Why pandemic drones flopped; Permit requirement struck down


VOL 5, ISSUE 4	February 16, 2021

Top Stories

COVID-19 missions pitched, flopped

Manufacturers loaned drones to public safety professionals hoping COVID-19 would create new use cases and demand, but concerns about liability and privacy worked against adoption. Read Slate’s investigation >

Federal judge rules fees to film public land unconstitutional

A federal judge struck down some film permit requirements imposed by the U.S. Department of the Interior in national parks and on other federal land. Michigan attorney and vlogger Steve Lehto analyzed the ruling.

Training and Safety

Pilots charged after busting Super Bowl airspace

Two Florida residents stand accused of violating national defense airspace restricted to protect the Super Bowl and related events. Read more >

3... 2... 1...

Read this NASA briefing before flying near Wallops Island, Virginia, on February 20. Read more >

Adobe leads regulation conversation

Photo and video editing giant Adobe focused on drone regulations during a panel discussion at the Digital Media Licensing Association conference. Read more >

Lifestyle

Hot laps

High above the action, drones are providing broadcast teams first-person views in the Red Bull Natural Selection snowboarding competition and racing down the backstretch at this year's Daytona 500.

Irwin's aerial image wins award

Robert Irwin, son of the late "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, received the Wildlife Photographer of The Year People's Choice Award for capturing the Australian bush fires from above. Read more and view the photos >

MLB fields drone defense

Major League Baseball is adding security measures in response to several drone incursions during the 2020 season that delayed games and heightened safety concerns. Read more >

News

Airmap faces backlash

Airmap stirred an uproar suggesting that governments should tax takeoffs and landings. Read more >

GPS denied, this drone endures

An Israeli company has enabled drones to navigate by sight using technology on the aircraft, eliminating the need for GPS. Read more >

Hurricane hunting

New technology is helping the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration study hurricanes, limiting the need for manned flights into the storms. Read more >

Just one of the tools

Seaside, California's fire department published five years of drone experience that taught them the tool may not reinvent firefighting, but does provide critical information. Read more >

Skydio lands government work

The U.S. Army chose California-based consumer drone maker Skydio to provide short-range reconnaissance systems to protect troops. Read more >

Made in America

Aquiline Drones hopes to capitalize on government regulations limiting use of foreign technology. Read more >

Wireless charging could speed commercialization

Batteries remain a limiting factor in how quickly UAS programs can scale, but wireless charging could keep drones flying high. Read more >

Featured Video

Hidden relics

Monuments created by bygone leaders of former Yugoslavia are now being swallowed by the land. Their brutalist lines evoke "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe Shelley: "Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains." (Image courtesy of Alex Bokov via Vimeo.) Watch the video >

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