be sad—or reckless: You can watch the recording at your convenience.

Drone pilot detained as camera rolled

YouTuber Audit the Audit analyzes video of an Arizona drone pilot's interaction with police to assess legalities and grade participants. Watch the video >

Gear

Sony enters the airspace

Sony, the Japanese consumer electronics titan, is building a drone. Read more >

DJI upgrades ag sprayer

The drone giant is upgrading its agriculture-focused drone to assist in automating the spraying process by improving accuracy and efficiency. Read more and watch a video >

Drone registrations expiring soon

Two years after the drone registration requirement was fully restored, the FAA reminded drone operators to log in to Drone Zone to renew. All drones weighing 250 grams (0.55 pounds) or more must be registered.

Black Friday deals abound

From Amazon to the DJI store, deals are dropping in preparation for the season of giving. Read more >

Lifestyle

Chicago from the sky

Producers from Chicago's public television station tell the city's story with aerial images that create an expansive, interactive experience. Read more and watch the videos >

Bird's-eye view of birdies, eagles, bogeys

The golf world welcomed the arrival of drones to support the Masters tournament television broadcast. Read more >

GoFly competition adapts to pandemic

GoFly has adjusted the rules for how teams will demonstrate personal vertical takeoff and landing concepts and compete for a seven-figure prize. Read more >

Public Safety

Walmart delivers coronavirus tests in Texas

A pilot project in El Paso, Texas, is delivering coronavirus test kits to homes near a local Walmart Supercenter with drones. Read more and watch a video >

Suspect in sight

Police found a robbery suspect after using their drone to track down the person of interest, monitoring his activity until ground units were in position. Read more >

Unmanned interdiction

The U.S. military deployed a vertical takeoff and landing drone to support drug interdiction in the Pacific. Read more >

Regulation and Policy

Type certificate applications in

The FAA is considering at least six applications for unmanned aircraft type certificates, including drones from Amazon, Matternet, and Zipline. Read more >

FAA, NASA test traffic management

Focused on the future of remote ID and advanced operations, NASA and the FAA demonstrated what could become the UAS traffic management system. Read more >

Former congressmen speak against drone ban

Two former members of Congress take issue with proposed federal restrictions on foreign-made drones, calling the proposals "haphazard and far-reaching," with "unintended consequences." Read more >

Montana poised to prohibit fishing with drones

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission will hold a public hearing via telephone December 1 to consider banning the use of drones to catch fish. Read more >

News

Matternet flies in Germany

California drone maker Matternet launched its health care delivery system in Germany. Read more >

Radioactive area inspection

Flyability deployed its caged Elios 2 drone into Reactor Five at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Pripyat, Ukraine, to assist the decommissioning team. Read more >

Teens build drone to clean high school

Students at Dublin High School in California set out to find a better way to clean the bleachers, and they ended up designing a drone. Read more >