University Of North Dakota Announces “Major Industry Milestone” For Commercial UAV Use Written 4 December 2018

The Grand Forks (ND) Herald reports that the University of North Dakota (UND) “achieved a ‘major industry milestone’ on Dec. 21” with “first-ever test flights that will open up the skies” for expanded commercial UAV use. The school and researchers from Harris Corporation and the Northern Plains Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site performed test flights near Hillsboro, North Dakota. Harris used a system of “integrated ground infrastructure that enables commercial UAS to fly farther and safer beyond the visual line of sight.” The flights also tested detect-and-avoid technologies as “part of a network infrastructure that will enable beyond visual line of sight for commercial UAS operations.” Mark Askelson, interim executive director of the UND Research Institute for Autonomous Systems, “said that UND and their partners are working to prove to the Federal Aviation Administration that this kind of flight can be done in a safe manner.”
More Info (Grand Forks Herald)