DLRG KONSTANZ RESCUES 13-YEAR-OLD BOY WITH DRONE AND RESTUBE

 

WHEN A TEENAGER FALLS INTO DISTRESS WHILE SWIMMING, DLRG KONSTANZ CHAIRMAN CLEMENS MENGE USES A DRONE TO DEPLOY A RESTUBE AUTOMATIC

Again and again swimmers get into dangerous situations. DLRG Konstanz relies on a new technology and has been using a drone equipped with Restube automatic for several weeks to rescue people. Restube automatic is a buoy that inflates itself within seconds when it comes into contact with water.

Last week, an exhausted young person was rescued from a dangerous situation in Lake Constance with the water rescue drone. The 13-year-old and two friends were on their way back from a raft to the shore when he ran out of strength while swimming in 16-degree cold water halfway along the way. When the boy signaled this, Clemens Menge from the DLRG Konstanz immediately flew the drone with the self-inflating buoy in the direction of the swimmers and dropped the Restube automatic over it. The exhausted youngsters could hold on to the buoy and swim back to the shore.

“Thanks to Restube automatic, which automatically triggers on contact with water, the situation could be defused immediately, so that it was no longer necessary to deploy our lifeguards”, said Clemens Menge, Chairman of the DLRG Konstanz.

319th Reconnaissance Wing to field E-11 mission at Robins @UASMagazine

319th Reconnaissance Wing to field E-11 mission at Robins: The Air Force announced plans recently that the 319th Reconnaissance Wing at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, will now provide command and control support for the Air Force’s E-11 Battlefield Airborne Control Node aircraft mission.

DroneUp Selected to FAA’s BVLOS ARC to Advance Drone Operations

DroneUp Selected to FAA’s BVLOS ARC to Advance Drone Operations @UASMagazine: DroneUp, announced that they had been selected to sit on The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Aviation Rule Making Committee (ARC)

NASA Takes on Wildfires with Flight Demonstration

NASA Takes on Wildfires with Flight Demonstration @UASMagazine: Helping make the battle against wildfires faster, safer, and more targeted, a NASA project recently tested its tools in a realistic wildland firefighting exercise.

New Drone Rules Take Effect Today

WASHINGTON –Final rules take effect today for remotely identifying drones and allowing operators of small drones to fly over people and at night under certain conditions.

“Today’s rules are an important first step in safely and securely managing the growing use of drones in our airspace, though more work remains on the journey to full integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS),” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. “The Department looks forward to working with stakeholders to ensure that our UAS policies keep pace with innovation, ensure the safety and security of our communities, and foster the economic competitiveness of our country.”

“Drones can provide virtually limitless benefits, and these new rules will ensure these important operations can grow safely and securely,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “The FAA will continue to work closely with other Department of Transportation offices and stakeholders from across the drone community to take meaningful steps to integrate emerging technologies that safely support increased opportunities for more complex drone use.”

The Remote Identification (Remote ID) rule provides for identifying drones in flight and the location of their control stations, reducing the risk of them interfering with other aircraft or posing a risk to people and property on the ground. The rule provides crucial information to our national security and law enforcement partners and other agencies charged with ensuring public safety. It applies to all drones that require FAA registration.

The Operations Over People rule applies to pilots who fly under Part 107 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. Under this rule, the ability to fly over people and over moving vehicles varies depending on the level of risk a small drone poses to people on the ground. Additionally, this rule allows operations at night under certain conditions provided pilots complete certain training or pass knowledge tests.

The public can review both the Remote ID (PDF) and Operations Over People Rule (PDF) in the Federal Register.

Press Release – U.S. Department of Transportation Issues Two Much-Anticipated Drone Rules to Advance Safety and Innovation in the United States

WASHINGTON December 28, 2020— The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced final rules for Unmanned Aircraft (UA), commonly known as drones. The new rules will require Remote Identification (Remote ID) of drones and allow operators of small drones to fly over people and at night under certain conditions. These rules come at a time when drones represent the fastest-growing segment in the entire transportation sector – with currently over 1.7 million drone registrations and 203,000 FAA-certificated remote pilots.

Remote ID will help mitigate risks associated with expanded drone operations, such as flights over people and at night, and both rules support technological and operational innovation and advancements.

“These final rules carefully address safety, security and privacy concerns while advancing opportunities for innovation and utilization of drone technology,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao.

Remote ID (PDF) is a major step toward the full integration of drones into the national airspace system. Remote ID provides identification of drones in flight as well as the location of their control stations, providing crucial information to our national security agencies and law enforcement partners, and other officials charged with ensuring public safety. Airspace awareness reduces the risk of drone interference with other aircraft and people and property on the ground.

Equipping drones with Remote ID technology builds on previous steps taken by the FAA and the drone industry to integrate operations safely into the national airspace system. Part 107 of the federal aviation regulations currently prohibits covered drone operations over people and at night unless the operator obtains a waiver from the FAA. The new FAA regulations jointly provide increased flexibility to conduct certain small UAS without obtaining waiver.

“The new rules make way for the further integration of drones into our airspace by addressing safety and security concerns,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “They get us closer to the day when we will more routinely see drone operations such as the delivery of packages.”

The Remote ID rule (PDF) applies to all operators of drones that require FAA registration. There are three ways to comply with the operational requirements:

1. Operate a standard Remote ID drone that broadcasts identification and location information of the drone and control station;

2. Operate a drone with a Remote ID broadcast module (may be a separate device attached to the drone), which broadcasts identification, location, and take-off information; or

3. Operate a drone without Remote ID but at specific FAA-recognized identification areas.

The Operations Over People and at Night rule (PDF) applies to Part 107 operators. The ability to fly over people and moving vehicles varies depending on the level of risk a small drone operation presents to people on the ground. Operations are permitted based on four categories, which can be found in the executive summary (PDF) accompanying the rule. Additionally, this rule allows for operations at night under certain conditions.

The final rule requires that small drone operators have their remote pilot certificate and identification in their physical possession when operating, ready to present to authorities if needed. This rule also expands the class of authorities who may request these forms from a remote pilot. The final rule replaces the requirement to complete a recurrent test every 24 calendar months with the requirement to complete updated recurrent training that includes operating at night in identified subject areas. 

Both rules will become effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register. The Remote ID rule includes two compliance dates. Drone manufacturers will have 18 months to begin producing drones with Remote ID, with operators having an additional year to start using drones with Remote ID.

Freefly and Auterion announce the release of Astro

 Los Angeles, California – 30 September – Freefly Systems, leading drone manufacturers and Auterion, the largest open source drone software platform announced the releases of the Astro Enterprise Drone Solution. In partnering, the two companies have combined their respective expertise in hardware and software to build and release the Astro – the best multi use enterprise drone for utility, telco, and infrastructure companies, as well as drone service providers and first responders.

The Astro will provide enterprise and government customers a highly capable workhorse drone for mapping, inspection and first responders to capture media, automate processes, and streamline data flows through Auterion’s enterprise-ready software platform.

With a 2 lb payload, the Astro can achieve a 30 minute flight time, supports over nine payload options including the industry leading 60 megapixel Sony α7R IV, folds into a backpack, is weather sealed, and cloud connected. The Astro is engineered and built by Freefly around the Auterion Skynode reference design and is powered by Auterion Enterprise PX4 software on board and by Auterion Mission Control on the ground station. The platform provides customers’ with fleet management, 4G LTE connectivity for online workflows, predictive maintenance, geotagging, and the Auterion SDK for enterprise developers. 

With 10 years of experience in developing drone hardware systems and with thousands of tested flight hours, Freefly has a reputation of building the industry’s toughest drones as well as a track record of offering the best customer support in the industry.

The team behind Auterion has been developing software for drones for over 10 years, and provides an ecosystem of payloads and radio links, expertise in connected workflows for enterprises, while driving open standards to support innovation and scalability within the industry.

The partnership between Freefly and Auterion delivers a drone system that is greater than the sum of its parts. Freefly relentlessly pursues hardware excellence that exceeds their customers expectations, while Auterion enables the user to tap the full power of the Astro by creating a cohesive software ecosystem and user experience. 

Tabb Firchau, CEO of Freefly says, “Partnering with Auterion to bring the Astro to market allowed us to aim much higher than we could have on our own. As a small self-funded startup of 35 people we have huge ambitions and often end up having to cut scope from the end product.  Working with Auterion allowed us to deliver even more than we originally planned. The open architecture and collaborative nature at Auterion enabled several key pivots during the product development process, ultimately landing on a product that is more flexible, efficient, and ultra adaptable. We can’t wait to see what users will think!”

“Sony is excited about Auterion-Freefly team’s usage of our new SDK to integrate the Alpha 7R IV full-frame camera into their new enterprise drone system,” said Neal Manowitz, Deputy President of Imaging Product and Solutions Americas for Sony Electronics. “We will continue to evolve our software to meet the growing demands of commercial clients, ultimately allowing them to capture, measure and create in ways never before possible.” 

Lorenz Meier, Auterion co-founder and CEO said, “The release of Astro is the culmination of more than a decade of work to make open source the default in the commercial drone industry. Auterion Enterprise PX4 is giving businesses a trusted, known base and better integrations than any of the proprietary alternatives.”

The Astro is available for pre-order today with first units shipping in Q4 2020. 

For more information about the Astro visit www.freeflysystems.com/astro. For more information about the Auterion software platform visit www.auterion.com/enterprise.