Drone News for Week of

Drone NewsBytes Your Unfiltered Drone News Source

After costly crash, Crab Man fishes drone from the drink - Crab fisherman recovers a $20,000 drone that crashed into the water near the pier he was crabbing at.

Man shoots down real estate agent’s drone in NSW - A New South Wales man has allegedly taken the law into his own hands in an extreme response to a drone that was being flown by a real estate agent near his property.

The drone pilot whose maps are saving lives in Zanzibar - Drones are being used to map previously unmapped areas in Africa to the benefit of its citizens.

Pee Dee students learn drone technology through STEM program - The drone industry is taking off and it’s not expected to slow down anytime soon.That’s why Florence County School District Four has brought the technology to classrooms. As a part of its new STEM initiative, students in Florence County School District Four are getting hands-on training, thanks to the help of a $20,000 donation from Honda.

Drone Security Cameras are the Smart Devices of the Future - Drones have been on full display at CES 2019, but one company seems to stand out through their unique usage case: drone home security. Sunflower Labs debuted their drone security system that would be able to use camera drones to investigate possible signs of trouble and protect homes fairly autonomously.

This teenager made $7,000 last year as a drone photographer - How an Australian 13-year-old turned a passion of tinkering with machines into a money-making business.

Flying taxi or the Batwing? This massive drone wants to take you to the airport. - At first glance, Bell's Nexus air taxi concept looks very much like Batman's iconic hoverplane with its sleek black design and high-tech instruments, but a closer look reveals this to be simply the evolution of ride-sharing into the sky.

Legendary surfer almost hit by Phantom drone at Pipeline - In this short but beautiful YouTube video, legendary surfer Derek Ho is almost hit by a Phantom drone as he surfs the Bonzai Pipeline.

Want to Know Which Drones are Flying Near You? There's an App for That - Want to know what that mysterious drone buzzing over your head is up to? A new system developed by AirMap, Google Wing, and Kittyhawk.io could soon be able to tell you – by showing you a map of all local drone activity on your smartphone.

Drone paranoia has us seeing things in the sky that aren’t there. - Drones have become humanity’s preferred catch-all explanation for weird stuff in the sky.

Drone Breaks Guinness World Record - FPT Industrial Supported Forvola breaking the Guinness World Record of the heaviest load carried by a drone.

Swinomish police use drone to catch assault suspect hiding under dock - Police used new technology to catch an assault suspect on the run. About 1 a.m. Saturday, officers were called to the Swinomish Casino to a report of a man assaulting his girlfriend. The suspect ran off before police got there.

Gallatin Co. Search & Rescue teams utilize drone tech from volunteers - Gallatin County is home to the busiest search and rescue team in the state, and it's using a new tool to find people – a drone that isn't costing taxpayers a thing.

LAPD used drone for first time in recent Koreatown standoff - The Los Angeles Police Department used a drone for the first time during a standoff last week between SWAT officers and a robbery suspect in Koreatown. LAPD Chief Michel Moore said Tuesday the drone was used to give officers a view inside a second-story apartment in the 300 block of Berendo Street, where police believed the suspect was hiding during the Jan. 9 standoff.

Clinton man who designed drone that fires gun, shoots flame gets year for assaulting officers - Austin Haughwout, the Clinton man who designed drones that could fire a gun and shoot flames, and who has had multiple run-ins with police, was sentenced Tuesday to a year in jail. In November, a Middlesex Superior Court jury convicted Haughwout, 22, of two counts of assault on a police officer and one count each of disobeying an officer’s signal and interfering with police.

New federal rules would let drones fly at night and over crowds - The Federal Aviation Administration proposed Monday to relax rules governing commercial drone operations. Since 2016, the FAA has allowed the commercial operation of unmanned aerial vehicles weighing less than 55 pounds under certain limited circumstances. New rules proposed this week would relax two of the restrictions in the 2016 rules: drones will now be allowed to operate at night, and they'll be able to operate over people.

Senator Markey Calls for Privacy Protections in Wake of FAA Drone Proposal - In the wake of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) release of a proposed rule to allow unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, to be flown commercially over people and at night, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) called for strong privacy rules to be put in place before any rules are finalized. For the past three Congresses, Senator Markey has introduced the Drone Aircraft Privacy and Transparency Act, legislation that would ensure standards for informing the public about the location, timing and ownership of drones. The legislation would require privacy protection provisions relating to data collection and minimization, disclosure, warrant requirements for law enforcement, and enforcement measures in the licensing and operation of drones.

