(GRAND FORKS, N.D.) – July 10, 2018 – The next era of aviation made its first flight today from Grand Sky, a commercial unmanned aerial systems (UAS)-focused research and development park located in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI), one of the largest manufacturers of unmanned aircraft in the world and a tenant at Grand Sky, launched the first-ever trans-Atlantic flight of a medium-altitude, long-endurance from its Flight Test and Training Center at Grand Sky at approximately 12:48 p.m. local time. The GA-ASI-owned MQ-9B SkyGuardian will conclude its historical flight at Royal Air Force Fairford in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom.
“Our heartfelt congratulations go out to GA-ASI and everyone involved in reaching this milestone moment for the UAS industry,” said Thomas Swoyer Jr., president of Grand Sky Development Co. “It’s extremely gratifying to see the future of aviation take the next flight right before our eyes at Grand Sky. Today’s flight is the culmination of months of effort and is a feat that demonstrate the tremendous capability for UAS operations from Grand Sky. We’re proud to be a part of team North Dakota UAS, and we look forward to a time in the not so distant future when international UAS flights are a common occurrence at Grand Sky.”
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.
