Last week, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma (CNO) officially opened its Emerging Aviation Technology Center in Daisy, Oklahoma.
The 8,324-square-foot facility is designed to support the research and development of emergent crewed and uncrewed aerial system technologies in a safe, low-risk environment. Located on more than 44,000 acres of tribally-owned land in southeastern Oklahoma, the center features office space, telemetry rooms, drone maintenance and mechanical repair workrooms, a conference lounge, an observation deck, and more.
The primary goals of the center are to create new jobs, foster industry relationships, and position the CNO as a major player in aviation innovation.
The opening marks a new chapter in the tribe’s increasingly rich aviation history. In 2018, the CNO was named as the only tribal lead participant in the FAA’s UAS Integration Pilot Program (IPP), chosen from a pool of over 200 applicants. After the IPP concluded in 2020, the CNO continued its participation, entering in the FAA’s BEYOND program, which is currently in its second phase.
Both programs were established to test and evaluate the integration of drone operations into public life through partnerships with state, local, and tribal governments. Given the extensive land owned by the tribe, the CNO is ideally situated to test the effectiveness of these operations in rural communities.
A large part of the tribe’s participation has involved testing beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) capabilities, where drones are flown beyond the visual sight of the pilot or operator. Last year, as part of the BEYOND program, the CNO received an FAA waiver to expand its BVLOS operations to a 43-mile long stretch for providing deliveries to CNO medical clinics.
Other accomplishments include flights for early wildfire detection and crowd control at large celebration festivals.
James Grimsley, CNO executive director of advanced technology initiatives, said he hopes the new center represents not only the next step in the tribe’s aviation ambitions but also a means of improving the quality of life for all Choctaw Nation members.
“The Emerging Aviation Technology Center stands at the forefront of advancing critical innovations, such as drone medical deliveries, which have the potential to dramatically improve healthcare access and enhance emergency response across the rural communities of the Choctaw Nation,” Grimsley said
