Drone Blogs

The proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has led to important technological and operational advancements in the management of farms.  With drones, what was once tedious and time-consuming field work, often requiring long hours in the hot sun using expensive difficult-to-recruit farm labor, has become a fast, efficient and cost-effective process that makes farming more... Read More

Service Type: Location: View Contents:

What would you do if you found yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere in your car on a snowbound road without cell phone service?  Many people, unable to call for help, boldly set out on foot – often wandering around for hours in the cold, only to succumb to the elements. It’s a common... Read More

Service Type: Location: View Contents:

After months of delay, Walmart has finally begun direct aerial package deliveries at three of its stores in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Customers that live within 0.8 of a mile from any one of the three stores can receive store goods weighing less than 10 pounds via drone – for a modest $3.99 service fee.   The... Read More

Service Type: Location: View Contents:

Forty-five of the 50 US states prohibit the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the purpose of hunting wildlife, including bears, deer and birds.  The reasons are largely moral and ethical:  Using a drone to scout wild animals is viewed as a violation of the “Fair Chase Rule,” which stipulates that human hunters should... Read More

Service Type: Location: View Contents:

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) periodically grants special authorizations – dubbed “waivers” – for drone companies to conduct their flights at long distances without the need for remote piloting.  It’s a cumbersome and time-consuming process and requires enormous patience on the part of the applicant.  Those that obtain a waiver  – and only 20% of... Read More

Service Type: Location: View Contents:

An Ireland-based company is about to join the US drone “club.”  Manna Aero, which has already made tens of thousands of package deliveries in the suburbs surrounding Dublin, is planning on repeating its performance on a smaller scale in Texas.  The company still needs formal regulatory approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, but given its... Read More

Service Type: Location: View Contents:

Mass US retailers like Amazon and Walmart are hoping to reap huge profits from the use of drones for aerial delivery of their store goods.  But the real future of remote package delivery may well lie elsewhere – in fast food. While Amazon and Walmart continue to face obstacles to the expansion of their drone... Read More

Service Type: Location: View Contents:

Portland just joined the ranks of police agencies nationwide that are turning to drones to enhance their criminal enforcement operations.  Last week, the city council voted to endorse a pilot drone program that will allow the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) to deploy drones to enhance their crime scene analyses and to investigate hazardous waste spills.... Read More

Service Type: Location: View Contents:

Partnerships are increasingly critical to business success in the drone industry these days — and the more strategic and global those partnerships, the more lucrative they tend to be. Take, for example, the recently concluded deal between Finland’s Flyby Guys and Seattle Project Management Services LLC to expand their drone operations via a joint venture,... Read More

Service Type: Location: View Contents:

Drones have a remarkable ability to capture wildlife “in action.”  Hovering far above mammals and fish, drones can record their movements quietly, without being noticed.  Yet, equipped with their high-powered zoom cameras and thermal imaging, drones can also get a close-up view of aquatic animals, identifying and even tracking individual members of a species when... Read More

Service Type: Location: View Contents: