Drone News of the Week June 2 DRONELIFE

Read or listen to all of the headlines in one place: excerpts from the DRONELIFE drone news of the week ending June 2, 2023.  Click on the titles below for the full story.

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FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen to Join eVTOL Aircraft Manufacturer Archer Aviation

Reuters has reported that FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen will join eVTOL aircraft manufacturer Archer Aviation when he leaves the agency this summer. The move could mean faster progress for Archer Aviation on certification for their Midnight Air Taxi.  The FAA published airworthiness criteria for the aircraft at the end of 2022.  At the recent AUVSI Xponential conference, Nolen spoke to the drone industry audience, brushing over the delay on a ruling for flight beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) for commercial drone operation.  Nolen focused his talk more on the newly published “Airspace Blueprint for Air Taxis” and the goal of demonstrating advanced air mobility and air taxis for the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028.

Captain Miriam Foxx of Chula Vista PD on the Public Safety Drone Review, Next Week!

Don’t miss the June 6  episode of the Public Safety Drone Review, presented by DRONERESPONDERS and DRONELIFE, with guest Captain Miriam Foxx from the Chula Vista Police Department!  The Public Safety Drone Review is a new monthly resource for the public safety community.  This free event will be held live on May 2, 2023 at 3pm EST: and on the first Tuesday afternoon of each month going forward.  Register here for the live webcast, or watch later on the DRONELIFE TV YouTube channel.

Drone Delivery for the Royal Mail: Skyports on the Drone Radio Show!

Michael Merritt, Commercial & Growth Manager at Skyports Drone Services, talks about the Orkney I-Port project and how Skyports is working to create a permanent daily mail delivery service supported by drones. Michael Merritt is Commercial & Growth Manager at Skyports Drone Services.  Skyports Drone Services is a drone logistics company and provider and operator of eVTOL drones for cargo deliveries, survey and surveillance. The company is expert in the operation of long-range and Beyond Visual Line of Sight flight for a multitude of use cases, including ship-to-shore and maritime applications, medical and dangerous goods deliveries, and AI-driven surveys for the agriculture and infrastructure sectors.

Could Hydrogen Be the Power Source the Drone Industry is Looking for? [DRONELIFE Exclusive Op-Ed]

Battery or power source technology issues remain problematic for the drone industry.  Commonly used Lithium Polymer (LiPo) batteries limit flight endurance, can be expensive to purchase and maintain, and can be dangerous when handled incorrectly.  Additionally, LiPo batteries can be subject to supply chain disruptions and price variations.  In this DRONELIFE Exclusive Op-Ed, Bentzion Levinson of Heven Drones makes the argument for hydrogen: and discusses the obstacles and opportunities that hydrogen power presents.

Volocopter Continues Development Towards Type Certification with Integration of Swiss-AS MRO Software

Swiss Aviation Software (Swiss-AS) and Volocopter cosigned a multi-year contract for Swiss-AS’s maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) software, AMOS, which will be employed for the management of Volocopter’s global electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft fleet. AMOS will guarantee fleet airworthiness, provide aircraft reliability monitoring and analysis, and serve as an interface to Volocopter’s VoloIQ digital operating system. This is Swiss-AS’s first collaboration within an urban air mobility (UAM) setting.

The First Fully Operational, Large-Scale Drone Airline in the US: Ameriflight Gets FAA Approval for Matternet M2 Commercial Delivery

Drone delivery system developer Matternet has announced that its partner Ameriflight has received FAA approval to operate the Matternet M2 for commercial delivery, making it the second operator in the U.S. to obtain such authorization. Together, Matternet and Ameriflight will be the country’s first fully operational large-scale drone airline, with a focus on health care and e-commerce deliveries.  This development comes after the FAA’s approval of Matternet’s M2 aircraft for operations under Ameriflight’s Part 135 certificate, as well as Matternet’s receival of FAA Type and Production certifications for the M2 last year.

The Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant (DIIG) Act of 2023

The U.S. Congress is again discussing a Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act, which would offer funding for drone technology and training to support the president’s infrastructure development package.  H.R. 3595, introduced by Rep Greg Stanton (D-AZ) and Garret Graves (R-LA), is a reprise of the 2021 H.R. 5315, which passed in the House but did not progress in the Senate last year.  The grant supports the drone industry in several ways, not least in the acknowledgement that drone technology offers significant efficiencies for infrastructure inspection.  The Act would provide funding for state, local, and tribal governments to purchase or contract for approved drone technology to “perform critical infrastructure inspection, maintenance, rehabilitation, or construction projects,” says a Rep. Stanton press release on H.R. 5315.

Long Range Drone Carbonix Gets Australia’s BARS Certificate

Australian drone company Carbonix has announced its achievement of the Basic Aviation Risk Standards (BARS) certification, an internationally recognized program establishing a standard for remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) operators to aid in the risk-based management in order to guarantee thorough oversight of contracted RPAS operating activities. The certification serves as a vital aspect of Carbonix’s dedication to maintaining the highest standards of aviation safety and operations, solidifying the company as a dependable partner for organizations within industries such as resources and critical infrastructure.

Double Box Tail Drone for Stability and Control: DBT Aero Flies 3D Printed Swyft [VIDEO]

Emerging aircraft leader DBT Aero has demonstrated its Double Box Tail (DBT) technology through the successful test flight of a 3D printed Group 1 UAS. This is the company’s third successful subscale demonstrator of their manned prototype, having previously designed and test flown Group 2 and Group 3 scale UAS. The Group 1 aircraft was developed alongside 3DAeroventures, with the sponsorship of HiTEC, House of Balsa and ZAP Adhesives. It first took flight on September 11, 2022 at the El Paso Radio Controller’s Field.