BINGEN, Wash., Oct. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- ScanEagle N202SE
was the first unmanned aircraft to perform an FAA-approved
commercial beyond visual line of sight flight in the United States' National Airspace
System.
Now through a donation of the historic aircraft to the
Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, visitors have the
opportunity to view this ScanEagle and learn more about the part it
has played in aviation history.
ScanEagle N202SE's most notable accomplishments are in
commercial airspace,
beginning with its historic first commercial flight on September 12, 2013. ScanEagle launched from the
converted fishing vessel Westward Wind and completed a
36-minute flight over the Chukchi Sea off the northern Alaskan
coast to gather data pertaining to ice floe forecasting. The flight
was in collaboration with ConocoPhillips, Olgoonik Fairweather LLC,
and Aldrich Offshore Services LLC. Most recently, ScanEagle N202SE
conducted the first beyond visual line of sight commercial
operation with a certified UAS in the contiguous 48 states. The
event was part of a week-long supplemental track inspection
operation for Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway, and took
place between Belin and Clovis, New
Mexico. The operations were in support of the FAA's
"Pathfinder" initiative, a partnership with industry to explore the
next steps in unmanned aircraft operations.
"At a time when the unmanned aviation industry is advancing
faster than ever, we take great pride in the pioneering work Insitu
has done to help shape this path," said Ryan M. Hartman, Insitu president and CEO. "We
are honored to be represented in the place that embodies the spirit
of aviation that we strive for each day."
ScanEagle N202SE will reside in the Boeing Aviation Hangar at
the museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
About Insitu:
Insitu is an industry-leading provider of information for
superior decision making. With offices in the U.S., U.K., and
Australia, the company creates and
supports unmanned systems and software technology that deliver
end-to-end solutions for collecting, processing and delivering
superior information. We proudly serve the diverse needs of our
global customers in the defense, government and commercial
industries. Insitu is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing
Company. For more information, visit insitu.com. Follow us
on Vimeo, Instagram, LinkedIn and
Twitter.
Contact:
|
Jenny
Beloy
|
|
Insitu Media
Relations
|
|
+1
509.637.6196
|
|
jennifer.beloy@insitu.com
|
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161013/428281
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/insitu-donates-scaneagle-n202se-the-first-type-certified-unmanned-aircraft-to-operate-in-us-commercial-airspace-to-the-smithsonians-national-air-and-space-museum-300344143.html
SOURCE Insitu