Skyward Launches Information Management Solution for Commercial Drone Operators

By Mike Ball / 18 Sep 2015
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Skyward, a provider of drone operations solutions, has announced the introduction of its information management solution, which the firm claims is the first designed for commercial drone operators. The cloud-based solution integrates a drone airspace map with flight planning tools and a digital system of record, supported by a team of regulatory and operational experts.

Skyward Demo Screenshot

“In the last year, I’ve seen the commercial drone market evolve rapidly, with over 1400 FAA grants to date. Skyward gives those operators comprehensive tools to access the sky and meet their business objectives. Skyward is committed to powering the next generation of aviation,” said Jonathan Evans, Skyward CEO.

“Hawk Aerial needs a system to schedule, track and document our flight operations. Skyward is that system: comprehensive, easy to use, intuitive. Skyward allows us to conform to the requirements of our 333 and COAs, and also provides critical operating data to track performance and profitably run our business. Skyward is key to our future growth,” said Kevin Gould, Hawk Aerial CEO.

Skyward is an integrated solution that makes it easy for operators to track the specific information and airspace data needed for business, insurance or regulatory requirements. Over 150 operators are already using Skyward in the US, Canada, Caribbean, Australia, and South Africa, for applications like agriculture, industrial inspection, construction, oil and gas surveying, as well as real estate and cinematography. Skyward is a partner in NASA’s UTM program, and a board member of the SUAV Coalition, working with Verizon, Amazon, Google and others to define the future of this industry.

“As the leading provider of UAS insurance in the US, we’ve recognized the overwhelming need for a complete flight management system,” said Terry Miller, President of Transport Risk Management. “Skyward developed the solution we’ve been searching for, and we will be incorporating it into our insurance underwriting process.”

Key features of the Skyward solution include:

  • A drone airspace map that simplifies complex aviation rules to show operators where to fly
  • Flight planning and logging, configured for specific requirements
  • Digital system of record manages personnel, drones, and equipment
  • Online storage for regulatory, insurance, and operational documents
  • Support from regulatory and operational experts for approvals, compliance and reporting

“Skyward is built to power commercial drone businesses. Existing maps and apps built for hobbyists don’t meet the requirements of a professional operation,” said Evans. “Skyward is the one solution a drone operator needs to navigate the new rules of the sky and run their business.”

Posted by Mike Ball Mike Ball is our resident technical editor here at Unmanned Systems Technology. Combining his passion for teaching, advanced engineering and all things unmanned, Mike keeps a watchful eye over everything related to the unmanned technical sector. With over 10 years’ experience in the unmanned field and a degree in engineering, Mike’s been heading up our technical team here for the last 8 years. Connect & Contact