Aerosonde UAV receives FAA approval

Textron's Aerosonde small UAV has received a Certificate of Authorization.

The Aerosonde is authorized for operations with the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP), one of six FAA test sites to integrate unmanned aircraft into national airspace. MAAP is led by Virginia Tech.

The Aerosonde flights will be near Blackstone, Virginia. "Flights will contribute to proving the agricultural and environmental applications of unmanned systems, while developing safety, operations and training protocols between MAAP, the local airspace authority and Textron Systems to ensure safe, efficient unmanned flight operations," said a Textron news release.

In addition to commercial uses such as protecting oil installations in the Middle East, Aerosonde is flown by U.S. Special Operations Command.

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