• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Nevada Business Magazine

The Decision Maker's Magazine

Subscribe Now!

  • Subscriptions
    • Print
    • Mobile App
    • Email
    • Nevada News & PR Wire
  • Features
    • New This Month
    • View Issues
    • Cover Stories
    • Feature Stories
    • Industry Focus
    • Building Nevada
    • Special Reports
    • Press Release Wire
    • Nevada Industries
  • Departments
    • A Matter of Opinion
    • Around the State
    • Business Indicators
    • Commentary
    • Commercial RE Report
    • Crossfire
    • Expert Advice
    • Face to Face
    • Free Market Watch
    • Inside Politics
    • Power of Attorney
    • Profit & Loss
    • Speaking for Nevada
    • Tech.knowledge.me
    • The Last Word
    • Vital Signs
  • Planning Calendar
  • Advertising
    • Advertising Info
    • Advertising Staff
    • Submission Requirements
    • Online Advertising
  • Events
    • NBM Events
  • About
    • About the Magazine
    • Contact the Staff
  • Connect
    • Business Directory
    • Press Release Wire
    • Business Calendar
    • Submit Listing
    • Post Press Release
    • Add Your Event
    • Sign Up
    • Log In
You are here: Home / Features / Building Nevada / Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Cultivating a New Industry in Nevada

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Cultivating a New Industry in Nevada

October 1, 2015 By Doresa Banning Leave a Comment

Nevada is an ideal place to foster a UAV industry as it’s actually where it began 40 years ago, with development of unmanned aerial systems by the military.Seeking to benefit from the anticipated, widespread commercial use of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) nationwide, Nevadans have been working diligently to cultivate an industry around this type of aircraft.

Integration of unmanned aerial vehicles into the U.S. would create more than 100,000 jobs and have an economic impact of $82 billion nationally by 2025, estimated the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, a non-profit organization devoted to advancing unmanned systems and robotics. The Silver State wants to be a part of it and is working hard on that front.

“Even if we only see 10 percent or are only able to capture 10 percent of that market, that’s $9 billion,” said Tom Wilczek, the defense and aerospace industry representative at the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). “We absolutely see a value added in terms of developing a cluster in Nevada specific to UAV development. It’s a new chapter in Nevada.”

Current UAV Use

A UAV, also known as a drone or remotely piloted aircraft, is a platform that’s controlled or piloted remotely. The simpler ones operate like a remote-controlled airplane, where it transmits a frequency that the platform captures. Others operate more like fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters, except they are piloted from afar.

Today, in Nevada, use of UAVs is limited to the military for Department of Defense purposes, and to individuals or groups as a hobby or for recreation. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allows only this type of use in the National Airspace System (NAS) and limits those systems to ones weighing less than 55 pounds. The agency currently prohibits broad-based use of any sized drones for commercial purposes. For that reason, the UAV industry has much room to grow.

“[It] is more in the test and development phase rather than a set up their manufacturing operations phase,” said Mike Kazmierski, the president and CEO of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada.

The one exception to commercial flying is an entity that is awarded an FAA Section 133 exemption. This allows for flights of UAVs under 55 pounds at or below 200 feet during daytime conditions, within visual line of sight of the pilot, and at certain distances away from airports or heliports. One Silver State UAV company that received such an exemption from the FAA is ArrowData LLC in Las Vegas, which provides data collection, transmission, analytics and distribution of aerial images for a variety of purposes. The company has developed software that allows for real time analytics of aerial imagery with end-user applications for emergency situations among others.

Anyone wanting to fly outside of the established Section 133 parameters must apply for a separate certificate of authorization. However, it likely won’t be long before Nevada routinely sees small drones being flown for commercial purposes, as the FAA is developing its small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) rule around that. It’s due out “soon,” according to the agency, which Wilczek said could potentially be in 2016.

Sector Development

GOED continues identifying the various applications for UAVs. “The uses that are being advanced for this industry grow every day,” added Wilczek. “Companies based in Nevada and providing services across the U.S. is what I want to see; the hiring, employment and headquarters in Nevada.”

