Northwest UAV has announced the official launch of their Flight, Analysis, and System Test (FAST) UAV Range, with inaugural customer flights to begin in April 2019. Through the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Northwest UAV has been granted a Certificate of Authorization (COA) by the FAA to operate its own test range under the Pan-Pacific UAS Complex.
The range capabilities facilitate the opportunity to fly up to 5,000 feet in a 10 nautical mile radius of airspace just 12 miles south of NWUAV’s newly renovated campus.
With the last stages of construction of an additional 30,000 sq./ft swiftly coming to a close – NWUAV’s long-term strategy to be the first one-stop-shop for the UAV industry has been realized. Northwest UAV can now provide customers with capabilities that include the new flight test range as well as on-site dedicated machine shop, 3D printing operation, aero/mechanical/electrical engineering services, wire harness production, technical writers and a fully capable AS9100 production facility. The new facility includes up to 15,000 sq./ft of professional and production/warehouse space dedicated solely for customer use. The ability to offer their customer base, and the industry as a whole, a facility in which all aspects of design, manufacture, ground and flight testing of UAVs is possible on one campus is a game changer.
““It’s about efficiency and quality,” said President and Owner of NWUAV, Chris Harris. “With our COA and our full-service campus all in one area, our customers can design, build, test and instantly troubleshoot their UAV needs, which substantially decreases project turn time from design to deployment. Our operations are AS9100 certified, aviation grade components are procured from partners we’ve vetted, trust and have worked with for more than a decade, and our employees are experts in their fields at all levels of our company.”
The COA granted to Northwest UAV was only possible through the University of Alaska Fairbanks. UAF’s Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI) looks forward to supporting an additional range in Oregon that will help spur growth and interest in the UAV industry. Cathy Cahill, director of UAF’s ACUASI, is pleased to have the new site as part of the test range.
“We are delighted to support the additional safe research, development, testing and evaluation of unmanned aircraft technology that will be possible with our new range and partners in McMinnville,” she said.
Anyone with a registered UAV interested in using the FAST range is encouraged to contact David Jackson, NWUAV’s Facility Security Officer. Jackson will be the boots on the ground managing air traffic, field operations and other onsite requirements.
“We’re excited to offer the opportunity to legally fly drones just minutes from our main campus,” said David Jackson, FSO for Northwest UAV. “As a licensed private and unmanned vehicle pilot, I’m keenly aware of the risks involved in any airspace. With this knowledge, we prepared accordingly to make sure our operations remain within FAA regulations and keep everyone in our airspace (and around it) safe.”
Source: Press Release