Kiwi drone company really taking off in the US

Hastings innovator Simon Morris left yesterday for another North American trade expo with his head still in the clouds as he tries getting to grips with the takeoff of a new venture which is almost as quick as that of the drones he’s now marketing around the world.

Based at Waipatu on the northeastern outskirts of Hastings, Altus Unmanned Aerial Solutions – Altus UAS for short – is exhibiting at the Drone World Expo in San Jose tomorrow and Thursday.

They held their first exhibition in the US in May, by August they had sold one of its Delta X8 drones to mega-broadcaster CNN to advance the pay-TV giant’s plans to use unmanned craft for aerial news gathering overhead of public and property.

Altus UAS and CNN thus partner in one of the Federal Aviation Administration’s three Pathfinder projects, CNN having been actively involved identifying and evaluating UAS systems to meet the requirements for both safety and functionality in the field, with emphasis on loss of line-of-sight control and range up to about 200km. It was only last week that the company celebrated the first birthday of the Delta X8 – first launched in November last year and now with 6230 flights and 16090 flying hours behind it, its website says.

After meeting with CNN in May, Altus UAS was chosen to demonstrate its capabilities, and then together with US partner Blue Chip Unmanned Aerial Solutions demonstrated the Delta X8 to the FAA and the Pathfinder Program leaders.

As the world grapples with the rapidly growing use of drones, Blue Chip UAS holds exemptions in the US for commercial UAV flight operations across multiple industries, including aerial filming and photography. With CNN’s purchase, Altus UAS provides technology and support, while Blue Chip UAS provides operators and training, with all three reporting to the FAA.

Ex-army but with an IT degree from Massey University, Mr Morris arrived in Hawke’s Bay in 2007, never conceiving the path ahead as he and a few friends got together and formed what is still largely an employee-owned company, operating out of the Centre for Land and Water in Ruahapia Rd.

The system is manufactured at Horotiu, north of Hamilton, but aluminium and carbon fibre componentry are provided within Hawke’s Bay, where the craft are tested.

“The greatest thing here is the weather,” said Mr Morris, now the company business development manager.

It was only in the US this year that the company realised its place in the market – ahead of most of it – and Mr Morris said: “It’s taken a bit to get our heads around it.”

Also travelling to the US is Gareth Prentice, in charge of operations and processing, chief executive officer Shaun Mitchell, technical officer Mike Long and Ryan Cadwallader who is in charge of engineering.