The numerous applications, all in the preliminary evaluation phases, include inspections of various infrastructure, such as bridges, pipelines, phone lines, flare stacks and others. In agriculture, UAVs could be employed to fly over crops and collect data on various metrics, including weed and pest infestations, crop patterns, distressed plants and more. In mining, they could, from the air, help exploration companies identify precious metals and minerals in the ground. They could aid in disaster relief, fire suppression, search and rescue and be employed for other humanitarian aims. In addition, drones could be used for delivery of anything from medicine to retail goods.

Drone America in Reno designs, manufactures and delivers an array of UAVs. Its Phoebus Mk.III, for instance, can be fitted with various sensors and payloads for different uses. This 4-foot, 4-inch high vehicle has a payload capacity of 180 pounds and can remain airborne for more than seven hours at a time.

EDAWN, too, is playing a role, responding to inquiries and working with interested companies.

“We work with our many partners, including the Airport Authority and the state, to encourage the testing with the expectation that as time goes on and production increases, we become a preferred location for that effort,” Kazmierski added.

Growth is occurring, Wilczek said, in the number of companies directly involved in, or supporting, Nevada’s UAV sector. Some of those enterprises include:

  • Battlespace Flight Services LLC in North Las Vegas, which provides a host of services, including aircraft operations and maintenance, systems engineering and technical assistance, and expert test and evaluation capabilities.
  • Zephyr Photonics, at Lake Tahoe’s Zephyr Cove, which manufactures optoelectronic products that can be used with UAVs and other aerospace systems.
  • Praxis Aerospace Concepts International Inc. in Henderson, which provides consulting, training and technological solutions for unmanned and manned missions.
  • Click Bond Inc. in Carson City, which makes adhesive bonded fasteners for the aerospace industry, also used in UAVs.
  • Abaris Training Resources in Reno, which provides training on how to manufacture advanced composites, of which drones are made.

“Because there’s so much expertise and willingness and excitement generated in all portions of the state, we’re all happy to see these growth segments occur wherever they occur,” Wilczek added. “We’re just going to continue to push the growth of this industry.”

Why Nevada?

Nevada is an ideal place to foster a UAV industry as it’s actually where it began 40 years ago, with development of unmanned aerial systems by the military, Wilczek said. That component continues today, particularly at Creech Air Force Base, located in Indian Springs, where UAV training and flights occur. Because of that history, Nevada is home to numerous individuals with the requisite technical expertise, some of whom now, after retirement from the service, act as consultants or run their own UAV-related businesses. One veteran-owned consulting and engineering firm is Global C2 Integration Technologies in Henderson. It specializes in integrating surveillance and reconnaissance into combat action. The Silver State also has a homegrown pool of military-trained UAV pilots.

Governor Brian Sandoval and the state’s congressional delegates and legislators support and have contributed to advancing a UAV industry here. One effort was the passing of Assembly Bill 161, which provides a financial incentive to aircraft companies. The law, which became effective July 1 of this year, partially waives certain property or sales and use taxes for those who own, operate, manufacture, service, maintain, test, repair, overhaul or assemble an aircraft or any component of an aircraft, manned and unmanned, in the state. Through Assembly Bill 239, which also recently passed, the legislature established rules for civil use of drones.

Nevada is one of six states designated as FAA UAS test sites, or places for research and development and creation of technological strategies for integrating UAVs into the NAS. The Silver State has nearly 40 centers where testing can occur. They include the four originals—Reno Stead Airport, Fallon Municipal Airport, Boulder City Municipal Airport and the Desert Rock Airstrip.

“It means we are one of the preferred entities for the industry to come to for testing,” Wilczek said. “It’s also given us a really unique and very valuable perspective as a team member into the FAA’s intent and how they go about doing the integration process.”

