Drones

This strange flying ball called “Gimball”, has just made one million dollars for its designers. This new genre drone won the first "Drones for Good" award in the World Cup competition created by the United Arab Emirates. Its characteristics are that it is collision-tolerant for use both indoors and outdoors.
 

This is a world first in the market for drones. The Chinese manufacturer DJI, founded in 2006 at Shenzhen, China, has just banned its drones from flying over the city of Washington DC in the United States. Since 30th January, their drones can no longer fly within a 25 km (15 miles) radius around the White House.
 

Things have never so moved so quickly at La Poste, the French postal service. Last September GeoPost, a subsidiary of the group, carried out several trials with a drone. The No. 1 express delivery parcels service in France conducted a complete series of fully automated tests by transporting packages weighing two kilogrammes (almost 4.5 lbs) over distances of more than a kilometre (half a mile).
 

In the United States, a group of lobbyists who advocate for the development and advancement of the regulatory process of commercial small drones has been established. Some of the more well known members include Amazon, Google and Parrot, but all hope that the lobbyists will be able to convince the US administration to authorise the commercial use of drones quickly.
 

The United Kingdom and France have joined hands in the development of a future UCAV. On November 5th at Dassault Aviation’s headquarters near Paris, the French and British governments gave a design study contract to six aeronautical manufacturers, to the tune of € 250 million, with the objective of defining a next generation unmanned combat aircraft within the next two years.
 

Since the beginning of October mysterious drones have overflown fourteen French nuclear power plants with total impunity. Yet regulations prohibit flying over these sensitive sites. So what means exist today to counteract this type of airborne violation ?
 

During the Euronaval show, DCNS, the naval defense specialist, and Airbus Defence & Space, have signed a cooperation agreement on the development of the TANAN drone helicopter. Destined for off the deck use, from ships on reconnaissance and protection missions, and carried onboard, this drone will be unique in many ways.
 

The French Council for Civil Aviation Research (CORAC) recently brought together the key players in the French aviation industry, with the aim of establishing an overview of current research on aircraft of the future. Amongst them, Dassault Aviation caught our attention with a model which is currently undergoing wind tunnel tests.
 

Since 25th September, the Thales Watchkeeper has been cutting its teeth in Afghanistan. On the British Army base in Helmand province, in the south of the country, the tactical UAV conducts regular monitoring and reconnaissance missions to protect the estimated 10,000 British soldiers stationed there.
 

Each month, forty new drone operators land in France. According to the French Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile (DGAC) today there are a thousand authorized to operate drones, but not in all conditions. Since the publication of the decree of April 11th 2012, the use of civilian UAV’s in French airspace is strictly regulated.
 

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Sagem’s Montluçon site located 300 km (180 miles) south of Paris and specialized in navigation, especially the manufacture of tactical U.A.V’s., we took a look at the latest product from the French manufacturer; the Patroller drone.
 

This is what we call being “pipped to the post”. DHL, the German group specializing in the transportation of goods has just begun deliveries of packages by drone and, in so doing, takes Amazon and Google by surprise. DHL’s main asset over its competitors, is that it enjoys German civil aviation authority approval.
 

Aeronewstv, official media partner of the first European meeting on drones which took place in Bordeaux from 9th. to 11th. September, namely the UAV Show, presents four demonstration drone flights on video. The Fly-n-Sense SNF-X4, R&Drones Hexa, D3E UX5, and the Red Bird-Novadem U130. Video without commentary.
 

It was yesterday at Bordeaux (south-west of France), that the third edition of the UAV Show, the first European event on drones opened. France is the first European country to have adopted regulations on the use of civilian drones, promoting their development.
 

This summer Australian farmers were able to experience having chocolate or dry dog food delivered directly to their homes by air. After the Amazon project, it’s Google’s turn to try tackling home deliveries by drone. Called "Project Wing", the American Internet giant carried out tests over a period of two weeks this summer in Australia.
 

Set amid the Châteaubernard Charente vineyards, not far from from Cognac, 709 Air Base is one of the largest in France. It is here that the air force flying school is located; not only unavoidable for all future pilots, but also home to the only French Air Force Drone Squadron.
 

This is the fourth take-off of the day for Jeanne and Alix, managers of two of the four ''grands crus'' classified wines owned by Bernard Magrez, owner of not less than forty vineyards throughout the world. Here at Pessac, near Bordeaux, for the classified ''Grand Crus'', Graves from Château Pape Clément, as well as the Haut Médoc from Château La Tour Carnet, every 15 days for the last six months, a drone has been used, to monitor and manage the vineyards.
 

Inaugurated by the French Defence Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, earlier this week, today, June 20th, Eurosatory closes its doors. Over 1,500 exhibitors were present at this event dedicated to Land and Air-Land defense and security.
 

On March 20, 2014, Dassault Aviation organized a formation flight of the nEUROn unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) with a Rafale fighter and a Falcon 7X business jet. This was the first time in the world that a combat drone flew in formation with other aircraft. The entire operation lasted nearly 2 hours over the Mediterranean sea…