FAA authorizes Virginia firm to conduct drone testing at Griffiss

ROME, N.Y. — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has authorized a Virginia company to conduct testing of its drone, or unmanned-aircraft system (UAS), at the NUAIR Alliance test site at Griffiss International Airport in Rome.

CenterState CEO and NUAIR Alliance announced FAA approval of the second certificate of authorization (COA) for NUAIR in a news release distributed this week.

NUAIR Alliance is short for Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance.

Under this COA, Fairfax, Va.–based Logos Technologies, LLC will test its new tactically expandable maritime platform (TEMP) at Griffiss.

The firm expects to begin testing in October, according to a news release the Virginia firm issued.

Developed in partnership with Brooklyn, N.Y. –based Atair Aerospace, TEMP is a powered and autonomous flight-capable parafoil aircraft.

Compared to other UAS, it is “significantly larger,” weighing about 400 pounds with a 30 foot-long parachute, according to the release.

Like other similar platforms that Logos Technologies has under development, TEMP is designed for missions that include “precision” cargo-delivery to remote and inaccessible areas to assist with emergency response and other situations.

Welcoming Logos to Rome is another step forward for NUAIR and Griffiss International Airport, Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr. said in the news release.

“I have said before, and today is another example, we are at the forefront of creating a brand new industry and the possibilities are endless,” said Picente.

Before the first operational flights can start, the NUAIR team will establish an independent safety review board to collect additional information and create a flight plan. Additionally, NUAIR will perform initial test flights to determine flight readiness, advance platform development of the UAS, and provide crew training.

The process could take several weeks to complete, depending on factors such as facility availability and weather. Once that process is finished, the NUAIR Alliance-Griffiss team will coordinate operational flights on behalf of Logos Technologies.

The NUAIR Alliance in August announced FAA approval of its first COA, which allows Cornell Cooperative Extension to fly a PrecisionHawk-manufactured drone below 400 feet over a farm in Batavia.

Thornhill, Ont.–based PrecisionHawk and Cornell Cooperative Extension are currently running pre-operational testing flights in preparation for agricultural research.

Testing the integration of air-traffic flow between manned and unmanned systems is a “critical step” in the advancement of this industry, Lawrence Brinker, executive director and general counsel of NUAIR Alliance, said in the news release.

“We are excited to begin the process of collecting and analyzing data to develop safety, performance and certification standards for the integration of unmanned systems into national airspace and for civilian use,” said Brinker.

New partnership
NUAIR Alliance on Thursday announced a partnership with the Northern Michigan Unmanned Aerial Systems Consortium (NMUASC).

The organizations have signed a “teaming” agreement to cooperate in the development and operations of UAS in the Northeast.

The addition of Alpena, Mich.–based NMUASC to NUAIR’s existing two-state alliance of New York and Massachusetts will expand its “key” service offering, add new test-sites capabilities, expand international connections, and create synergies and joint opportunities for the benefit of all three states, NUAIR said in the release.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com