The state-sanctioned non-profit organization that helped Nevada navigate through the competition for FAA UAS test site designation is the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems/Unmanned Aerial Systems (NIAS/UAS). Today, with Wilczek as its executive director, NIAS/UAS manages the business tied to that responsibility, acting as an intermediary between companies and the numerous airports involved and helping attract industry, said Jim Fleitz, retired Air Force commander, pilot and UAS expert at NIAS/UAS.

As a result of becoming an official FAA test site, the Silver State landed a $5 million contract with NASA, which means the space administration will test UAVs in the state’s air space at one or more of its available test sites.

A Look Ahead

Several Nevada educational institutions have jumped on board to help expand Nevada’s UAV industry, too. The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) now offer minor programs of study in unmanned autonomous systems, in which students learn UAS fundamentals, including design, engineering, operation and data analysis in preparation for work in the field. The industry needs engineers, programmers, pilots and robotics specialists, and Nevada’s universities want to produce a local workforce to fill those jobs. Reno’s Truckee Meadows Community College offers UAV maintenance courses as well.

In 2014, UNLV hired world-renowned UAS research expert, Dr. Paul Oh, to be its director of drones and autonomous systems lab. Professor Woosoon Yim, of UNLV’s department of mechanical engineering, is conducting research on a robotic aerial platform that operates autonomously in GPS-denied environments, such as caves, forests and other urban structures. Some former UNLV students launched the enterprise Skyworks in Henderson, which develops aerial robots for scientific and industrial uses.

Also last year, UNR created the Nevada Advanced Autonomous Systems Innovation Center (NAASIC), which aims to connect UAV-related companies to university resources, everything from students to information. NAASIC also conducts research projects involving aerial mapping and data collection for various companies and agencies.

“We want to create those jobs so graduates stay here, and grow those businesses so they want to come here and get those graduates we’re pumping out of the university,” said Lt. Col. Warren Rapp, NAASIC’s business development director. Rapp is a former UAV pilot and squadron commander at Creech AFB.

The types of businesses the center can support are those with a tested prototype with high commercialization potential, Rapp said. One UNR partner is Flirtey, an autonomous aerial delivery company of online retail, fast food, letters and parcels, urgent medical supplies, which moved to Reno from Australia. Alaska UAV, which also relocated, is another. The Sparks-based UAS manufacturer and service provider has hired some UNR engineering students.

Experts are optimistic about the future of Nevada’s UAV industry. “It’s very bright,” Wilczek said. “There are a lot of hungry businesses and a lot of investors.”

Nevada is on the cusp of the burgeoning sector, and the FAA’s release of its small UAV rule should help it expand.

“We are so close to starting to realize those next-level contracts that really will set Nevada apart,” Fleitz said, adding that the existing support network must remain intact to achieve that greater success. “The governor, congressional delegates and the elected officials have to continue to support this industry, to make the state friendly for this type of testing.”

Filed Under: Building Nevada Tagged With: Abaris Training Resources, Airport Authority, Alaska UAV, ArrowData LLC, Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, Battlespace Flight Services, Boulder City Municipal Airport, Click Bond Inc, Creech Air Force Base, Desert Rock Airstrip, Drone America, Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, FAA UAS, Fallon Municipal Airport, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Flirtey, Global C2 Integration Technologies, Governor Brian Sandoval, Henderson business, Indian Springs, Lake Tahoe’s Zephyr Cove, Las Vegas business, Mike Kazmierski, National Airspace System (NAS), Nevada Advanced Autonomous Systems Innovation Center (NAASIC), Nevada business, Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), Phoebus Mk.III, Praxis Aerospace Concepts International Inc, Professor Woosoon Yim, Reno business, Reno-Stead Airport, Silver State UAV, Truckee Meadows Community College, UAV, University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), University of Nevada Reno (UNR), unmanned aerial vehicle, Warren Rapp, Zephyr Photonics

Sponsored Features

Sponsored Features

Sun City Anthem HOACashes in on Water Savings

U.S. Bank’s Good TruckComes to Las Vegas

GC Garcia, Inc. Celebrates 25 YearsAnd Looks Back on Southern Nevada’s Changing Landscape

Las Vegas Valley Water DistrictSupports Local Fire-Fighting Efforts

Advertise With Us

Advertise With Us. more details ►

Primary Sidebar

Education OutlookBig Issues and Hard Work for K-12

Industry FocusBuilders & Developers

Industrial SubmarketDemand Over Pandemic

Cyber SecurityKeeping Your Business Safe

Nevada News & PR Wire

  • Call for Proposals for Two Visit Carson City Murals

  • Northcap Commercial Arranges Sale of Azure Park Apartments for $2,854,000

  • Special Olympics Nevada to Host 2021 South Lake Tahoe Plunge at Round Hill Beach Resort

  • City of Las Vegas Launches Smart Curbside Management Corridor with Cox

  • De Castroverde Law Group Announces Winners of Its Fall 2020 Teacher Appreciation Awards

  • NAIOP Southern Nevada Urges Congress to Pass the Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act

  • Dueling Axes Announces Spring Specials and Weekly Programming

  • Desert Radiology Receives Renewal as Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence From American College of Radiology

  • Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada Announces New Board Member Hilary Nelson of Lexicon Bank

  • Cure 4 the Kids Foundation Recognizes Founder Annette Logan-Parker – Dr. Suess-Themed Patient Examination Room Dedicated During Nevada Reading Week

  • Local Business Owner Accepted Into Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program

  • James M. Wright Named Chief Marshal for the Nevada Appellate Courts

  • CAMCO Employees Demonstrate Their Giving Hearts in February

  • Nevada Donor Network Applauds AOPO’s “50,000 Organ Transplants by 2026” Campaign that Focuses on Improving System and Saving More Lives

  • Reno Aces and Greater Nevada Credit Union Help Youth Sports Return to Play

  • Diversity in Practice Panel to Explore Middle Eastern/South Asian Representation in Law

  • Founder of “Gracefully Greying”, Family Attorney Henry S. Gornbein Joins Lipson Neilson as Of Counsel

  • La Strega’s Weekend Fish Market Continues, Scheduled for Sun., Mar. 7

  • Prominence Health Plan Advises Nevadans to Protect Themselves from Medical Scammers

  • A Virtual Restaurant and Fast Casual Concept Set to Debut in Henderson

  • Suit up and Help End Childhood Cancer With St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®

  • Faith Lutheran Middle & High School’s Conservatory of the Fine Arts Presents Filming the Arts – Student Showcase Proceeds Benefit Renowned Fine Arts Program

  • Carson City Named Top Place in America to Travel Right Now and Avoid the Pandemic by Forbes

  • Wolf, Rifkin, Shapiro, Schulman & Rabkin, LLP Relocates its Reno Office

  • De Castroverde Law Group Awarded Las Vegas Latino Bar Association Inspira Award

  • Virtual Poker Tournament with “Poker Brat” Phil Hellmuth Will Benefit Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada Mar. 13-14

  • Future Smiles Receives Unrestricted $25,000 Program Grant From LIBERTY Dental Plan of Nevada

  • Desert Radiology Encourages COVID-19 Vaccination Among Team Members and Community

  • Northcap Commercial Arranges Sale of MCR Apartments for $6,800,000

  • Helix Electric Announces Completion of Meow Wolf’s Omega Mart

  • Brooke Conway-Kleven Leads Cure 4 the Kids Foundation Physical Medicine Department

  • Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas Accepting Enrollment Applications Through Feb. 28

  • JING Las Vegas to Host Wine Tasting Tuesdays, Every Tuesday Beginning Tues., Feb 23

  • Reno Public Market’s Nettie Oliverio Elected as Pioneer Center Board Chair

  • Alaskan-Born Neeser Construction Expands in Reno-Tahoe

  • More Matcha on the Menu: Dunkin’ Debuts Blueberry Matcha Latte and New Matcha Topped Donut

  • Las Vegas Local Businesses Celebrate with February Events Margarita Day, Happy Hour Specials, Wine Pairing and Charitable Fundraisers

