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Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) reported the company completed a series of successful test flights during the week of March 5, 2018 in the United States at the Griffiss International Airport located in Rome, New York.
“Testing at Griffiss was a natural extension for continued progress with our platform in a beyond visual line of site (BVLOS) non-segregated airspace environment,” said Paul Di Benedetto, chief technology officer of Drone Delivery Canada. “An active runway with large aircraft, helicopters, and general aviation aircraft is the latest advancement to our operations team airspace integration efforts and a progression from the knowledge learned during DDC’s Moosonee operations, which remain ongoing. We are pleased to report 100 percent success rate with all our test fights and look forward to our expansion into the USA which has now begun in earnest.”
The Griffiss International Airport, located approximately 500 kilometres from the company’s Canadian facilities, is one of seven FAA-designated UAS Test Sites that provides BVLOS research and development capabilities and long-distance testing corridors within active airspace.
“I am pleased that Drone Delivery Canada’s testing at Griffiss International Airport was a success and that the company chose our test site for its first ever operation in the United States,” said Oneida County executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. “This partnership is further evidence of how Oneida County is leading the way in the advancement and development of the UAS industry.”
Tests were conducted utilizing the company’s Transport Canada-compliant Sparrow Drone that has a lifting capacity of five kilograms. Testing also included DDC’s mission control operations, the company’s proprietary FLYTE management system as well as DDC’s proprietary DroneSpot Technology which provides secure and controlled take off and landing area for users to interact with. The real-time data provided by the DroneSpot includes localized weather, surrounding aircraft awareness, weight and balance monitoring among other data points integral for safe public operations.
“Testing at Griffiss was a significant milestone for DDC and the beginning of our USA expansion program,” said Mark Wuennenberg, vice president of regulatory affairs of Drone Delivery Canada. “In addition to our continued advancements in Canada, we look forward to continued success in the USA and are pleased to report the team has been working very hard working alongside key stakeholders including the Federal Regulator. We would like to thank all stakeholders, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and a special thanks to the Griffiss International Airport, the Oneida Country Department of Aviation and the NUAIR Alliance for assisting us with our international development efforts.”
As DDC continues to test and operate in multiple, complex and diverse environments, the company’s drone delivery solution continues to strengthen as it better integrates with existing air operators and complies with airspace policies and procedures all while putting public safety at the forefront as the company rapidly approaches commercialization.
