Agency Faces Leadership Transition Amid Recent Aviation Tragedy President Trump has appointed Chris Rocheleau as Acting Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), following the resignation of Mike Whitaker on January 20, 2025. Whitaker stepped down upon President Donald Trump’s inauguration, creating a leadership vacancy at a critical time for the agency. The appointment comes...

Drones are getting a whole lot smarter. Imaging and sensing technology specialist Teledyne FLIR has unveiled Prism Supervisor, an AI-powered software that takes drone missions to the next level. Whether it’s search and rescue, security, or military operations, this tool allows drones to think and act on their own — minimizing human effort while improving...

In recent months, the United States has witnessed a surge in drone activity, with numerous sightings reported across the Northeast. Between mid-November and late December 2024, over 5,000 drone sightings were documented along the East Coast, particularly in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut. While federal investigations have determined that many of these drones were...

Join us on Tuesday, February 4, at 3:00 PM EST for the next episode of the Public Safety Drone Review. This month’s discussion will dive into the evolving landscape of Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Counter-UAS) technology and its role in public safety. The event will feature Tom Adams, Director of Public Safety for DroneShield, who brings...

AI-Based Software Improves Mission Safety and Performance Teledyne FLIR OEM, a part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, has introduced Prism™ Supervisor, the latest addition to its Prism embedded software ecosystem. This new software integrates drone autopilot systems with AI-powered real-time observations to improve mission safety, efficiency, and performance. Enhancing Autonomous Capabilities Prism Supervisor minimizes operator workload...

Collaboration Aims to Improve Unmanned Aircraft Detection and Airspace Efficiency Skyway and MatrixSpace have announced a strategic partnership to integrate advanced air traffic management and unmanned aircraft detection systems. The collaboration aims to improve safety, efficiency, and scalability in the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) sectors. Enhancing Situational Awareness in Vertiport...

Project Enhances UAS Capabilities for Safer Airspace Integration The University of North Dakota (UND) is partnering with GrandSKY on a NASA-funded project to enhance Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) forecasting. By integrating data collected from “Meteodrone,” the project aims to develop a high-accuracy weather forecasting system. The initiative will improve flight planning and airspace management, particularly...

Successful Fixed-Wing VTOL Flight Covers 320 Miles for Shell Pipeline Corporation Event 38 Unmanned Systems and Phoenix Air Unmanned (PAU) have completed a beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) pipeline inspection demo using the E455 fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drone. The demonstration covered 320 miles in just under 7.6 flight hours, validating the...

Detroit is taking to the skies in a big way, and DJI drone pilots are at the center of the action. Thanks to a new partnership between Mini 3, and DJI drones. more…

The Aero2 Self-Charges Batteries Mid-Flight, Setting a New Standard for Sustainable Cargo and Remote Sensing Solutions by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian J. McNab Swiss drone manufacturer Dufour Aerospace recently announced the completion of its first flight test campaign with their in-house hybrid electric powertrain for its Aero2 drone. The Aero2 flew several test flights in...