DRONE DELIVERY CANADA PHOTO
The 1,050-lb.,
gasoline-powered Condor drone can carry a payload of 400 lb. 125 miles at
75 miles per hour on preprogrammed
routes to specific drone spots.
Future Projects DDC has been working with Transport Canada on other projects, including approvals for BVLOS operations in remote regions. Earlier this year, the company was selected to be a member of the Canadian Drone Advisory Committee, rep- resented by its VP of regulatory affairs, Mark Wuennenberg. A pilot who served 33 years with the Royal Canadian Air Force, Wuennenberg also worked on many UAS initiatives at Transport Canada and helped develop the agency’s UAS regulatory framework. One project DDC is developing is defined-route drone
deliveries from Edmonton International Airport (CYEG) to the Nisku Industrial Park 2.4 miles away. DDC is partnering with the airport, Air Canada Cargo, Toronto-based Apple Express Courier, and Zing Final Mile to provide deliveries using DDC aircraft and drone zones. Te Sparrow completed its first flight from CYEG on Dec. 3 under Nav Canada approval, with other routes to be added later along with flights by the Robin XL and the Condor. DDC is also working on several projects involving Sparrow
drones to carry cargo to remote First Nation communities in Canada, many of which have been in lockdown to reduce COVID-19 transmission. Te autonomous deliveries have proven to be particularly valuable for isolated communities that need health-care supplies during the pandemic, as the deliveries involve no person-to-person contact.
40 ROTOR DECEMBER 2021 Sparrow drone flights have, for example, started between
the Village of Fraser Lake and the Stellat’en First Nation, about 2.4 miles away. Tis contract was signed with the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Stellat’en First Nation as part of UBC’s remote community initiative. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, drone deliveries “will help address inequities in the access to health-care supplies and services,” says Dr. Michael Allard, vice dean of health engagement on the UBC Faculty of Medicine. In another project, DDC is working with the University
of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies and Ford Motor Co. to test an autonomous drone’s ability to track and land on a moving vehicle. Te goal is to achieve repeated landings on a moving
vehicle while maintaining the drone’s position relative to the vehicle to within about 4 in.—even as the vehicle changes speeds. DDC is also exploring military and security applications
for its drones and logistics services. In August, the company signed a two-year agreement
with Nexeya Canada (a Hensoldt company) to jointly explore developing products for civil and military use. Hensoldt provides systems and sensors for air, land, and sea platforms for military and security missions including helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, UASs, ships, submarines, armored vehicles, and satellites.
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