News from the UAS test sites

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration-selected unmanned aircraft systems test sites are making news as of late.

The Pan-Pacific UAS Test Range Complex announced that it will add the state of Mississippi to its member states. Mississippi State University is the lead for the FAA’s UAS Center of Excellence. The addition of Mississippi to the Pan-Pacific test site team will allow for more UAS testing and research work to be performed in the Southeastern U.S. The Raspet Flight Research Laboratory will be a major part of the addition for the Pan-Pacific team. The lab has a global reputation for composites research while also serving as a start-up facility for various workforce aerospace companies, according to MSU.

In Nevada, NASA recently performed a series of beyond visual line of sight tests. We included the news a few weeks ago, here. 

In New York, NASA and the test site team have also created a unique offering for the industry. Read about it here.

And, in North Dakota, Gov. Jack Dalrymple has named a new executive director for the Northern Plains UAS Test Site after the previous director was tasked with leading the National Guard for the state.

Nicholas Flom, previously director of safety for the test site, will now lead the efforts in North Dakota. Having had the opportunity to talk with Flom on numerous occasions, the site appears to be in great hands. “Flom is a proven leader with extensive experience in unmanned systems,” Dalrymple said of the appointment. “He played a key role in developing the Northern Plains UAS Test Site into a national hub for the growing UAS industry, and we’re very excited about the boundless opportunities this industry offers in North Dakota.”