Drone Blogs

Pyka, an Oakland, CA-based agricultural drone company known for its pioneering crop-dusting work in several Latin American countries, is starting to gain serious traction in the United States.  The 6-year old firm recently received FAA certification to conduct its data-driven pesticide spraying operations on US farms nationwide, without the need for special waivers.  To date,... Read More

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“Flying cars” and drone taxis may one day become the dominant mode of urban mass transit in the United States and abroad.  But getting there will require more than the innovative technology designs and early stage prototypes developed by small California companies like Joby and Archer or by Volocopter and Lilium, Germany’s two flagships.  Fully... Read More

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China remains far and away the world’s leading drone design and technology provider. A single company, DJI,  currently occupies 75% of the total market in production and sales; no other company is even close.  But when it comes to passenger drones, or air taxis, China’s dominance is far less complete. Nine-year old EHang – based... Read More

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September 16, 2023  is the deadline for nearly all unmanned aerial vehicles flown in the United States to be equipped with “Remote ID,” a digital broadcast signal that allows the FAA and law enforcement authorities to identify the vehicle’s owner and precise location at a distance. Remote ID came about in 2020 in response to... Read More

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Two of the world’s leading air taxi companies received more good news this week. California-based Archer Aviation just signed an agreement with the US Air Force to deliver the first 6 of its “Midnight” drone taxi vehicles by early 2024.  The deal, which is worth $142 million, includes pilot training, development of maintenance and repair... Read More

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North and South Dakota share many qualities in common:  their size, climate and topography, population composition and density, and politics are virtually the same.  Two other close neighbors with a common history, North and South Carolina, are also mirror images of each other. So why are their laws and policies toward drones so dissimilar? North... Read More

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Federal aviation law prohibits drone-flying over most national parks and wildlife refuges.  But there are separate state laws and guidelines that govern drone flights in and over state parks; these may vary considerably, depending on the state, but also on the type of park. States like California are especially concerned to prohibit drone-flying near their... Read More

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Should news media organizations be exempt from state laws restricting where drones can fly and for what purpose?  These laws are in place to protect the rights of citizens and businesses from unwarranted intrusions, including illicit spying.  But many observers, citing the First Amendment, say the cause of press freedom is simply too important to... Read More

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Finding and saving lost or missing persons, including those displaced by humanitarian disasters, is one of the most poignant and emotionally satisfying missions that drones can perform in our world today.  Equipped with high-powered thermal imaging cameras that can identify humans in the dark based on their heat signature alone, drones have made it possible... Read More

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Will Germany’s Lilium become the first flying car manufacturer to commercialize its prototype?  Its investors surely hope so but company CEO Klaus Roewe has an unusually  realistic and hype-free view of Lilium’s prospects. While other air taxi  companies are promising to have their vehicles in active service by 2028, or even 2025, Roewe believes it... Read More

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