Operation of the Edison lineup of full-size UAVs will require the same level of certification as is currently required of spray operators working in the United States. Some rules differ state-to-state while others are Federally mandated, so we are starting with North Dakota as a baseline and will work in partnership with Aerial Application pilots associations to ensure that a highly-trained operator base is available to operate the Edison Heavy Spray UAVs. FAA Part 137 certification and Commercial pilot certificate will be required to operate our aircraft.

The first transition training program will be established in Tioga, North Dakota, in 2023, in partnership with the Tioga Area EDC, represented by Dennis Lindahl, Economic Development Consultant.

The transition training will include four hours of classroom time and six hours of flight training and familiarization. This program provides safety, maintenance, electric system-specific maintenance issues, repair, and aerial application-specific topics.

The flight portion of the program will include pre-flight inspection, checklist use, safety-briefing the ground crew and other on-site staff, ground handling, remote, autonomous, and FPV take-off, flight, and landing, and basic pilot certification criteria.

Edison-specific safety training includes multiple engine-out scenarios, deadstick landings, emergency situation identification procedures, and procedures for handling UAV-specific issues such as loss of telemetry, control, failsafe systems, and flyaway events.

Our goal is to create a dedicated and safety-conscious team of operators that will ensure that aerial application will become a ‘zero worker fatality’ industry in the shortest possible time.

If you are a spray operator pilot, please contact us today to find out more about our aircraft and how we can arrange for a demonstration at the earliest possible time. We also want to hear your feedback, good and bad, about our proposal, so please don’t hesitate to contact us!