Image

Test Sites

Mississippi Joins Pan-Pacific UAS Test Range Complex

Posted by Betsy Lillian on November 09, 2016

The state of Mississippi has joined Alaska, Oregon and Hawaii as a full member in the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF)-led Pan-Pacific UAS Test Range Complex (PPUTRC), one of the Federal Aviation Administration’s seven unmanned aircraft system (UAS) test sites. [Read More]

Boulder, Nev., Green-Lights Land Lease for Commercial Droneport

Posted by Betsy Lillian on October 27, 2016

The city council of Boulder, Nev., has green-lighted a 20-year land lease for Aerodrome to build what the company has called the world’s first commercial droneport and teaching facility. According to coverage from the Boulder City Review, the council’s unanimous [Read More]

Tillamook Range Tests Drone Flights at the Edge of Space

Posted by Joseph Bebon on October 10, 2016

Near Space Corp. (NSC), operator of the UAS test range at Tillamook, Ore., says it successfully flew a drone from the edge of space to operate as a surrogate test bed for technologies supporting new suborbital reusable launch vehicles (SRLVs) [Read More]

Chipotle at Virginia Tech: Food Delivery via UAS Takes Another Step Forward

Posted by Betsy Lillian on September 08, 2016

Through the drone tests, Project Wing and Virginia Tech will explore food-delivery constraints such as time, temperature, frequency and packaging.

UAS Simulates Medical Cargo Delivery on Maryland Shore

Posted by Betsy Lillian on September 06, 2016

The University of Maryland (UMD) Shore Regional Health and the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test site at UMD recently conducted what they say was the state’s first civil unmanned aerial delivery of simulated medical cargo. Engineers from UMD flew a [Read More]

Oregon UAS Test Range Green-Lighted for Flights up to 9,999 Feet

Posted by Betsy Lillian on August 26, 2016

Oregon’s Pendleton UAS Test Range (PUR) is now one of two ranges in the U.S. with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for UAS flights up to 9,999 feet, during the day or night, and within the visual line of sight. [Read More]

Texas A&M’s Lone Star UAS Center Gains Access to NASA Network

Posted by Betsy Lillian on August 11, 2016

Thanks to a new partnership, the Lone Star UAS Center (LSUASC) of Excellence and Innovation at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi will be able to monitor a NASA unmanned aircraft system (UAS) flight as it is happening across the country. A [Read More]

Texas High School Students Graduate from University’s Drone Summer Program

Posted by Betsy Lillian on August 11, 2016

Twenty high school students recently attended the second annual Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Summer Institute, held July 25-29 at the Island University. The camp was hosted by the College of Science and Engineering and the Division [Read More]

Aurora Aims to Establish Optionally Piloted Aircraft Ops in Wise County, Va.

Posted by Betsy Lillian on August 02, 2016

Manassas, Va.-headquartered Aurora Flight Sciences is planning to expand operational testing of its Centaur optionally piloted aircraft (OPA) to Lonesome Pine Airport in Wise County, Va. Through this endeavor, Aurora aims to continue advancing the Virginia Unmanned Systems Commission’s progress [Read More]

New Mexico Joins the Ranks of Federal UAS Test Sites

Posted by Betsy Lillian on July 21, 2016

U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., says his measure to solidify southern New Mexico’s position as a test center for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) has been signed into law as part of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016. [Read More]

N.J. Airport Supporting UAS Testing Inks Federal Funding

Posted by Betsy Lillian on July 11, 2016

U.S. Congressman Frank A. LoBiondo, R-N.J., chairman of the House Aviation Subcommittee, has announced $3,467,000 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation to the Delaware River & Bay Authority (DRBA) for the Cape May County airport, which supports [Read More]

Oregon Test Site Offers De-Energized Power Lines for Drone Inspections

Posted by Betsy Lillian on June 20, 2016

Portland, Ore.-based Aerial Inspection Resources (AIR) recently conducted a series of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) flights at Oregon’s Warm Springs UAS Test Range to evaluate the suitability of the Warm Springs Simnasho De-Energized High-Voltage Line site for further research and [Read More]

Large vs. Small UAS: Researchers Explore Which Will Cut it for Farming

Posted by Betsy Lillian on June 01, 2016

A Hermes 450 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) recently took flight to help North Dakota State University (NDSU) with an agricultural research project that tests out large versus small UAS for crop and livestock production. The project will use the Hermes [Read More]

UAS Center of Excellence Exec Departs, Launches Aerospace Consulting Firm

Posted by Betsy Lillian on May 26, 2016

After successfully leading the multiyear effort to land the designation for the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Center of Excellence (COE) for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), USAF Maj. Gen. (Ret.) James Poss is departing from Mississippi State University (MSU) on July [Read More]

Virginia Governor Announces Nearly $1M for UAS Research

Posted by Betsy Lillian on May 24, 2016

Gov. Terry McAuliffe, D-Va., has announced $950,000 in funding dedicated to equipment for a new 5,000-square-mile unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test range recently approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Virginia. The Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership – which [Read More]

Senate THUD Bill Includes $18.4M for Drone Research

Posted by Betsy Lillian on May 24, 2016

The Senate recently passed the $56.5 billion Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act (THUD), which includes $18.4 million for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) research. Of the $18.4 million, $10 million is provided for the FAA’s Center of Excellence (COE) [Read More]

BVLOS Drone Flights Conducted in Support of Energy Industry in Va.

Posted by Betsy Lillian on May 23, 2016

American Aerospace Technologies Inc. (AATI) says it has completed unmanned aircraft system (UAS) test flights beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) from Virginia’s Farmville Regional Airport. In support of the energy industry, the flights implemented AATI’s RS-20 drones and [Read More]

Textron Expands UAS Training & Maintenance Hub to Support Industry Growth

Posted by Betsy Lillian on May 13, 2016

Textron Systems Unmanned Systems, a Textron Inc. business, has announced the grand opening of its new unmanned aircraft system (UAS) training and maintenance facility, the Unmanned Systems Service & Support Center, in Blackstone, Va. With assistance from Virginia Tech’s Mid-Atlantic [Read More]

Oregon UAS FutureFarm Offers Real-World Drone Testing for Agriculture

Posted by Betsy Lillian on May 05, 2016

SOAR Oregon, a nonprofit organization focused on the development of the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry in Oregon, has announced a grant award to the City of Pendleton for the establishment of the Oregon UAS FutureFarm project at the UAS [Read More]

Lone Star UAS Center Deems NASA Research Test Flights a Success

Posted by Betsy Lillian on April 26, 2016

In collaboration with NASA, each of the six Federal Aviation Administration unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test sites recently participated in the largest test yet of NASA’s unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) traffic management (UTM) research platform. The test included up to [Read More]