FAA Approves Hylio Commercial Agricultural ‘Drone Swarm’ Exemption

The Texas-based manufacturer asked for the exemption to help it make drone aerial application economically viable.

Russ Niles

Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 03:16 PM ET

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The Hylio AG-230. [Courtesy: Hylio]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA has granted a Texas company, Hylio, an exemption allowing the commercial use of "drone swarms" for agricultural applications.
This exemption permits one crew to operate up to three spraying drones simultaneously, significantly increasing efficiency to tractor-like speeds.
Hylio's drones are presented as a more economical, energy-efficient, and soil-friendly alternative to traditional large farming equipment.
Beyond agriculture, the drone swarm technology is being explored for diverse uses, including seeding wildfire areas and supporting aquatic farming.

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The FAA has allowed a Texas drone company an exemption that will allow the commercial use of “drone swarms” in agriculture.

Hylio asked for the exemption to help it make drone aerial application economically viable. Under drone rules, a commercial drone has to have a remote pilot and spotter, but the exemption allows the same crew to run as many as three drones at once and spray almost as quickly as a tractor can.