ArkUAV CEO Brad Fausett.
Little Rock drone company ArkUAV has received an exemption from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly unmanned aerial vehicles for commercial use.
The company applied for the exemption in July.
The FAA is granting exemptions on a case-by-case basis for commercial drone operations. ArkUAV joins only a handful of companies in Arkansas to have received the exemption.
Currently, operation of commercial drones is illegal without specific FAA authorization. But the agency has been granting what are called “333 exemptions,” allowing commercial operation of small — less than 55 pounds — drones on a limited case-by-case basis.
ArkUAV CEO Brad Fausett told Arkansas Business earlier this month that the long wait to receive the exemption left his company in a tough financial spot, “hemorrhaging money and not being able to bring any in.”
Without the exemption, his company had been focusing on selling hobby drones, working with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and eStem Public Charters Schools on developing curriculum for students and doing repairs of drones.
On Wednesday, Fausett said the company was excited about using drone technology for the state’s agriculture and energy industries.
“We can provide 3D aerial surveys on demand so farmers can monitor crops, early detect weed invasion and infestation, and even assess storm damage,” he said. “Using LiDAR, infrared sensors and other technology, our systems can inspect and map oil and gas pipelines, power lines and other critical infrastructure.”
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