The Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance (NUAIR) hosted its first official unmanned traffic management (UTM) kick off meeting with partners in Syracuse, NY on December 11 and 12. The meeting marks critical steps in creating a true BVLOS test range for drones.
Many big-name drone organizations were present at the meeting, such as AirMap and Unifly. Also in attendance were AX Enterprize, SRC, Thales, ANRA, Assured Information Security, CAL Analytics, Crown Consulting, GE Global, AGI/OneSky, Raytheon, TrueWeather Solutions, Mosaic ATM, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, and Syracuse University.
The meeting host, NUAIR, runs one of seven FAA UAS Test Sites, mandated by The FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. These test sites perform more advanced drone operations and research, and in turn provide operational and technical data to assist in the efforts to integrate drones safely into the national airspace (NAS).
This meeting brought together all of our test site’s partners for an important joint planning session where we were able to develop a shared vision for the advancement of the UTM corridor and test site.
—Major General Marke F. “Hoot” Gibson (ret)
Establishing a Roadmap to a BVLOS UTM System
The purpose of the meeting was to establish a joint roadmap to advance research and development opportunities, identify and resolve technical issues, and lay the framework for a detailed implementation plan to build an operational Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) UTM system.
NUAIR and its partners hope to create a site where companies can test their BVLOS products and any product that might further the development of a UTM.
This is the first step in establishing a true BVLOS UTM corridor and test range where any company with a product that is part of a UTM ecosystem can come, test, and develop commercial uses that will benefit our region.
—Major General Marke F. “Hoot” Gibson (ret).
The plan to develop a BVLOS test site also complements “CNY Rising” – Upstate New York’s comprehensive strategy to revitalize communities and grow the economy. This effort will undoubtedly have local as well as national benefits.
New York Invests in Drone Infrastructure
This recent meeting between NUAIR and its partners builds on a $30 million investment announced by New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to advance the burgeoning UAS industry as part of the CNY Rising initiative. The investment is designated to develop the 50-mile flight traffic management system between Syracuse and Griffiss International Airport, in Rome, New York
The NUAIR Alliance is an organizational partner of CenterState CEO and manages one of seven FAA designated UAS test sites in the country. The organizations are strategically aligned in their efforts to build public and private partnerships to advance leading edge UAS and UTM technologies, and create a hub for the industry that will attract investments and business development.
Learn more about NUAIR’s activities in the video below:
