May 15, 2018, issue of 'AOPA Drone Pilot'


VOL 2, ISSUE 10	May 15, 2018

Top Stories

Advanced drone operations begin soon

Drones will deliver cargo including defibrillators and cheeseburgers over the next two years as unmanned aircraft makers and service providers work with 10 tribal, state, and local governments to capture data and set the stage for making advanced unmanned aircraft operations a reality. Read more >

Acoustic detection and avoidance

Microphones and a sophisticated acoustic aircraft detection system may prove the key to unleashing the full potential of drones. Read more >

Training and Safety

First responder symposium set

Kansas State University will host a one-day symposium June 1 covering various aspects of public-safety drone flying. Read more and register >

FEMA offers online damage assessment training

The Federal Emergency Management Agency posted a new online course May 7 that teaches disaster damage assessment. Read more and register >

Gear

DroneDeploy expands construction services

DroneDeploy, an unmanned aircraft industry leader in mapping and photogrammetry software, has rolled out a new set of features crafted specifically for drone pilots supporting the construction industry. Read more >

Kittyhawk teams with Jeppesen

One of the most recognizable names in manned aviation navigation has teamed up with Kittyhawk, a drone services provider, to hasten access to controlled airspace under Part 107. Read more >

New Phantom much the same

The new DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 looks identical to the original: The upgrades are all internal. Read more >

Drone targets movie market

Flying-Cam, a drone maker with a growing list of film credits, unveiled a new aircraft at the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Xponential conference this month. Read more >

Microsoft collaborates with DJI

Microsoft and the world's leading civilian drone maker plan to add machine learning and artificial intelligence to enterprise drones. Read more >

Lifestyle

World's largest salt flat shimmers at sunrise

AccuWeather posted this video taken in Uyuni, Bolivia, that features a breathtaking sunrise over a salt flat. Watch the video >

Public Safety

Real-time video for law enforcement

Communications system developer xG Technology teamed up with K2 Unmanned Systems to develop a drone made for law enforcement. Read more >

How to fly a volcano response

The Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue is deploying to Hawaii to assist local responders and geologists monitoring the ongoing eruption of the Kīlauea volcano. CRASAR staff posted a webinar discussing six ways that flying drones over volcanoes differs from other disaster-response missions. Watch the webinar >

Public safety programs gone wrong

Drone expert Douglas Spotted Eagle writes that public-safety agencies are struggling to launch a successful drone program. Many problems start with the wrong approach. Read more >

DJI counts lives saved

DJI scoured published reports to tally 65 cases between May 2017 and April 2018 in which a drone is credited with helping save lives. Read more >

Regulation and Policy

Senators hear drone integration progress report

The FAA and industry insiders testified about issues related to unmanned aircraft integration before a U.S. Senate committee on May 8. Read more and watch the video >

FAA needs dollars to keep up with drones

Aerospace industry leaders called on Congress to increase the FAA budget, citing drones among the key reasons for allocating more resources. Read more >

Amazon excluded from UAS program

Amazon, which seeks to deliver packages with drones, was among the notable names excluded from the initial phase of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program announced May 9. Read more >

News

NASA builds drone for Mars

NASA aims to send a drone to Mars that would be the first heavier-than-air machine to aviate on another planet. Read more and watch a video >

Drone aims for yearlong flights

BAE Systems and Prismatic are working on a solar-powered drone that could remain aloft for a year at a time. Read more >

Uber's ambition meets FAA's caution

Ridesharing giant Uber wants to deploy flying taxis in just a few years. That may prove overly ambitious. Read more >

Watch Uber Elevate

The Uber Elevate Summit in Los Angeles featured much talk of unmanned aircraft, including drone delivery of cheeseburgers and people. Uber posted video of the entire event in four parts.

Watch Day 1, Part 1 >
Watch Day 1, Part 2 >
Watch Day 2, Part 1 >
Watch Day 2, Part 2 >