Ohio Pushes Aerospace and Aviation Forward with Breakthroughs in Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Ohio offers unparalleled access to talent, resources and partnerships for expanding aerospace businesses

In late April, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and Maj. Gen. William Cooley, commander for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, announced that the Ohio UAS Center and AFRL would leverage groundbreaking aviation technology – called SkyVision – at the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport.

SkyVision is a ground-based, detect-and-avoid system for safe operations of advanced aircraft technologies. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted the AFRL a certificate of authorization to fly and test unmanned aircraft and other advanced aerospace technologies at beyond visual line of sight within a 200-square-mile airspace around the Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport.

SkyVision and this FAA certification is the first step in the right direction for advanced aerospace technology development in Ohio. The state has committed to a multistage approach to build the necessary infrastructure and technology to eventually support package and people movement.

For Ohio, which has been on the forefront of aviation and aerospace research since the Wright brothers got their start here more than a century ago, this development pushes the state to the leading edge of the advancement and development of UAS technology. More importantly, it gives companies interested in testing and expanding their UAS research new opportunities to grow here in Ohio.

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