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 Hylio, a Texas company, an exemption to commercially use "drone swarms" in agriculture, allowing one crew to operate up to three drones simultaneously.
This exemption aims to make drone aerial application economically viable, enabling it to spray almost as quickly as a tractor while offering benefits like lower cost, less energy use, and no soil compaction.
Each drone carries 15 gallons and operates autonomously, with Hylio exploring additional applications beyond agriculture, such as seeding wildfire areas and 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.