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AUVSI launches Trusted Operator Program™

AUVSI TOP™ is a professional unmanned system community initiative aimed at supporting industry accepted remote pilot standards and protocols, which will result in the safe and sustainable advancement of the industry.

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AUVSI has worked with more than 190 international safety experts to create TOP™ to raise the trust and acceptance of the use of unmanned aircraft globally. TOP™ uses a set of protocols constructed from many relevant standards (i.e. ICAO, ANSI, ASTM, NIST) and industry association best practices (i.e. NATE, IOGP, ASPA, HAI) to meet or exceed the aviation regulations established by the Federal Aviation Administration (US), Civil Aviation Safety Authority (AUS), and several Civil Aviation Authorities (including the UK and South Africa). 

TOP is global in nature

All three TOP Levels are aimed at both individual remote pilots and commercial UAS organizations. Each level of certification reflects the level of skills, knowledge and safety protocols required to operate in different industries.

Praxis Aerospace Concepts International, Incorporated (PACI) is pleased to announce our participation in both the Remote Pilots’ Council and the Trusted Operator Program. PACI is proud to be part of the early adopters, and the first approved TOP™ Certifying Body for Public Safety.

Read more about the Trusted Operator Program™ in this month’s Unmanned Systems magazine (Volume 36, No. 7 – October 2018) here. 

As the program rolls out, more details will be available on the TOP web page.

For more information on the TOP™, call 702-586-1160 or email us for service. You can also schedule your audits here.


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ASTM UAS Approved Training Provider Program (UATPP)

W. CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., October 29, 2018 – ASTM International announced today a new partnership with Praxis Aerospace Concepts International aimed at meeting the need to evaluate the growing number of training programs for drone operators, maintenance technicians, instructors, and others in the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry.

The new joint offering, the UAS Approved Training Provider Program (UATPP), will evaluate curricula of training programs to see if they are in compliance with standards. It is based on technical standards being created by a group of ASTM International members, including drone experts, manufacturers, and others in a subcommittee (known as F38.03) focused on personnel training, qualification, and certification.

Applicant organizations found to be in compliance with standards will receive a UATPP Approved Training Provider certificate. They can then market their training programs to prospective trainees as such. Each application costs $750 per training provider location seeking approval.

Read the full press release here. Also, see this new article in ASTM International’s Standardization News magazine.

About ASTM International

Committed to serving global societal needs, ASTM International positively impacts public health and safety, consumer confidence, and overall quality of life. We integrate consensus standards – developed with our international membership of volunteer technical experts – and innovative services to improve lives… Helping our world work better.

About Praxis Aerospace Concepts International, Inc

Founded in 2011, PACI is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business based in Southern Nevada. PACI develops and operates laboratory and field facilities for multi-modal (ground-air-sea-industrial) response robotics, unmanned systems (UxS).  PACI uses a mix of proprietary technology, unique team domain expertise, and unique partnerships to provide clients with research, development, test, evaluation, deployment, commercialization, and training solutions across the globe.

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Boeing Teams with Robotic Skies to Provide Enhanced Commercial Unmanned Aircraft System Services


Boeing and its subsidiaries Jeppesen and Aviall have joined with Robotic Skies, a leading commercial unmanned aircraft system (UAS) support services provider, to develop and deliver industry-leading supply chain management and optimization, analytics, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for the commercial and civil UAS markets. 

Read the press release here

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FlightSafety International Offers Comprehensive Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training

FlightSafety expands its offerings to provide comprehensive Unmanned Systems Training through a series of Remote Pilot ground
and flight training courses. These courses are designed to achieve the highest levels of safety and proficiency in the industry. Through
customized course development, we tailor the program to your specific and individual needs. This industry-leading program has been
developed in cooperation with Praxis Aerospace Concepts. Built upon our experience with unmanned training for military agencies, we support and fulfill the requirements of a wide scope of commercial operations.

Read the full article here

FlightSafety International Offers Comprehensive Unmanned Systems Training

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New York and Nevada Ranked as Top Two “Drone Leaders” Nationally

In this year’s Rankings Report, Business Faculties’ 14th annual entry, they’ve taken the first crack at Unmanned Aerial Systems (a.k.a. drones).

During the past five years, UAS test facilities (stretching from New York and Virginia in the East all the way to Alaska) have been quietly going about their work preparing for the lift off of what is conservatively expected to become a $100-billion industry by the end of this decade. See “Nevada developing global renown for drone research ” for more information.

