BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — An economic development agency selected a New York-based aerospace company to integrate drone flight systems into Battle Creek Executive Airport (BTL).
MICH-AIR, lead by development agency Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU), is a soon-to-come “advanced air mobility park” at BTL that will serve as several things:
- Manufacturing site for large drones
- Center for large drone operations (e.g. cargo terminal, freight delivery, surveillance, or firefighting)
- Hub for drone maintenance
- Location for drone pilot training
- Terminal for “urban air mobility,” a transportation system using small “electronic vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL)” aircrafts or “air taxis” for fast, short-distance travel of people and cargo in and around cities.
On Tuesday, BCU announced the selection of New York-based aerospace company “ResilienX” to develop the drone flight systems for MICH-AIR, allowing remote and automated drones to operate in “Battle Creek and beyond” through a system for routine “beyond visual line of sight” (BVLOS) operations.
In other words, ResilienX is making systems, physical and digital, that will allow the flying of drones when a pilot can’t necessarily see the aircraft…