Drone Delivery Canada conducts first test flights in the US

Earlier this month Drone Delivery Canada conducted its first drone test flights in the US. The company made the news back in February when it received a compliance certificate from Transport Canada that allows them to fly beyond line-of-sight. the test flights took place at one of the seven FAA-designated UAS Test Sites, Grifiss International Airport.

First test flights in the US for Canadian drone company

Drone Delivery Canada (DDC) completes first ever test flights in the USA. The flights took place at the Griffiss International Airport located in Rome, New York on March 5th, 2018.

In a press release, Paul Di Benedetto, Chief Technology Officer of Drone Delivery Canada said:

“Testing at Griffiss was a natural extension for continued progress with our platform in a BVLOS non-segregated airspace environment. An active runway with large aircraft, helicopters, and general aviation aircraft is the latest advancement to our operations team airspace integration efforts and a progression from the knowledge learned during DDC’s Moosonee operations, which remain ongoing. We are pleased to report 100% success rate with all our test fights and look forward to our expansion into the USA which has now begun in earnest.”

Grifiss International Airport is one of the seven FAA-designated UAS Test Sites that provide Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVOLS) Research and Development capabilities as well as long-distance testing corridors with active airspace.

Drone Delivery Canada used their Sparrow Drone that is able to lift up to 11 pounds of cargo. An important part of the test was the company’s FLYTE management system and DroneSpot™ Technology which provides secure and controlled take off and landing area for users to interact with the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). DroneSpot™ also provides real-time localized weather information, surrounding aircraft awareness, weight and balance monitoring and more provide safe operations.

Mark Wuennenberg, Vice President Regulatory Affairs of Drone Delivery Canada said:

“Testing at Griffiss was a significant milestone for DDC and the beginning of our USA expansion program. In addition to our continued advancements in Canada, we look forward to continued success in the USA and are pleased to report the team has been working very hard working alongside key stakeholders including the Federal Regulator. We would like to thank all stakeholders, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and a special thanks to the Griffiss International Airport, the Oneida County Department of Aviation and the NUAIR Alliance for assisting us with our international development efforts.”

DDC is one of many players who is working on making drone deliveries a reality sooner rather than later. Other companies that are getting ready to deliver packages by drone are Amazon, Google, and Boeing. Zipline, a San Francisco-based company has been operating drone deliveries successfully for some time now in Rwanda. DDC is one of the smaller players in this industry but they are making rapid progress and want to be at the forefront of integrating drone deliveries into the national airspace while keeping a strong focus on public safety.

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