Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Reno picked for exclusive FAA drone program

Reno is one of 10 cities selected for the Federal Aviation Administration Unmanned Aircraft System Integration Pilot Program, U.S. Sen. Dean Heller announced today.

Heller, a member of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, announced that Reno and Flirtey, a Nevada-based drone delivery service company, were chosen by the Department of Transportation for the FAA’s highly competitive drone pilot program.

An official announcement, including the other nine cities, is expected Wednesday, according to the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

Last month, Heller made the case for the application to U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. The Transportation Department received more than 140 applications for the 10 spots.

The program provides an opportunity to join private entities, like drone operators and manufacturers, to prepare proposals for more advanced drone operations, such as flying beyond the line of sight and over people, which are integral for drone delivery and other operations.

During Heller’s pitch to Chao, he noted Flirtey’s previous partnership with the Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority, an ambulance and care flight emergency medical services provider, to launch the first automated external defibrillator drone delivery service in the United States.

“I thank Secretary Chao for recognizing the critical opportunity that the Reno-Flirtey partnership presents not only to advance drone technology, but to save lives,” Heller said in a statement. “For example, just one of Flirtey’s drones carrying automated external defibrillators operating in an area similar to Reno has the potential to save one life every two weeks. If this innovative technology is replicated throughout the country, it could significantly increase the cardiac arrest survival rate.”

Various agencies support Flirtey and its goals, including the Reno Police Department and Reno Fire Department, Heller said.

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2017 paved the way for some of the testing tied to the pilot program, as it allows for small UAS package delivery, and authorizing beyond line-of-sight operations at the test sites, including Nevada’s.

This is the second major distinction by the FAA for Nevada and drones, as in 2013, the state won an FAA designation as one of six test sites to assist with the integration of drones into the national airspace system.