Drone News Roundup: FPV Drone vs. Red Bull Airplane, Drone Footage Solves Penguin Mystery, and More!

This week we’re covering an FPV drone pilot racing Red Bull’s super-fast airplane flown by aerial stunt master Dario Costa.

We’re also covering drone footage from Nat Geo that solves a mystery about penguin behavior, two new NDAA-compliant drones from ModalAI, drones for graffiti removal in the state of Washington, and what’s in the new FAA Reauthorization bill.

Now let’s get to those links!

FPV Drone vs. Red Bull Airplane

Red Bull has been putting out some great drone projects lately. Most recently, Red Bull built a custom drone in partnership with the Dutch Drone Gods to keep up with one of the fastest race cars in the world. In this video, drone pilot @COLAFPV goes head to head with stunt pilot Dario Costa as he flies the Red Bull airplane. According to COLAFPV, his drone can go up to 234 mph—but it still couldn’t keep up with Costa’s plane, which can go a mind boggling 260 mph. Watch the video to see what happens when a world-class FPV drone pilot goes up against a world-class airplane stunt pilot.

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Drone Footage Solves Penguin Mystery

For over a decade, scientists have been baffled by a mystery in the behavior of Emperor Penguin chicks in the Antarctic. At six months old, most chicks march to the ocean and jump in at a height of about two feet from the water. But satellites have recorded signs that some of the chicks march to the edge of 50-foot high ice cliffs—without knowing what happens next. This drone footage provides the answer to that mystery. This footage was shot for Nat Geo by BAFTA Award-winning cinematographer Bertie Gregory, who captured this behavior for the first time ever.

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ModalAI Launches Two NDAA-Compliant Drones

Credit: ModalAI

ModalAI recently launched the Starling 2 and Starling 2 Max. Both are compliant with NDAA supply chain requirements, which means they don’t have any components made in China. The Sterling 2  is made for indoor drone ops. It weighs .6 pounds and has a substantial flight time of 40 minutes. The Sterling 2 Max is made for outdoor drone ops. It weighs 1.1 pounds and has an even longer flight time of 55 minutes. and can carry up to 1.1 pounds (i.e., the equivalent of its weight) in additional payloads. Both drones can house up to five image sensors, including the FLIR Lepton thermal.

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Drones Tested for Graffiti Removal in Washington State

The Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has been testing the use of drones to remove graffiti along highways. Using drones equipped with spray nozzles, WSDOT personnel are able to fly to hard-to-reach places and paint over graffiti there. The paint supply is located on the ground, feeding the nozzles as the drone flies along, painting over graffiti. In 2023, Washington State spent over $815,000 on graffiti removal, including over 10,000 hours of labor. This new drone-based approach promises to save the Department both time and money in how it deals with graffiti.

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The FAA Reauthorization Bill Just Passed—Here’s What’s In It

Credit: FAA

The FAA’s funding must be approved by Congress periodically via FAA Reauthorization bills, providing an opportunity to set new goals and refocus the agency. The most recent Reauthorization just passed, bringing with it some big updates for drone operations in the U.S.

Here are the highlights:

• Pathway for BVLOS. The new bill directs the FAA to establish a pathway for BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) operations. As part of this effort, it calls for the creation of two additional test sites that will focus on package delivery as well as other types of commercial drone ops.
• BEYOND program extension. The BEYOND program is focused on testing BVLOS drone operations to move toward normalizing them in U.S. airspace. It was established in 2020, and the new Reauthorization bill extends it for another five years in furtherance of the above goal of establishing a pathway for BVLOS.
• Air taxi certification. The new bill directs the FAA to create a pathway to certify AAM (Advanced Air Mobility aircraft, or air taxis), acknowledging the growth in the space and the need for regulatory guidance.
• Anti-drone measures. The new bill gives the FAA enforcement authority to prohibit unauthorized or unsafe use of UAS.

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