FAA approves UMD UAS test site to fly Talon 240

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) to the University of Maryland (UMD) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site for flying the Talon 240 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The latest approval follows the deployment of UMD’s airworthiness process, which is claimed to be the only known university airworthiness procedure based on the US Navy’s rigorous benchmarks to assure the safety and reliability of manned and unmanned aircraft.

UMD A. James Clark School of Engineering professor and Dean Dr Darryll Pines, Farvardin said: "This flight authorisation is significant because it builds on the existing relationship between the University of Maryland and the Navy, and applies our mutually disciplinedresearch approaches to the cutting edge of civil and commercial unmanned aviation.

Mainly intended for deployment by military and universities seeking a platform to execute operations and research, the Talon 240 features a 20ft wingspan and is capable of flying for about three and a half hours.

Maryland Delegate John Bohanan said: "This FAA stamp of approval is the federal government’s recognition of our airspace integration efforts, which are part of our region’s autonomous research initiative – a key to our economic growth and diversification."

With the latest approval, the UMD UAS test site is all set to execute its debut research flight using the Talon 240 in Somerset County in December.