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FAA conducts live drone flight tests at Virginia Tech

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech researchers are taking drone testing to new heights, and the next step is operating beyond the line of sight.

Wednesday afternoon in Blacksburg, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) demonstrated test flights in complex environments.

The collaboration will help the agency establish safe and reliable commercial standards for the future of air traffic.

“We expect that by 2026 time frame we’re going to have 2.66 million drones that will be here in U.S., we’re really going to need to focus on how these will be integrated into the airspace,” said Assistant Administrator for NextGen Paul Fontaine.

The university’s drone park, which opened four years ago, is one of seven different FAA test sites across the country.


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