ACUASI Demonstrates Airport to Airport Drone Delivery in Alaska
by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian J. McNabb
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The Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration just recently finished a crucial turning point in the advancement of a regional drone market when their SeaHunter drone finished an uncrewed flight from Nenana Airport all the method to the Fairbanks International Airport, a 45-mile journey. Performed by a University of Alaska Fairbanks proving ground, the test flight, (the very first airport-to-airport UAV journey in the state), was developed to reveal brand-new methods to incorporate UAVs into industrial air operations. ACUASI, a department of the UAF Geophysical Institute, had actually formerly run loop paths out of Fairbanks International to practice departures, arrivals, and runway technique practice.
The Airport to Airport Drone Delivery Demonstration
” These are a few of the initial steps for drone shipments throughout Alaska,” ACUASI Deputy Director Nick Adkins stated of Friday’s flight. “With the control tower at FAI and a path along the Tanana River, the drone and assistance group experienced practically all of what is required to fly from Fairbanks to Galena. A flight like this enables screening and proving of command and control links, airplane ability, identify and prevent innovations, managed and unrestrained airport operations, and combination of the drones and team into the National Airspace System.”
The SeaHunter is a twin-engine, 299-lb UAV with a 16-foot wingspan. It brings sufficient fuel to run for over 10 hours. Due to FAA guidelines, the test flight needed using a chase car, in this case a Robinson-44 helicopter. At Fairbanks Airport, the drone was needed to incorporate with regional air-traffic control systems, however at Nenena, which is a smaller sized airport, it utilized typical radio frequencies to signify to other regional pilots in the location.
The SeaHunter drone of the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration flies to Fairbanks International Airport from Nenana on Sept. 8, 2023. Picture by Nick Adkins
” What we are doing is showing that drones can and will have the ability to incorporate into typical operations at airports,” Adkins stated.
UAF is among 7 FAA-designated unmanned airplane systems test websites developed to check and establish drone innovation. ACUASI likewise sponsored the very first Global Autonomous Systems Conference last month in Anchorage. The 2024 conference is set up for Aug. 13-15 and will once again be held at Anchorage’s Dena’ina Civic and Convention.
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Ian McNabb is a personnel author based in Boston, MA. His interests consist of geopolitics, emerging innovations, ecological sustainability, and Boston College sports.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, an expert drone services market, and an amazed observer of the emerging drone market and the regulative environment for drones. Miriam has actually penned over 3,000 posts concentrated on the industrial drone area and is a global speaker and acknowledged figure in the market. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for brand-new innovations.
For drone market consulting or writing, Email Miriam
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