Flights Will Be Conducted Over Unpopulated Training Area

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a Certificate of Authorization (COA) to Kansas State University to fly the Aerosonde, an unmanned aerial vehicle operated by Flint Hills Solutions LLC., over "Crisis City".

File Photo

Crisis City is an emergency response training area that is part of Great Plains Joint Regional Training Center, and is adjacent to the Air National Guard's Smoky Hill Weapons Range near Salina.

The FAA's authorization is the result of the combined efforts of K-State at Salina, Flint Hills Solutions and the Salina Airport Authority. The ability to fly over Crisis City opens the door to more extensive training in search-and-rescue operations through use of sites that include a mock disaster-struck city, crashed transportation vehicles and a collapsed building.

"This is a major step in supporting unmanned aerial systems projects for K-State at Salina aviation and will be extremely helpful as we continue to partner with the public and private entities to apply our research capabilities to this developing technology to save lives and enhance emergency response," said Dennis Kuhlman, dean of K-State at Salina. Kuhlman said the authorized unmanned flights have already begun.

File Photo

A COA is a waiver that allows limited UAV flight in the national airspace while the FAA develops regulatory airworthiness, collision avoidance standards and certification requirements for unmanned flight. Until now, K-State Aviation had been limited to flying the Aerosonde in restricted airspace over the Smoky Hill Weapons Range.

"The COA is a huge step in opening up the market for the utilization of UAVs in emergency response scenarios," said Roger Powers, CEO of Flint Hills Solutions. The company is based in Augusta, KS. The next step for K-State will be to apply for emergency COAs, allowing the Aerosonde to fly in different locations across the state, including weather-related disaster sites, within a matter of hours.

K-State's Unmanned Aerial Systems Program Office is home to the Unmanned Aerial Systems Technology Evaluation Center that will evaluate existing UAS technology and platforms for their suitability in disaster response scenarios and train operators/maintainers. The office also will house a full surface mount technology lab devoted to unmanned aerial vehicle avionics and payload miniaturization.

The UAS Program Office is operated by K-State's Applied Aviation Research Center. The center's charter is to advance aerospace technology through the application of research capabilities in propulsion, airframe, avionics and aviation training. The program office collaborates with military organizations and the private sector to focus on developing unmanned flight in the nation's airspace and training pilots and operators of unmanned aerial systems.

File Photo

K-State also establishes criteria for unmanned aerial system flight operations, including activity at the Smoky Hill Weapons Range and eventually at the Herington unmanned aerial system flight facility. The program office establishes policies and procedures to enable both military and civilian organizations to fly and test at the area facilities.

FMI: www.k-state.edu