Photo Credit: Pyka
Earlier this month, Pyka, manufacturer of large-scale highly-automated electric aircraft for crop protection and cargo transport, announced that it received approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate its zero-emission highly-automated Pelican Spray aircraft for crop protection commercially nationwide. With a gross weight of 1,125 lbs, Pyka’s highly-automated uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) is the largest ever to receive FAA authorization for commercial operation in the United States.
Pyka's Pelican Spray aircraft is the world's largest and most productive agricultural spray drone and is already operational on farms in Costa Rica, Honduras, and Brazil. It can carry up to 540 lbs (70 gallons) of liquid and spray up to 240 acres per hour.
“We are beyond thrilled to celebrate this commercial approval and regulatory milestone,” said Michael Norcia, Chief Executive Officer of Pyka. “Pyka's aircraft provide an essential tool for protecting crops, unlocking cost savings for growers, and reducing our impact on the environment. This commercial approval is the first step in enabling us to generate massive value for growers in the U.S., Latin America, and other markets we operate in, while also laying the operational and regulatory groundwork for eventualscaling into uncrewed cargo operations worldwide.”
About Pyka
Pyka is defining the future of safe, environmentally-friendly, and cost-effective aviation with highly-automated electric airplanes for crop protection and other commercial applications, including cargo transport. Pyka’s proprietary technology includes highly-automated flight control software, flight computers, high energy density batteries, advanced electric propulsion systems, and carbon composite airframes.
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