The NATE UAS Expo took to the air this week in Valley, NE at Valmont’s Valley Campus headquarters on Tuesday and Wednesday. Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts and officials from the FAA and U.S. Department of Labor – OSHA delivered remarks at the Expo and the event was attended by over 175 stakeholders representing industry and government.
During the Expo, the following UAS flight activities were on display:
- Radio Frequency Interference: WaterDragon demonstration highlighting the cleaning of towers.
- UAS Rescue flight: new technology demonstrations and UAS Crash Testing to assess drone crash impact on different antenna components on the tower.
- Teltech Group, a logistics/supply chain services and asset management company, conducted live demonstrations to showcase the unique capabilities of its 2nd generation XTD-120 Tethered Drone Solution. The demonstration recreated how Teltech’s equipment was used by Verizon Wireless in Louisiana, August 2020, after Hurricane Laura.
NATE President/CEO Todd Schlekeway said the UAS Committee plans to collaborate with the Telecommunications Industry Association and the Telecommunications Industry Foundation to publish a white paper summarizing the data and tests from the UAS Expo event.
“We would like to thank Valmont for rolling-out the red carpet to make the UAS Expo a success,” Schlekeway told Inside Towers. “We would also like to thank the event sponsors, partners and exhibitors for supporting and participating in the UAS Expo. A portion of proceeds from the exhibitor participation fees are going to support industry charities Warriors4Wireless and Tower Family Foundation.”
Schlekeway said the show was so successful, NATE and Valmont are already planning the 2nd Annual UAS Expo event for 2023.
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