The FAA Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) test site in New York At Griffith International Airport, a new private agency has been established to facilitate research, development and commercialization of drone operations. This makes the test site easier to accommodate large drones testing commercial operations.
As a result of the New York test site Civil Flight Authority, the site is “currently able to operate drones weighing less than 300 pounds throughout New York’s 50-mile drone corridor and be compensated for their operations.” the announcement said.
The New York UAS test site is one of seven test sites designated by the FAA.
“This new FAA designation removes some of the previous restrictions, making it easier to test larger drones,” said Picente. “Our test site is already a world leader in UAS research and development, and now we can test more advanced operations and be financially compensated for it. This is great news for our partners, Oneida County, and the businesses and institutions that use our facility to advance their industry.”
“Charlie Exemption”
Prior to the more recent civil authority, or “charlie exemption,” the test site operated under the public Air Operations Authority, which allowed “research and development and other major government functions.” New York’s new Civilian Flight Test Station will cover New York’s 50-mile Beyond Visual Sight (BVLOS) UAS corridor between Griffith and Syracuse Hancock International Airports, “opening the door to scalable commercial operations.”
“NUAIR is focused on unlocking the drone economy in New York State,” said NUAIR CEO Ken Stewart. “This new administration will help us attract more clients to our test site who are focused on commercial outcomes. We look forward to helping them grow their business.”
New York’s 50-mile UAS corridor covers Class G, E, D, and C airspace and is integrated with the air traffic control towers at both Griffith and Syracuse Hancock International Airports, allowing both manned and unmanned aircraft to access the airspace. We make it safe for you to share. This corridor will attract global companies to the region to develop UAS and advanced air mobility (AAM) operations.
Lisa Ellman, Partner at Hogan Lovells LLP and Executive Director of the Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA) said: “Granting this new authority to her UAS test site in New York not only bodes well for New York, but it will also help accelerate the UAS and AAM industry as a whole.”
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