The Sky Guys Begins Flight Test Campaign of Landmark DX-3 Vanguard Drone

15/11/2018 04:00

TORONTO, Nov. 15, 2018 /CNW/ -- The Sky Guys, Canada's top drone operator and manufacturer, announced this week the start of its DX-3 Vanguard flight test campaign at Toronto Markham Airport CNU8. After securing a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) earlier this year, The Sky Guys has been focused on systems integration, pilot training, and developing operating procedures, culminating in ongoing flight tests that will continue through 2019.

"Flight testing a drone such as the DX-3 is no easy feat. With its custom airframe, electronics, and software, and coming in at a take-off weight above the 25kg normally allowed by regulations, it goes without saying that safety and reliability are our priority. That we have mitigated the key risks and verified key technical requirements is a major achievement for our team," stated Jeremy Wang, CTO of The Sky Guys.

The DX-3 Vanguard fills the gap in Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, by offering long flight times, safety, and a low operational footprint in a single system. In addition to a maximum range of 1500km and endurance of 24 hours, the DX-3 comes with radio, cellular, and satellite links, and can take off and land vertically. Traditional long-range drones require runways, launch rails, base stations, or other ground equipment that are impractical for use in adverse terrain such as those found in remote pipelines, disaster areas, or combat zones.

"The DX-3 Vanguard is the competitive choice for oil & gas, security, and defence organizations globally. We have seen many long-range drones on the market, but none with the same combination of endurance, range, and outstanding communications, software analytics, and safety features as the DX-3," added Adam Sax, President & CEO of The Sky Guys.

The Sky Guys now looks to the future as it prepares for pilot projects in 2019. For government agencies, the DX-3 Vanguard will be deployed with The Sky Guys' proprietary cloud platform to demonstrate NATO Class 2/3 ISR capabilities in a Class 1 operational footprint. For midstream oil and gas companies, these technologies will be deployed to help monitor and safeguard pipeline infrastructure in accordance with government regulation (e.g. Pipeline Act, PHMSA), industry standards (e.g. CSA, API, ASME), and internal company policies.

"We are excited to be working with a handful of forward-thinking partners in midstream and government, and we continue to encourage interested parties to get in touch. We are committed to providing innovative solutions that save time and money, produce deeper data-driven insights, and offer competitive capabilities in the field," concluded Sax.

Media Enquiries:

Dallyce Sax
(647) 969-8676
dsax@theskyguys.ca

About The Sky Guys

The Sky Guys are global leaders in drone-enabled solutions and technology, leveraging drones to capture, analyze, and report on data for business insight in big industry. With a heavy emphasis on automating complex, recurring operations that are required for compliance and growth, The Sky Guys offers leading-edge inspection, surveying and progress tracking solutions to clients across a wide range of sectors.

The Sky Guys also develops proprietary drone technology and advanced data analytics for industry and military. Our latest platform, the DX-3, is a fixed-wing UAS capable of flying for over 24 hours and covering an operation range of 1500km, carrying multiple payload sensors from high-res cameras, optical zoom camcorders, to IR and LiDAR. This platform was designed to service niche industries such as oil and gas pipeline monitoring, power and utility corridor mapping, mining, defense, security and emergency response efforts.

Since being founded in March 2015 in Oakville, Canada, The Sky Guys has grown to a client base to over 600 distinct entities across a wide range of sectors and is now ranked in the top 20 drone operators globally and the top drone operator in Canada for inspections, surveying and mapping. Operational across Canada and in 30 states within the US, The Sky Guys deploys its services globally through a robust network of pilots and corporate partnership in cloud data management.