Crown Consulting Inc. has been awarded a contract by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to provide subject matter expertise and assistance integrating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS, or drones) into the airspace and supporting a range of aviation-related projects in North Carolina.
North Carolina aims to become a national leader in the rapidly expanding drone industry. Crown’s approach will engage in shaping and informing NCDOT’s strategic roadmap and concept of operations for developing a statewide unmanned traffic management (UTM) system and integrating UAS operations across the department.
With North Carolina’s recent selection as part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s UAS Integration Pilot Program site, the stage is set for rapid progress and ground-breaking flight operations.
“Crown is excited to play a key role in North Carolina’s ambitious effort to develop drone technologies and flight capabilities,” said Dr. Tom Edwards, Crown’s lead for advanced air mobility.
Edwards and Tom Davis, Crown’s vice president for science and research, will spearhead the effort. Both bring decades of research and management experience on the forefront of aviation research working with government and industry while serving in senior leadership roles at NASA Ames Research Center.
Crown provides UAS support to both NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration. Crown teams actively contribute to and lead research for UAS, UTM, and urban air mobility (UAM). Crown specialists support the FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
About Crown
Crown Consulting Inc. is shaping the future of air transportation with concept development, design and deployment of systems and aircraft. We bring more than three decades of experience working with the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA, states and industry. Our science and research, programs and engineering, and integration and infrastructure service areas integrate industry-leading air mobility technology and planning support, engineering, information solutions and advanced analytics that enhance system performance and provide robust air mobility solutions for government and industry clients. For more information, visit crownci.com.