As you visit some state and local parks throughout the United States, you’re bound to come across what are referred to as Wilderness Areas. The separate designation from the rest of the park might give you pause about proceeding. Can you fly your drone in a Wilderness Area? Drones are strictly prohibited from flying in Wilderness Areas, which comprise 111.7 million acres of land across the United States. The ban has been in effect since 1964 when the Wilderness Act was passed. In this guide, we’ll explain what constitutes a Wilderness Area and further explain why you can’t fly there and what happens if you try. Make sure you check it out! What is a Wilderness Area, anyway? Okay, so first things first. What exactly is a Wilderness Area? A Wilderness Area is a designated area that’s federally protected by the United States National Wilderness Preservation System or NWPS. The area can be wildlands or wilderness per the NWPS. At current, the US has 803 Wilderness Areas throughout the count...

Frequentis Partners with Austrian Federal Railways for Hanger-Based Drone Operations by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), one of Europe’s safest and most reliable railways, has signed an innovation partnership with Frequentis for the research of hangar-based automated drone flights in Austria. Continue reading below, or listen : The partnership will focus on the prevention of railway incidents through the use of routine maintenance flights. These flights will be able to detect damage to infrastructure and potential hazards before accidents occur. In order to contend with the challenges of implementing Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flights, the ÖBB and Frequentis partnership will seek to enhance the understanding of automated drone flights and their restrictions regarding factors such as official regulations, weather, and topography. Future BVLOS flights will be conducted in line with all regulations and tested in a variety of railway-related ...

The Autel Evo II is one of the best non-DJI enterprise drones capable of high-quality photography, videography, and mapping tasks, rivaling drones like the DJI Mavic 2 Pro or even the Mavic 3. Image Credit: Autel Robotics However, like most drones, it has some minor issues that, if you don’t figure out how to fix, you may not get to fly as much as you’d want. And one of these issues is gimbal failure. So, what causes the Autel Evo II gimbal to fail? Gimbal failure in the Autel EVO II may be caused by taking off from an uneven surface, outdated firmware, or poor gimbal calibration. Sometimes, the gimbal needs a bit of extra time to stabilize. Please keep reading to learn more about Autel’s gimbal issues, how to deal with them, and other issues this drone may have. Gimbal failure – should you be worried? Gimbals play a crucial role in a drone by stabilizing the footage. Wind turbulence, sudden turns or stops, or just regular drone movement is enough to cause shaky footage, which may not ...

If you haven’t visited the FAA.gov website in a while, it’s time for a return visit.   The agency has developed a whole library of FAA drone resources for drone pilots new and old – and it’s easier to find things, too. Continue reading below, or listen: Where to Start Just go to FAA.gov, and hit the “Drones” tab on the right.  Then hit the red “We can help you!” button to go right to this “ Getting Started ” page that starts by helping pilots figure out what type of drone pilot they are, recreational or commercial, and what rules apply to them. New recreational pilots can learn the rules, register their drone, take the (free) TRUST test, and download their certificate.  It’s clear, it’s easy, and it welcomes new pilots into the aviation community. At DRONELIFE, we’re often asked by recreational pilots how they can make some money with their drone.  That same “Getting Started” page is perfect to answer the question.  It explains the process of becoming a Remote...

Astrocast Case Study: I NVOLI INVOLI  works with  Astrocast  to add satellite connectivity to its drone tracking solution. With complete traffic awareness and drone positioning information across the globe, commercial operators can expand drone usage for delivery, surveying and emergency support to even the most remote, unpopulated areas of the world.   Challenge: Expanding Drone Reach Safely   The global commercial drone market is growing fast as organisations embrace the reliability and extended flying range of larger drones to support an array of new business cases – including the last mile of delivery and mining operations. With continuous and precise notifications, businesses can access challenging terrain, not only enabling the delivery of vital goods but also improving safety in hazardous environments. As a result, the global commercial drone market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of  57.5% from 2021 to 2028.    The expansion of both fleets and geog...

These days there are many industries using drones. Drones and drone pilots find themselves working in anything from agriculture to shipping, but not all industries use drones equally. In this article, we will discuss how drones are being used by some of the largest industries in the world and which industries use drones the most. What business, what industry uses drones the most? It’s a tough question to answer. There are so many industries that have found one use or another for drones to make things more efficient. But there are seven top players in the running for the industry that uses drones the most. The top industries using drones include real estate, agriculture, construction, law enforcement, shipping and logistics, and security . The industry using drones the most out of all of these might surprise you. Agriculture The first industry to discuss is agriculture. Agriculture has increased the usage of drones by a large margin in the past few years. In the past, plant health mappi...

Fortem Technologies and Smart Communication Systems Partner to provide Counter Drone Security for FIFA World Cup Events by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby Airspace security and defense leader Fortem Technologies has announced that it will work alongside Smart Communication Systems to provide defense and security clients with counter drone solutions, to be deployed first by the Qatari Ministry of Interior for this month’s FIFA World Cup events. Continue reading below, or listen: The two companies will collaborate to provide this year’s FIFA World Cup games in Qatar with enhanced security, and will offer C-UAS systems going forward for further major events and venues across the region. “The Government of Qatar understands the importance of providing comprehensive security from the ground to the air for the FIFA World Cup matches and beyond,” said Fortem Technologies President and COO Timothy Bean. “We are thrilled to be able to partner with Smart Communication Systems to provide ...