If you find a drone under the Christmas tree next week, it may also come with a list of U.S. government guidelines for safe flying and even software to keep the device away from airports. Sales of the small, unmanned aircraft are soaring this holiday season, prompting fears that first-time users could accidentally crash […]
Drones could change life as we know it in America – once we get over our fear of them
By Jessica Roy @jessica_roy A drone is an unusual choice, as far as Christmas gifts go. But last year, it was exactly what Dave Anderson wanted waiting for him under the tree. Captain Dave Anderson is a naturalist and conservationist who runs whale-and dolphin-watching tours in Dana Point, California. Last year, his wife got him a […]
Report Advises IA To Wait On Drone Regulation
Iowa should take a wait-and-see approach to regulating unmanned aerial vehicles because of their huge potential for positive uses in business and government, the Iowa Department of Public Safety advises in a new report. The report, requested by lawmakers in May, suggests that existing legal safeguards may suffice for now to protect citizens against the […]
Small Drones Aren’t a Threat to Airplanes If You Don’t Fly Them Near Airports
Written by Jason Koebler The Federal Aviation Administration has taken far too long to write and release its commercial drone regulations. So, a lawyer went and wrote some for the agency. Today, a drone trade group called the UAS America Fund and Brendan Schulman, the country’s foremost drone lawyer, filed an official regulatory framework with […]
Tech-savvy growers already replacing satellite imagery
Drones used to collect information for drought management, disease protection and pesticide application Posted Dec. 19th, 2014 by William DeKay The buzz about using unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as drones, for precision agriculture is getting louder among producers looking to improve their bottom line. The technology continues to evolve, improve and become more specific […]
In Wineries vs. Weather, Drones to the Rescue?
Tucked behind a hill in Sebastopol, California, with a 5,400-square-foot cave that holds some 500 barrels of wine, DRNK Wines exudes the quiet charm that a visitor might expect. But the grapes in some of the wines that are sold here are under a growing threat — which is why DRNK’s winemaker, Ryan Kunde, can sometimes […]
FDA Cancels Study of How it Can Use Drones to Conduct Inspections
Posted 19 December 2014 By Alexander Gaffney, RAC The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is no longer considering the use of aerial drones to help assist its on-site inspections of facilities, less than 24 hours after initially saying feasibility studies were in the works. As first reported by Regulatory Focus, on 16 December 2014 […]
Legal Commercial Drone Use? We’re Inching Closer.
Drones can and are being used in dozens of ways on the farm. Trouble is, the FAA doesn’t strictly find those commercial uses legal, says John Dillard, an associate lawyer at OFW Law. “The FAA’s position is that any kind of commercial operation is only authorized on a case-by-case basis,” he says. “There’s […]
FDA Studying How it Can Use Drones to Conduct Inspections
By Alexander Gaffney, RAC The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering the use of aerial drones to help assist its on-site inspections of facilities, the agency confirmed to Regulatory Focus this week. While there is currently “no formal drone program in development,” the agency is currently “conducting preliminary feasibility testing on possible applications […]
The Most Beautiful Drone Travel Videos of 2014
2014 was the year of the aerial drone travel video—here are some of the best of the best By Natasha Geiling – SMITHSONIAN.COM They might have been originally designed for the military, but drones are quickly finding their future in commercial use—from helping conservationists monitor illegal poaching to carrying festive decor in restaurants. They’ve […]