Airspace Link Creates a Program Called “AirHub” to Let Drone Operators Know About Flight Restrictions In Their Area
© AirHub.app
Drones have become one of the fastest growing industries over the last few years. Drone technology is being used to support countless commercial enterprises. Drones have had a major impact in areas of agriculture, security, inspection, emergency response, entertainment, data collection, real estate, and so much more. With the number of drone users increasing, keeping track of all the regulations that keep people safe can become confusing.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been working tirelessly to establish across the board regulations allowing drones to meet their full potential. There are, of course, common sense rules that everyone, from a professionally licensed pilot to an amateur drone operator, need to follow. But just like how anyone driving a vehicle on roadways have to abide by certain laws, drone operators need a similar regulatory system to follow. The problem with drones is that these regulations change depending on the area of use. This is why Airspace Link has teamed up with the FAA to provide drone operators with the tools necessary to follow all regulations at all times.
Located in the Detroit, MI area, Airspace Link was founded by Michael and Ana Healander, and Daniel Bradshaw. Since they opened in March of 2018, Airspace Link has been working with national and state government agencies to develop the logistical frameworks needed to integrate drones in the national airspace. The program they have developed complies with the FAA’s Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC), the regulatory system being implemented for commercial drone operations.
As a testament to Airspace Link’s importance in the drone market, the company grew in size throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. While other businesses were losing employees and closing, Airspace Link now employs 20 people. On top of that, in May of 2021, the company announced that they were entering a Series A round of funding from technology investment firms Altos Ventures and Thales. With the combined investments, Airspace Link will be raising $10 million to implement their drone logistics program for LAANC operations.
As Airspace Link’s website states, “Our mission is to provide the data and resources communities and pilots need to ensure safer drone activities beneficial for all.” Achieving these safety standards is the company’s program called AirHub, a cloud-based platform that is constantly updating. The AirHub app instantly provides drone pilots with regulatory guidance based on specific drone activities and the user’s location. “Airspace Link acts like the Google Maps (Waze) for drones,” said Michael Healander, “but the roads, rules, and regulations are not in place yet.” The funding raised will see to it that Airspace Link, in collaboration with the FAA, puts these necessary regulations in place.
Airspace Link has begun working with one of the FAA’s official drone testing sites, Northern Plains UAS Test Site in North Dakota. Together they are working to turn AirHub into a standard US drone deployment network. To test AirHub’s validity, Airspace Link ran a trial in Ohio to see how drones can safely fly and coordinate with other manned vehicles, both on the ground and in the air. Now, Airspace is ready to move on to increasing AirHub’s coverage. “Our core purpose is to safely integrate drones into the national airspace and our communities at scale,” said Michael Healander. “We thank Altos Ventures and Thales for joining our vision of paving the way for the drone economy with shared, neutral, and affordable UAS infrastructure.”
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