K-State UAS Program Office, Kansas Adjutant General Hosting Conference

Natalie Blair

SALINA, Kan. — The progress of small unmanned aircraft systems integration into the national airspace, their use in emergency and disaster response, and their commercial use are all topics to be addressed during the Commercial and Civil Small UAS Conference hosted by Kansas State University and the Kansas Adjutant General’s Department, Tuesday, June 12 in Wichita, Kan.

Discussion will include civil and commercial uses, civil data fusion, payload capabilities, processing exploitation and dissemination, sensor development, Federal Aviation Administration regulation, and the role small unmanned aircraft could play in agriculture.

Speakers include Kurt Barnhart, director of K-State’s Applied Aviation Research Center; Rex Hayes, managing business development director at AAI Corporation; Kevin Price, professor of agronomy at K-State; Eric Shappee, association professor of unmanned aircraft systems at K-State; Wayne Tolosa, president and CEO of Future Concepts; and Lt. Col. Michael Venerdi, Commander, 161st Intelligence Squadron. Representative of Cloud Cap Technology and the FAA will also be presenting.

Early registration is due May 11 at a rate of $125. After May 11, registration fees are $175. All registration fees are due June 5.

For more information or to register, visit www.salina.k-state.edu/smalluas. Further questions can be directed to Josh Brungardt, K-State’s UAS Program Office director, at 785-826-2170 or [email protected].

About K-State’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office
K-State’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office is home to the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Technology Evaluation Center that evaluates existing UAS technology and platforms for their suitability in disaster response scenarios and trains operators/maintainers.

News release prepared by: Natalie Blair

The UAS Program Office is operated by K-State’s Applied Aviation Research Center. The center’s charter is to advance aerospace technology through the application of research capabilities in propulsion, airframe, avionics and aviation training. The program office collaborates with military organizations and the private sector to focus on developing unmanned flight in the nation’s airspace and training pilots and operators of unmanned aircraft systems.

K-State also establishes criteria for unmanned aircraft system flight operations, including activity at the Smoky Hill Weapons Range and eventually at the Herington unmanned aircraft system flight facility. The university’s program office establishes policies and procedures to enable both military and civilian organizations to fly and test at the area facilities.