HoneyComb Corp., manufacturer of the AgDrone System, is pleased to announce that Wilbur-Ellis has received approval to fly the AgDrone System over agricultural property within the United States from the FAA.
Assistance for companies that want to file for FAA approval to use the AgDrone System is available from HoneyComb.
The AgDrone is capable of flying 800 acres in 1 hour with two sensors onboard: NIR and RGB. Flight time and data processing for a section (640 acres) is approximately 3 hours. The system has everything needed to plan flights, fly, collect and process data. The farmer accesses the data through their own secure web portal enabling field hands and managers to see and discuss the data from where ever they are.
HoneyComb offers an Operator Certification course that provides training based on FAA safety guidelines and the operating capabilities of the AgDrone System. This course is offered in Wilsonville, OR where HoneyComb is headquartered. Training has three focus areas: safe operation, equipment capability and understanding how to use collected data. “We want all operators of the AgDrone System to understand how to plan flights and operate the AgDrone in a safe manner.” said Ryan Jensen CEO of HoneyComb Corporation.
Mr. Jensen also said he is hopeful that the FAA will provide manufacturers with an outline to use in developing Operator Certification of their systems. HoneyComb has spent considerable resources on developing its own certification based on available FAA resources and internal HoneyComb knowledge base.
“Going forward, the industry should have a consistent safety certification outline provided by the FAA. Manufacturers know their UAS better than anyone else and are best suited to providing operator certification.” said Ryan Jenson, CEO, HoneyComb Corporation.
