FAA approves MONTIS drone system for avalanche safety missions

Drone-based avalanche control is stepping toward wider adoption in the US. Drone Amplified says the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved operations of its MONTIS drone-based avalanche control system, giving transportation agencies, ski resorts, and other organizations a clear regulatory path to use drones for controlled avalanche mitigation.

The approval doesn’t replace the traditional tools avalanche crews rely on today. Instead, it gives operators another option that can be used alongside helicopters, fixed explosive towers, artillery systems, and ground teams.

Drone Amplified says the MONTIS system is designed to remotely deploy explosive charges that intentionally trigger smaller, controlled avalanches before unstable snow can build into larger, more dangerous slides. Conducting those missions with a drone allows crews to stay farther away from hazardous terrain during operations.

The company says the FAA’s approval recognizes the safety of its integrated hardware and software platform, making it possible for qualified US customers to legally conduct these missions.

For avalanche professionals, one of the biggest benefits is reducing personnel exposure. Rather than sending workers into high-risk areas, operators can carry out missions from a safer location while maintaining precise placement of charges. The drone can also serve as a backup when helicopters can’t fly because of weather or visibility, or supplement existing avalanche control programs during busy winter periods.

Related: DJI shows how drones are changing avalanche rescues

MONTIS also builds on technology Drone Amplified has already deployed elsewhere. The system shares engineering with the company’s IGNIS aerial ignition platform, which is widely used for prescribed burns and wildfire management. That experience likely gives the company a head start in developing reliable payload delivery systems for another hazardous public safety application.

The avalanche platform was developed in collaboration with explosive industry companies Austin Powder and CIL Avalanche, which supply technologies already familiar to avalanche control professionals.

“Our mission is simple: use robotics to make the most dangerous jobs safer,” says Drone Amplified CEO Carrick Detweiler. He adds that avalanche mitigation crews help protect communities and keep critical transportation routes open throughout the winter, and credited collaboration with partners including the Alaska Department of Transportation in helping bring the system through the FAA approval process.

While drones aren’t about to replace helicopters or other established avalanche mitigation methods, the FAA’s decision gives agencies a new tool that could improve flexibility, especially in situations where flying manned aircraft is difficult, expensive, or poses additional risk. For mountain communities and ski areas, that could translate into safer operations and more options for keeping roads and slopes open during the winter season.

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