iSight Drone Services and Vantis, North Dakota’s BVLOS system (beyond-visual-line-of-sight), have completed a delivery of medical supplies using a drone from Williston to Watford City. The difference between this delivery and other previous UAS deliveries was that the drone was operated through uncontrolled airspace with other low-flying, non-cooperative aircraft, which required Vantis’s UAS network to detect and deconflict air traffic in real time.
The operation was conducted as part of Project RuralReach, an initiative led by the University of North Dakota Centre for Innovation and funded by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA). It aims to show the importance of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for assisting rural communities and other critical missions.
iSight Drone Services was given USD 50,000 to test long-range delivery in western North Dakota, attempting to prove how drones can support rural deliveries, sustainable operations, and rapid emergency response.
“Rural communities don’t have the luxury of cooperative-only airspace,” said Erin Roesler, Deputy Executive Director of the NPUASTS. “What makes this operation so impactful is that it proves BVLOS can be done safely, even in complex, real-world rural environments, and that it can bring real value to North Dakota communities. Supporting those missions – that’s the value of Vantis.”
“The Vantis team played a crucial role in the success of today’s flights,” commented Jeff Barta, Project Manager with the Center for Innovation. “Their diligent and tireless work behind the scenes in planning and ultimately executing the flight fully illustrates why they are recognised as leaders in UAS development. Their quiet contributions may not be apparent to the public eye, but were certainly recognised by our team and deeply appreciated. Their performance, from our original briefing to the final landing, can only be described as being impeccable.”
Photo: Vantis
