The Talon 240 preparing to launch in back of pickup

FAA Approves UMD UAS Test Site

The University of Maryland (UMD) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site, located in California, Md., has received a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) from the FAA to fly the Talon 240, designed and manufactured by UAV Solutions, Inc. of Jessup, Md. This authorization resulted from the first use of UMD’s airworthiness process, the only known university airworthiness process that is modeled after the U.S. Navy’s rigorous standards for ensuring the safety and reliability of its manned and unmanned aircraft.

Crisfield Airport

Unmanned Aircraft Systems, University of Maryland | News Story 

The University of Maryland (UMD) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site conducted flight operations with the Talon 240, a 140-pound UAS with a 20-foot wingspan, at Crisfield Airport in Somerset County, Md., on December 5, successfully proving the operational processes and procedures required to fly larger UAS.
“We can’t overstate the significance of our operations today,” Tony Pucciarella, Director of

Tony Pucciarella @TPucciarella

Operations for the Test Site [@TPucciarella] said. “We verified not only our operational and safety procedures, but also successfully worked with our partners to ensure the system’s airworthiness; the first step in the FAA’s rigorous Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) process.”
The airworthiness process the UMD UAS Test Site uses is one Mr. Pucciarella, a recognized expert in unmanned systems, developed based on more than 25 years working in and with the Navy. The process involves having each component of the system verified by a Subject Matter Expert with final airworthiness certified by the UMD Research Department.

UMD UAS Test Site Receives FAA Approval to Fly 

The University of Maryland (UMD) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Test Site, located in California, Md., has received a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly the Talon 240, designed and manufactured by UAV Solutions, Inc. of Jessup, Md. This authorization resulted from the first use of UMD’s airworthiness process, the only known university airworthiness process that is modeled after the U.S. Navy’s rigorous standards for ensuring the safety and reliability of its manned and unmanned aircraft.

University of Maryland drone test site open for business | sUAS News 

From St. Mary's to Crisfield UAS Airfields LexLeader 

The University of Maryland Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site is a part of the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership with Virginia and New Jersey under the FAA UAS Test Site program. The UAS airfields partnering with the University of Maryland include  NAS: Patuxent River, Crisfield Airport, and Wallops Flight Facility.
Headquarters for the University of Maryland’s site is at the St. Mary’s County Regional Airport. The Test Site recently received its first FAA Certificate of Authorization (COA). The COA approves UMD UAS Test Site operations.
The first approved operation for the UMd test site allowed the 20 foot wingspan Talon 240 manufactured by UAV Solutions, Inc. based in Jessup, MD, to launch the first UAV from the site’s Crisfield- Somerset County Airport Dec. 5, 2014.