An unmanned aerial systems (UAS) agricultural commercialization company headquartered in Kansas has been approved for the use of a 49,000-square-mile unmanned aerial systems test range that covers partial areas in four states including Kansas.
Headquartered in Seneca, Heinen Brothers Agra Services announced that its subsidiary company, Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems, has gained Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for an UAS test range. The test range also covers areas in Missouri, Nebraska, and Iowa.
“Our goal is to become the epicenter for unmanned aerial systems in agricultural space. Kansas has a long tradition and deep expertise in both aviation and agriculture. We seek relationships with those who want to capitalize on these assets and utilize a one-of-a-kind test range to move the agricultural industry forward.” Lukas Koch, Chief Executive Officer of Kelly Hills, said in a news release.
Through a partnership with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, the company can now safely test Unmanned Aerial Systems. Koch said safety is one of the company’s main pillars for this new wave of technology, which is to make sure it’s safe for pilots and for the area they are flying around.
“We were fortunate enough to find a really good partner at Fairbanks, Alaska, which is one of seven locations chosen for a UAS test range by the FAA back in 2012, and they have had great success, and do a good job reaching down into the lower 48 states,” Koch said.
Koch said the application of unmanned aerial systems and the test range will change the dynamics of American farmers by offering better timing and crop health, along with the possibility of unlocking new management strategies on a broad-acre scale that may not have been available previously.
“It’s a very real way to save up to 80% on some of the inputs, which puts money back into the grower’s pockets. This unlocks the ability to act at the optimum time, which will save on chemicals and other inputs,” Koch said.
The mission for Kelly Hills is to help commercialize UAS and other agricultural crop protection systems through partnerships and collaboration, which allows everyone from sensor, drone, and software companies to come together and be able to work on problems as a whole.
“There are companies we can potentially work with in the future that are outside of the U.S., and that’s where our real mission spun up: we want to help companies commercialize the fastest… commercialization, safety, and collaboration are the biggest keys to us,” Koch said.
The FAA permit will benefit consumers in Kansas by offering advanced and new services, crop management systems, new opportunities, and additional jobs for maintaining these aircraft. Koch said there is the possibility of some companies completing final assembly in Kansas, which could buy out factories that are currently vacant.
“It’s a good opportunity for another wave of exciting things to be here in Kansas, which focuses on agriculture and aviation,” Koch said.
Koch said his long-term goals for Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems are to see a thriving ecosystem of technologies throughout the entire value chain, from research institutions, investors, chemical input manufacturers, growers, and students.
Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems Grand Opening Event
On Aug. 22, Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems will be hosting a free grand opening. The event will include a Pyka software and flight demo, along with a hybrid-power spray drone demo, a site tour, and more. Koch said this event will help some growers get out of their comfort zone and see their work in a real field rather than on a piece of paper or on a screen.
“Anyone who is interested in learning more and seeing the excitement—we will have a really nice slate of exciting technology, loading systems, remote sensing systems, and newer drone companies,” Koch said.
Many Ag Tech conferences happen on the coasts, leaving growers in the middle who don’t get to attend all of the time, Koch said.
