Griffiss International Airport, formerly Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, New York, will serve as the base for WavDrone, a subsidiary of Universal Power Industry Corporation, to begin comprehensive flight testing of its carbon-nanotube drones and drone intercept technologies.
One of just seven FAA-designated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) test sites in the United States, Griffiss Airport is part of New york’s 50-mile unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) corridor between Syracuse and Rome in the US. The airport is located within class D airspace so operations may be conducted under IFR (Instrument Flight Rules), SVFR (Special Visual Flight Rules) or VFR (Visual Flight Rules). All flights are subject to ATC clearance. and has a unique charter from both State and Federal authorities which allows WavDrone to perform the full range of tests required to meet the specifications of the commercial and military markets.
“We are excited to begin testing, as this is the final step before submitting our first of three projects to the US Air Force for review and consideration,” said Tony Chiu, president, Universal Power Industry Corporation.
He added: “Although our WavDrone test staff are FAA licensed, testing our advanced technologies in Palo Alto, California would create an extra burden due to safety concerns of certain altitudes, distances and busy airspace and would not otherwise comply with existing federal regulations.”
