(DALLAS) – May 8, 2017 – Grand Sky, the first commercial UAS business and aviation park in the U.S., announced today it expects to begin beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations with large UAS at the park this summer. The 217-acre park is the first location in the U.S. to receive regulatory permission to host commercial BVLOS test flights for large unmanned aircraft. Flights will be launched and recovered at the adjacent Grand Forks (N.D.) Air Force Base runway and will be managed by Grand Sky in partnership with the Northern Plains UAS Test Site.
The announcement was made during AUVSI Xponential, a UAS industry event held May 8-11 in Dallas.
“The entire UAS industry has been waiting for the ability to repeatedly fly beyond line of sight in commercial air space so that they can demonstrate the true capabilities of these incredible technologies,” says Thomas Swoyer, Jr., president of Grand Sky Development Co. “We are so excited to launch this capability at Grand Sky and provide industry members with exactly what they need to succeed in and advance this industry to the next level of integration. We look forward to working with Harris Corporation and the Air Force to install the system that will serve as observers for these flights.”
The Harris RangeVue™ system, purchased by Grand Sky through affiliate Grand Sky Airfield Operations, will combine several surveillance systems, including nearby Grand Forks AFB’s radar feed, locally installed ADS-B Xtend and FAA NextGen, into one stream, making it possible for users to achieve real-time situational awareness of manned and unmanned aircraft as required by the FAA.
“Grand Sky is creating a truly unique setting to carry out UAS research and test flights,” says George Kirov, vice president and general manager, Harris Commercial UAS Solutions. “We are excited to have a role in getting flights off the ground and stand ready to further assist North Dakota in maintaining its leadership role in the industry.”
Initial BVLOS flights at Grand Sky will be limited to UAS flying within 60 nautical miles of Grand Sky. As processes are proven and additional data is collected, Grand Sky anticipates its BVLOS range will be extended to include the entire state of North Dakota and all classes of aircraft.
About Grand Sky
Grand Sky is the first commercial UAS-focused business park in the United States. Located Grand Forks Air Force Base near Grand Forks, N.D., the 217-acre business and aviation park provides unmanned aerial systems (UAS) industry tenants with unmatched testing amenities, including authorization for large UAS BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) flights in partnership with the Northern Plains UAS Test Site. Grand Sky offers 1.2 million square feet of hangar, office, shop, laboratory and data center space available on a build-to-suit basis with financing available. For more information, visit grandskynd.com.
