Rain Aero Has Developed Remote Operation Kits for Drones and Black Hawk Helicopters Written 2 May 2023

Aviation Today reports that “Rain Aero, a California-based company using advanced aviation technologies to fight wildfires, has successfully equipped both a small rotorcraft drone and a full-sized Black Hawk helicopter with a kit that allows remote operation.” Rain Aero CEO Maxwell Brodie said that the company has “plans to outfit a fleet of drones, based strategically where fires most often erupt around California, where they can be automatically alerted and remotely deployed to dispense fire retardant ahead of advancing flames.” During a webinar hosted by the Helicopter Association International, Brodie said, “We are building this technology as an integration kit to bring to existing aircraft and existing platforms. … We want to be able for our fire agency customers to be able to bring their own aircraft to us and for us to be able to upgrade them as it relates to the broader community here. This technology is of course able to help in the interim between now and when it’s deployed in increasing safety.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)