By: Matthew J. Grassi | January 7, 2015 Kansas farmer Robert Blair, the author of the popular TheUnmannedFarmer blog. (TheUnmannedFarmer.blogspot.com) has alerted us that Empire Unmanned, an outfit made up of Star, ID-based Advanced Aviation Solutions (ADAVSO), Empire Airlines (Hayden, ID) and Blair himself, has received an FAA Section 333 Exemption to fly commercial UAV […]
Illinois Farm Bureau adopts resolution supporting UAV use on the farm
Now this is a common sense approach. Resolution 135 to be presented at the 2015 national convention. 135. TRANSPORTATION–UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS We support: 1. The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for commercial purposes (i.e., agricultural, forestry, and other natural resource use). 2. Working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to review the legal and […]
So God made a farmer. Harvest 2014 drone footage
Thanks to Grubbs Land and Cattle for letting us come out and film their 2014 harvest. Like us on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/gopheraerial
Regulations struggle to keep up with UAVs
The dizzying pace at which UAVs have come onto the scene has regulators scrambling to keep up, and that may spell delays in bringing the many benefits of the technology to the farm in a timely and economical manner. by Paul Hollis in Farm Press Blog How many of you witnessed an unmanned aerial vehicle […]
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 […]
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 […]
UAS experts look to capitalize on growing industry
By: Brandi Jewett , Forum News Service GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The developer of an unmanned aerial systems business park near Grand Forks said he wants to see aircraft in the sky as early as next year. Tom Swoyer, principal of Grand Sky Development, added he wants to push the limits of current regulations to […]
While America waits drones to detect vine disease in France
An alliance of Burgundy’s wine council, Airbus air defence engineers and Bordeaux wine magnate Bernard Magrez have agreed funding to test the use of drones to detect killer vine diseases. The consortium plans to spend up to €1.7m during the second phase of its drone project, named Damav and set to last 36 months, according […]
Yamaha Demos Agricultural RoboCopter, But Humans Can’t Unleash It Yet
By Evan Ackerman Agriculture is (arguably) where drones are going to be the most useful in the near future. Drones have already proven their usefulness to hobbyists and the military, and agriculture is the next huge commercial frontier. And although commercial drone operation is still waiting for official approval, at least in the United States, […]