The FAA approves largest uncrewed aircraft system in the US
Electric aircraft startup Pyka has received approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate its uncrewed zero-emissions aircraft commercially in the US, the company announced Tuesday. The aircraft, called Pelican Spray, is a highly automated, 1,125-pound crop sprayer, the largest ever uncrewed aircraft system to receive FAA authorization for commercial operation in the US, according to COO and co-founder Chuma Ogunwole. The Oakland-based company currently leases its battery-operated aircraft to agricultural and crop-spraying companies in Costa Rica, Honduras and Brazil, helping spray pesticides and fungicides for crops like bananas, cotton, soy and corn. With FAA approval in place, it plans on expanding to farms in the US. Getting FAA authorization for passenger aircrafts is a long and difficult process and a significant hurdle for the electric aviation industry. The main challenge to electrifying commercial passenger aviation, though, is the limitations of battery technology that make it infeasible to fly any meaningful distance with multiple passengers onboard. For context, Pyka’s small, uncrewed crop sprayers need to land every 15 minutes anyway to refill their chemical tanks, which is also when their batteries are swapped. The crafts are able to carry up to 540 pounds of liquid.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2023-08-02/general/the-faa-approves-largest-uncrewed-aircraft-system-in-the-us
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The FAA approves largest uncrewed aircraft system in the US
Electric aircraft startup Pyka has received approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate its uncrewed zero-emissions aircraft commercially in the US, the company announced Tuesday. The aircraft, called Pelican Spray, is a highly automated, 1,125-pound crop sprayer, the largest ever uncrewed aircraft system to receive FAA authorization for commercial operation in the US, according to COO and co-founder Chuma Ogunwole. The Oakland-based company currently leases its battery-operated aircraft to agricultural and crop-spraying companies in Costa Rica, Honduras and Brazil, helping spray pesticides and fungicides for crops like bananas, cotton, soy and corn. With FAA approval in place, it plans on expanding to farms in the US. Getting FAA authorization for passenger aircrafts is a long and difficult process and a significant hurdle for the electric aviation industry. The main challenge to electrifying commercial passenger aviation, though, is the limitations of battery technology that make it infeasible to fly any meaningful distance with multiple passengers onboard. For context, Pyka’s small, uncrewed crop sprayers need to land every 15 minutes anyway to refill their chemical tanks, which is also when their batteries are swapped. The crafts are able to carry up to 540 pounds of liquid.<br/>
