A Montana-based avionics company is testing its flight technologies with New Mexico State University.
The company, called uAvionix, offers navigation and communication technologies for aircraft and drones. One of its platforms is an integrated radio-based tool called Skyline for ground-to-air communications. It plans to use the technology at a New Mexico State University drone flying site following approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for its radio design, according to an August release from the company.
The technology provides a datalink and integrates a cloud-based statistics and telemetry platform to monitor and control aircraft location, load balancing and other things, helping operators keep a closer eye on their drones. Alongside New Mexico State University, uAvionix's Skyline system will support drone operations near airports, "visual observer assessments" and address spectrum interference, according to the company.
UAvionix is also rolling out the Skyline platform in North Dakota, where it will work with Thales, a French electrical systems company, to help the state of North Dakota roll out infrastructure for drones. The company says it will also work with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma to support operations at the nation's Emerging Aviation Technology Center in southern Oklahoma.
UAvionix will also deploy its technology at a launch and recovery site to support a safety case for pipeline inspections for the Canadian oil sector. Additional drone sites in the U.S. and abroad will be announced in the future, per uAvionix, which is headquartered in Bigfork, Montana.
In addition to the Skyline, uAvionix offers panel displays from Albuquerque-based AeroVonics, which was founded in 2018 by Aspen Avionics co-founder Jeff Bethel. Its customizable displays can be used to provide in-flight information such as pitch and roll — or how much the nose and wings of a plane are moving up and down — plus other information and tools.
UAvionix officially acquired AeroVonics in October 2019 for an unknown amount. As of that month, AeroVonics had just two employees, Business First reported.
