Flying Unmanned Aircraft Statewide

(Photo by Adam Kurtz/UND Today

(By Adam Kurtz. UND Today) – With the press of a button inside UND’s Robin Hall, an important Federal Aviation Administration radar data feed went live — marking a historic milestone that leaders say cements North Dakota as home to the most advanced uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) ecosystem in the nation.

Applause filled the room as U.S. Sen. John Hoeven, UND President Andrew Armacost, FAA Air Traffic Organization Chief Operating Officer Frank McIntosh and industry partners formally activated the secure system, enabling beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations across the entire state.

And they did so with the push of a button from a tablet computer  in front of more than 150 people gathered for the event in Robin Hall on Feb 27.

The activation gives North Dakota access to the same real-time radar data used by federal air traffic controllers — a capability, now called the Vantis Federal Radar Enclave, that no other state currently has.