Flint Hills Solutions of Kansas has obtained two certificates of authorization (COAs) from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly unmanned aerial vehicles out of El Dorado Municipal Captain Jack Thomas Memorial Airport throughout 2011, the company says.
The company is committed to helping along the eventual integration of UAVs into the national air space for commercial use, says Roger Powers, president and CEO of Flint Hills Solutions, and has struck other COA agreements in other locations and has more in the works.
UAVs are still easing their way slowly into the national air space in the US, he says, and starting small is key.
"We're not talking about Class D or higher airspace. We don't ask to fly at night. We don't ask to fly in populated areas," Powers says. "It becomes a conversation about safety and lost links, and we pass the test."
El Dorado, Kansas, however, is Flint Hills Solutions's first COA at an airport, he says. The COAs require coordination with air traffic control in Wichita and the agreement between the company and the city of El Dorado includes building a new operations and training centre at the airport this year. Training will focus on working with first responders who want to use UAVs for search-and-rescue, disaster response and other emergencies.
"Both the City of El Dorado and Flint Hills Solutions have agreed to work together to jointly promote the airport as 'UAV friendly' to all public entities, including emergency responders, law enforcement, fire departments, as well as state and federal organizations requiring airspace, facilities and technical support to train and operate unmanned aircraft in support of their public safety mission objectives," the company says.
In addition to UAV services packages - most notably using AAI Corp.'s Aerosonde UAV -- Flint Hills Solutions also has its own line of small unmanned rotorcraft, all under 25kg (55lbs), with both electric and gas power.
Source: Flight International
