On August 13, 2014 the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University’s unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test site program is operational. This is the last of six national testing sites to be declared operational to conduct vital research for the integration of UAS into the nation’s airspace.
The FAA granted the Virginia Tech testing site seven Certificates of Waiver or Authorization (COAs) for two years. This will allow for the testing of UAS models such as the Smart RoadFlyer, eSPAARO, Aeryon Sky Ranger, MANTRA2, Sig Rascal, and two AVID EDF-8micro UASs.
The FAA approved UAS operations will occur at determined test sites spanning between Virginia, New Jersey and Maryland. The operations will eventually include agricultural spray equipment testing, operational procedures for aeronautical surveys of agriculture, and the development of aeronautical procedures for integration of UAS flights in a towered airspace.
The FAA announcement can be foundhere.
For more information, please contact Ronce Almond, Arielle Pacer or Donald Mayer at (202) 457-7790.