USRI Receives First FAA COA for Fixed Wing Swarm Flights

OSU’s Unmanned Systems Research Institute (USRI) received its certificate of authorization from the FAA to permit flights of a fixed wing aircraft swarm within national airspace, making them the first in the country to receive this authorization.

This flight authorization will permit a single pilot, along with visual observers for safety considerations, to operate a swarm of up to 20 fixed wing aircraft. The unique configuration developed by OSU researchers creates a “swarm of swarms” where groups of unmanned aircraft fly within smaller flocks as part of a larger swarm, communicating with a local group leader which then coordinates flights with the overall swarm formation.