In recent months the FAA began expanding its horizons for the emerging drone industry—literally, by permitting the use of drones that will be controlled by operators who can no longer see them with their eyes (as in “over the horizon”). See “PACI Approved for Commercial BVLOS UAS Operations” for more information.

FAA also has expanded the test program to include the integration of drones into the airspace of a select group of urban centers. See “KDOT Selected for UAS Integration Pilot Program” for more information on PACI’s participation in the UASIPP.

(Business Facilities’) rankings radar has detected that New York is leading the first Drone Leaders formation, followed closely by second-ranked Nevada. See “PACI Achieves Milestone at the NY UAS Test Site” for more information on PACI’s partnership with NY.

Read the full article from the Business Facilities’ July/August 2018 here .

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KDOT selected for UAS integration pilot program

Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao May 9 selected the Kansas Department of Transportation to participate in the department’s new Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program.

This program will pair the Federal Aviation Administration, KDOT and private sector participants to collect invaluable data on how to safely integrate drones in the national airspace, and help state, local and tribal governments partner with private sector drone operators and manufacturers to expedite drone integration nationwide.

Under the program, KDOT plans to deploy UAS to support beyond visual line of sight operations in rural communities. It seeks to leverage a statewide, unmanned traffic management system to facilitate precision agriculture operations.

Praxis Aerospace Concepts International Incorporated (PACI) is pleased to announce our participation with the Kansas UAS IPP team supporting with a  wide variety of services and experience to participants interested in safe integration of Unmanned Systems.

Read the full article from the High Plains Journal here . Additional coverage from AUVSI may be found here.

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UAV Industries launches South Africa’s first accredited Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Training

UAV Industries, a leading commercial drone pilot training and operations company, has announced the launch of its accredited Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) Training Course, open to all drone pilots in possession of a valid Remote Pilot Licence (RPL). First to market in Africa, the B-VLOS training course is endorsed by both the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SA CAA) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

PACI and PACInc instructors traveled to Capetown, South Africa last year to attend UAVI’s intensive training program. As the only US company with both SA CAA Remote Pilot Instructors with BVLOS endorsements, and a Part 107 BVLOS waiver for Training, PACI congratulates UAVI’s success and welcomes the opportunity to partner even more in the future. 

Read the article from SUASNews online here.

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FlightSafety Jumps Into UAS Training

FlightSafety International has jumped into the UAS pool. The aviation training company announced Thursday that it will begin offering “a wide variety” of unmanned systems training programs for commercial operators. FlightSafety said it is developing standard and platform-specific courses for both seasoned operators and those who have no prior experience and will work closely with operators on customized course development to create programs tailored to their specific needs.

The courses will be taught by qualified instructors and offered online through FlightSafety’s advanced eLearning system, onsite at FlightSafety learning centers, or at customer facilities. The courses will meet standards that have been set by the FAA, ICAO, the AUVSI trusted operator program and other leading agencies and organizations.

For more information here

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Editor’s Corner—Private wireless networks are quietly becoming a thing (Fierce Wireless)

For years now, a number of wireless players have been promising that there is demand among enterprises and others for private wireless networks. The argument is that utilities, cities, manufacturing companies and others have specific applications that can’t or shouldn’t run over public wireless networks, and so they will need to build their own networks—and will spend money to do it.

Specifically, Praxis Aerospace Concepts International (PACI) said it inked a long-term lease for Access Spectrum’s Upper 700 MHz A Block in remote locations in Nevada, Arizona and Utah. Jonathan Daniels, PACI’s CEO, said the company will use the spectrum to fly drones.

“I’m pretty excited,” Daniels said.

Turns out there’s some reason to be excited. The Federal Aviation Administration generally doesn’t allow drone pilots to fly the gadgets into places where they can’t see them. But Daniels said PACI is one of only a handful of companies that has obtained authorization from the FAA to conduct “non line of sight” flying, largely due to the company’s use of 700 MHz spectrum that won’t suffer from interference from other users. That means that PACI’s pilots will be able to install cameras on their drones and fly the drones by watching the real-time video (transmitted over PACI’s 700 MHz network) from the cameras.

“It gets us a longer string for our telephone,” Daniels said of the 700 MHz spectrum PACI is leasing from Access Spectrum. He said he expects the drones to be able to fly 30 to 50 miles using the system.

Daniels said PACI is already in the process of building a wireless network for its drone flights, and is considering LTE and other wireless network technologies. He declined to name the company’s equipment vendors. He added that PACI plans to use the drones to conduct power line and solar farm surveys in the areas, as well as to offer drone flying classes for aspiring pilots.

Read the original story from Fierce Wireless here