Alpena, MI – Michigan Unmanned Aerial Systems Consortium (MUASC) to become an official UAS test range of the FAA designated UAS Test Site, Griffiss International Airport (GIA). GIA, one of the seven test sites designated by FAA, has been authorized by FAA to pursue in partnership with MUASC, unmanned aerial systems testing within Michigan airspace. This milestone step was made possible through a Teaming Agreement with the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance (NUAIR) in September 2014.

Under its partnership with MUASC, the GIA-NUAIR team has begun the evaluation process, that, when successfully completed, will lead to MUASC authorization to conduct test range operations. The completion of this evaluation gives the aviation community assurance that UAS operations will be safely conducted at the MUASC range under the supervision of the proven Griffiss-NUAIR team.

The purpose of the partnership with the Griffiss-NUAIR team is to create a safe environment in which UAS research and development (R&D) can occur under FAA authorized safety oversight. The MUASC test range will help Griffiss-NUAIR with its mission to provide the FAA with UAS R&D and operational data to assist the development of procedures and regulations allowing UAS flight in the National Airspace System (NAS). The FAA will receive test data from the operation of the test range to support the FAA's development of UAS regulations.

MUASC will continuously collaborate with Griffiss-NUAIR in aligning its operations and procedures with Griffiss-NUAIR standard to provide a premier test center location to UAS end-users, commercial users and developers.

About MUASC

Based at the Alpena County Regional Airport in Alpena, MI, MUASC is a UAS consortium and flight test center consisting of UAS manufacturers, academia, research centers, military, government agencies and private partners. The MUASC is situated within the largest airspace complex east of the Mississippi River. MUASC offers a complete turnkey solution and a broad range of services for UAS operations including flight testing, aerial operations, R&D, training and education, and manufacturing. Characterized by a low population density with wide, uninhabited expanses, the area is ideal for UAS research, testing and development.

About NUAIR

NUAIR is a New York-based non-profit alliance of more than 70 private industry, academic institutions and military assets and operations, working together to operate and manage UAS test sites in New York and Massachusetts. The Alliance is teamed with Griffiss International Airport to manage operations of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) designated UAS Test Site, one of six test sites in the United States selected for UAS development, testing and research, and for the development of standards for the safe integration of UAS into the nation’s airspace.