Man flies Mavic 2 Pro more than 22 miles over a busy road - Man flies unmodified DJI Mavic 2 Pro for more than 22 miles over a busy road in Florida. Longest flight? Maybe, but not the safest flight!

Nevada chosen as drone test site for pilot program - Nevada’s urban centers are about to see a lot more drone testing.

A vape pen, delivered by drone, got an arson suspect to surrender after a 6-hour standoff - After fleeing a in Novato, Calif., gas station that he’d allegedly tried to burn, the suspect agreed to turn himself in if cops would deliver him cigarettes first. Police worried that he had gasoline on his clothes, so they instead delivered him a vape pen via drone. He surrendered without further incident and now faces charges of attempted arson and vandalism.

Drone view inside the demolished Bradley Center - Take a look inside the demolished Bradley Center after the roof was blown off.

Pay SR250 for a permit, and legally fly your drone in Saudi Arabia - RIYADH: Saudi drone enthusiasts were celebrating on Sunday after aviation chiefs moved to end confusion over the devices’ legality. A recreational drone permit will cost SR250, just under $70, the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) said. Applicants require only a national identity card or iqama, and the make and serial number of the drone.

Wireless charging hotspots let drones fly forever through in-air recharges - A Portland, Oregon-based company named Global Energy Transmission (GET) is developing a network of wireless charging hotspots for drones. With only six minutes hovering over a grid for a full charge, an electric industrial class drone can repeat the cycle of charging and flying until its battery is drained without ever having to land or connect to a cable using this technology. GET’s long-term vision includes a cell-tower like infrastructure comprising numerous charging stations, enabling indefinite flying time for drones in the network. If successful, this technology could reinvent the commercial drone industry, providing 24/7 solutions in dedicated areas for things like deliveries, monitoring, and security.

New drone hub in Limburg off to a flying start - The new DronePort in Sint-Truiden has been chosen for a test project that will partly determine how the EU will regulate drones in the future

Japan plans to draw up guidelines for underwater drones - The government plans to draw up guidelines for underwater drones by fiscal 2020, reflecting the need for rules to prevent accidents as the use of such vehicles by the private sector is expected to increase, according to sources.

Do not blame the drones for outpacing airspace regulation - The UK has the chance to become the global standard but Big Tech has ambitions

Drone Pilot Pulls Off Absurdly Precise Maneuver Through Metal Tower - This is one helluva confident maneuver through what appears to be some kind of art installation in the form of a metal tower.

AEE Aviation launches 'Selfly' smartphone flying case - The device can fly up to 50 feet away, shoot at 60FPS in HD, and take 13MP still photos.

Rogue cow wandering the Anchorage Hillside has managed to evade a police drone search - Not even two drones equipped with high-definition video cameras and infrared imaging could locate Betsy.

Australia Drone News

Shark Swims Just Metres From Beachgoers In Sydney's South - Swimmers in Sydney's south were evacuated from the water on Tuesday after a surprise visit from a three-metre shark.

A new system that allows you to fly your drone over crowds - In America, a new product has just passed rigorous testing which now allows you to fly your DJI drone over crowds, as long as it has a parachute attached. The Nexus system, by Indemnis, a company based in Anchorage, Alaska, provides reliable parachute technology for small drones. It straps onto DJI drones and acts as a safety measure in case the drone fails. It is equipped with sensors that can determine if any anomalies are occurring during a flight.

Google Testing Out Coffee Delivery By Drones In Australia - Is drone delivery the future of deliveries? We know that some companies are already working on such technology, and a recent video published by the Wall Street Journal has revealed that over in the state of Canberra, Australia, Google is already testing out and making deliveries by autonomous drones.

Wonderland Sydney: Video shows decaying remains of theme park - Just 14 years ago, Sydney’s Wonderland was filled with the screeching of roller-coasters, the scent of dagwood dogs and the laughter and excitement of schoolkids spending their pocket money at Australia’s most loved theme park.

Lifeguards drop lifevest from Mavic Pro with bait release system - Lifeguards use a Mavic Pro with a bait release system to drop the lifevest or PFD when the drone reaches the swimmer or surfer in need.

Man charged with drug offences after shooting down drone in Australia - A man has been arrested in Australia after allegedly shooting down a drone, which led police to his property where they found 187 cannabis plants and 20 kg of dried cannabis.

Kerry woman goes viral after very Irish reaction to great white shark sighting at Australian beach - Swimmers and surfers at Tamarama beach were this morning told to get out of the water or risk a potential danger. A large Great White shark was sighted, calmly patrolling the shallows and chasing a seal until lifeguards managed to chase it back out to sea.