"Worldwide, there is a growing awareness that free flying drone technology has gotten way ahead of itself and that most operators are ill prepared to pilot their "toys". DRNE's drone operators receive operational product training."
Mini-drones are becoming increasingly popular and many people use them to take pictures from the sky. National air sports authorities have now launched a pilot licensing system for operators of these mini aircraft.
Wang Zhixing works in a film production company. He started to use a drone carrying a camera half a year ago. He says learning to control the small aircraft is not that easy. So he was glad to apply for the tutoring and pilot license offered by the country's Aero Sports Federation.
"Although the mini-drone technology is developing fast, it still needs users' control, especially in windy environments or when there are buildings that could block signals. So I think the pilot license is necessary," he said.
Mini drones are now quite popular for aerial photography in events such as weddings or film making. A local drone store in downtown Zhabei district says his business is rather good these days.
"Most of my buyers are those who like photography. They want the good effects of aerial shooting. One mini-drone costs several thousand yuan, which is acceptable for many buyers," said Leng Jun, a mini drone seller.
Leng says his outlets online and offline have sold about 300 aircraft to customers across the country. But he also has some concerns about flight safety, as he found some of his clients didn't seem to know much about the aircraft.
"One client called us for help as he pressed the wrong button, making his drone fly a kilometer away and got lost. He didn't find his drone until 1 a.m. I found many clients took the drones out to fly without reading the instructions carefully, which would cause great troubles,"Leng Jun said.
China's civil aviation authority does not require licenses on drones that weigh below 7 kilograms, as long as they fly no higher than 120 meters. But some argue mini drones still can be dangerous.
Earlier this year in Shanghai, a flying drone got stuck on a high-voltage wire in suburban Songjiang District after it ran into the power lines. In addition to Shanghai, Hangzhou has already launched licensing programs for drone operators.
"The country's sports authority now leads the licensing and testing system for drone operators. We hope the licensing programs will help educate drone operators so that they can better enjoy the activity. Passing a licensing test will only offer a pilot license, but if you want to fly your drone in populated areas, you still need to get approvals from other authorities," said Chen Jinsong, SH Model Aeronautics & Vehicle Association.
More than 100 people have already taken the written test in Shanghai. They have to pass an drone-control test before receiving a nationwide pilot license.
(Free Flying) Drone’s close call with American Airlines flight over Phoenix sparks push for city law Aug 4, 2015, 3:49pm MST Updated Aug 4, 2015, 10:29pm MST
"These commercial airliner near misses with free flying drones is inevitably going to lead to a heavy restrictions on operators, especially if there is an accident, making tethered drones like DRNE's the alternative that Congress may end up mandating as the only permissible drone."
A remote-controlled drone came within 100 feet of an American Airlines flight on Sunday evening sparking two Phoenix City Council members to call for a new law.
Phoenix Police confirm that a small remote-controlled drone/aircraft came within 100 feet of American Airlines Flight 605 from Milwaukee on Sunday.
The American flight was near Fountains Hills and flying at a 7,000-foot altitude, according to Phoenix Police.
“The pilot of the aircraft did not have to make any adjustments to the approach, the crew called the incident in to the FAA and the aircraft landed safely,” said Phoenix Police spokesman James Holmes in a statement.
Still, the number of drones and other remote-controlled flying objects is a safety concern around airports. That includes incidents near New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
Phoenix City Council members Sal DiCiccio and Michael Nowakowski have been working on a drone ordinance that would make it a misdemeanor to fly drones over private property without consent, to spy on others without their consent or to use an unmanned aerial vehicles as some kind of weapon.
“This incident reflects the growing danger and other potential illicit uses for which people can use personal drones,” the council members said in a statement. “It is a public safety concern that our police department currently has little to no authority to control. We are launching an effort and proposing an ordinance this September that will give law enforcement strength when encountering threats such as this.”
DRNE - Lands new customer. The EPA is a new customer for DRNE.
"Just in case you missed the news, DRNE got their foot in the door with a new "direct" customer. That definitely sounds to me like Messrs. Nussbaum and Brown started to work some of their magic. They are opening doors that were never opened before. The EPA had purchased prior to this some DRNE equipment through a distributor, but now the EPA is a direct client. - FUNMAN"
DRONE AVIATION AWARDED CUSTOMIZED WINCH ORDER FROM THE EPA
NEW WINCH UNITS TO SUPPORT EPA'S NATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT RESEARCH LABORATORY TETHERED AEROSTAT-BASED EMISSIONS SAMPLING PROGRAM
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Aug. 26, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Drone Aviation Holding Corp. (OTCQB:DRNE) ("DAC" or "Drone Aviation"), a manufacturer of tethered drones and lighter-than-air aerostats, announced today that it has been awarded an order from the United States Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") for customized winch systems and related equipment for use at the Agency's National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL) as part of its on-going emission sampling program utilizing tethered aerostats. The Company expects to complete winch manufacturing and deliver the units to the EPA by mid-October 2015.
Jay Nussbaum, Chairman of Drone Aviation Holding Corp., stated, "We are pleased to have been awarded this contract to supply our customized winch systems following a competitive bidding process. As an experienced developer and manufacturer of tethered aerostats and tethered drones, we understand the critical importance of winch systems to the safe and reliable operation of these platforms and look forward to supporting the NRMRL in their important mission."
A critical element in tethered aerial platform operation for both heavier-than-air drones and lighter-than-air aerostat systems is the control and management of the tether during vehicle launch, flight and retrieval. DAC has years of military experience with its WASP (Winch Aerostat Small Platform) tactical aerostats currently in use by the U.S. Army which has provided it with the background for its winch development and which it has also applied to its forthcoming commercial tethered drone, the WATT. WATT features a "smart," active tension control winch system that intelligently manages tether slack, automatically compensating for both drone operation and environmental conditions such as wind providing ease-of-use with enhanced safety.
The NRMRL has conducted aerial sampling of emissions since 2010 using tethered aerostats carrying gas and particle sampling instruments to an altitude of up to 400 feet to capture emissions from sources as diverse as waste fires, burning oil plumes, and forest fire smoke.
About Drone Aviation Holding Corp.
Drone Aviation Holding Corp. (DRNE) develops and manufactures cost-effective, compact and rapidly deployable aerial platforms including lighter-than-air aerostats and electric-powered drones designed to provide government and commercial customers with enhanced surveillance and communication capabilities. Utilizing a proprietary tether system, the Company's products are designed to provide prolonged operational duration capabilities combined with improved reliability, fulfilling critical requirements in military, law enforcement and commercial and industrial applications. For more information about Drone Aviation Holding Corp. please visit www.DroneAviationCorp.com or view our reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission on http://www.sec.gov, including the Risk Factors included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, as well as information about the Company in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains projections of future results and other forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties and are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Important factors that may cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in the projections and forward-looking statements included in this press release are described in our publicly filed reports. Factors that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to, the acceptance of our products, lack of revenue growth, failure to realize profitability, inability to raise capital and market conditions that negatively affect the market price of our common stock. The Company disclaims any responsibility to update any forward-looking statements.
CONTACT: Michael Glickman MWGCO, Inc. 917-397-2272 mike@mwgco.net
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