  • Wolf, Rifkin, Shapiro, Schulman & Rabkin, LLP Relocates its Las Vegas Office

  • Supreme Court to Consider Creating Commission to Study Water Adjudication

  • WGU Launches Initiative to Remove Barriers for Students With High Financial Need and Those Without Access to Federal Financial Aid

  • Applications Open for Nevada State College’s Newest Summer Bridge Program Designed for Incoming Black Students

  • Silver State Schools Credit Union Announces 2021 Scholarship Program Available To Graduating Nevada High School Seniors

  • Broadbent & Associates, Inc. Names New Director of Engineering

  • Nathan Adelson Hospice Names Cheryl Johnston as Clinical Manager for Pahrump Location

  • Former Las Vegas Police Officer Offers Help To Local Residents

  • Statewide Partners Unite to Facilitate Equal Vaccine Access Through Nevada Vaccine Equity Collaborative

  • Nevada Small Business Development Center Presents The Top 5 PPP Myths, Busted!

  • Jewish Nevada and Jewish Family Services Agency (JFSA) Team up to Launch Hebrew Free Loan Program to Assist Nevada’s Jewish Community

  • Cassie Catania-Hsu Accepted Into NAIOP Research Foundation Visionaries Program

  • Ascent Multifamily Now Offers Corporate Accounting

  • Nevada State Contractors Board to Hold 2nd Annual ‘Hammers & Hope’ Event

  • TMC Financing Helps Eby Iron Designs Secure Future with Building Purchase

  • Economic Impact of COVID Closures White Paper Published

  • ioneer and Caterpillar Complete Autonomous Haul Truck Feasibility Study and Sign Memorandum of Understanding

  • United Pain Urgent Care Launches in Reno

  • Terra Contracting Launches New Service Offering; Public Utilities to Save Millions

  • In Plain Sight Marketing Ditches Brick and Mortar Digs, Goes Virtual

  • Eleven Lipson Neilson Attorneys Receive AV Preeminent® Rating for 2021

  • Nevada Supreme Court Appoints Katherine Stocks as Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts and State Court Administrator

  • Cold Brew With Sweet Cold Foam and Chocolate Stout Cold Brew With Sweet Cold Foam Arrive at Dunkin’ Restaurants Nationwide on February 24

  • Desert Radiology Continues to Hire for Several Available Positions

  • Dr. Phillip Ruiz Joins Nevada Donor Network as Associate Laboratory Medical Director

  • Colliers Las Vegas Represents Sale of Undeveloped Land in North Las Vegas

  • Special Olympics Nevada to Host 2021 Las Vegas Polar Plunge at Cowabunga Bay

  • G.C. Garcia, Inc. to Host ‘Reading to Rescued Dogs’ Books & Pet Supplies Donation Drive to Benefit Spread the Word Nevada & Heaven Can Wait Animal Society

  • Steinberg Diagnostic Medical Imaging and SR Construction Break Ground on New Facility

  • Sandeep R. Pandit, M.D. Brings Hip and Knee Expertise to Crovetti Orthopaedics

  • NV Energy Foundation Provides $550,000 to Support Scholarships, Workforce Readiness & Student Emergency Fund. the Funds Will Provide Scholarships and Aid to Hundreds of CSN Students

  • NAIOP Southern Nevada Presents “Land: Why Our Future Depends on It” at Feb. 18 Virtual Breakfast

  • Concrete Slabs Poured at Latest Brass Cap Development Industrial Project in West Henderson

  • The Discovery Welcomes New Board Members

  • Deryk Engelland Joins the 8 News Now Team

  • Dress for Success Southern Nevada Welcomes Norma Intriago as Executive Director

  • Lutheran Social Services of Nevada to Celebrate Opening of Expanded DigiMart™ Food Pantry – Feb. 16 Ribbon Cutting Will Celebrate Completion of Expansion That Will Serve an Additional 5,000+ Families Annually

  • NAIOP Honors Southern Nevada Chapter With Three National Awards

  • Zero1 Off-Road, LLC Acquires Vegas Off-Road Tours, LLC and Transfers the Existing RZR Off-Road Experience to “Vegas Off-Road Tours”

  • Dermody Properties Promotes Kimberly Rossiter to Director of Property Management, West

  • RSAR Releases January 2021 Existing Home Sales Report

  • PureCare Living’s Newest Skilled Nursing Facility Enters Final Phase of Licensing

  • LPGA Pro Gigi Stoll Joins Reflection Bay Golf Club

  • Northcap Commercial Arranges Sale of 2566 Sherwood Street Apartments for $1,700,000

  • Business Continuity Technologies Protecting Las Vegas Business From Cyberattacks

  • MassMedia Marketing, Advertising and PR Signs Circus Circus Hotel & Casino Las Vegas

  • Colliers Las Vegas Industrial Team Sells Out Six-Unit Industrial Complex Valued at $6.6m During Pandemic

  • Tuscan Highlands Opens Second Round of Nominations for Valley’s Top First Responders

  • The Las Vegas Business Academy Announces Allyson Bunker and Candace Davis-Martin as New Board Members

  • Southern Nevada Housing Market Starts Year With Prices Still Rising

  • Two University of Nevada, Reno Graduates Earn Certificate in Principles of Public Relations

  • Reno Sportsdome Partners With Swift Orthopedic Urgent Clinic

  • Nevada State College Ranks #2 in Nationwide Search for Best Elementary Education Degree

  • College of Southern Nevada & City of Las Vegas Partner to Offer Education, Workforce Training in Historic West Las Vegas

  • Future Smiles Receives $10,000 Gift From Dentaquest – Nonprofit Will Use Funds to Support Local Children in Need of Critical Dental Services

  • Colliers Las Vegas Retail Broker Chris Clifford Promoted to Senior Vice President

  • Silver State Schools Credit Union Increases Share Insurance Coverage Up To $500,000

  • Lamar Advertising of Las Vegas to Honor African American “Firsts” Throughout Black History Month

  • ioneer Welcomes Rose McKinney-James as Non-Executive Director to its Board

  • REALTORS® Association Announces Non-Profit Partnership with SPCA of Northern Nevada

  • Nevada Rural Housing Authority to Open Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Wait List on February 10, 2021

  • Twelfth Annual Spirit of Nevada Scholarship Contest Now Open to Clark County School District High School Students

  • Hutchison & Steffen Named Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year by Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada



 
Submit Your News & PR | Subscribe
Submit Your News & PR

Business Connection

Business Connection Portal

Log In Sign Up

Business Connection Portal

Log In Sign Up

Nevada Business Calendar

  • Ely Film Festival 2021
    March 12, 2021 12:00 pm

    Location: 501 E Aultman St, Ely, NV 89301, USA

    More details...
  • Play 4 JA Virtual Poker Tournament
    March 13, 2021 12:00 am

    More details...
View Full Calendar ►

Nevada Business Directory

Featured Businesses
Find a Nevada-Based Business Submit Your Business Subscribe to the Nevada News & PR Wire

Nevada Industries

Architects & Engineers
Arts & Culture
Banking
Commercial Real Estate
Construction
Credit Unions
Economic Development
Education
Financial Management
Healthcare
Human Resources
Insurance
Law
Manufacturing
Marketing
Media
Mining
Philanthropy
Residential Real Estate
Rural Nevada
Sports
Tax Planning and Accounting
Technology
Telecom
Tourism
Transportation
Utilities

Footer

Subscriptions

  • Print Subscription
  • Mobile App
  • E-mail Subscription

Editorial

  • Features
  • Departments
  • Events

Advertising

  • Advertise
  • Submission Requirements

Connect

  • Contact
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2020, Business Link LLC dba Nevada Business Magazine and Nevada Business Journal. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions
Nevada Web Design services by Nevada Central Media using Genesis Framework by StudioPress