First FAA-approved drone testing facility to open in N.D.

The first of six FAA drone-testing sites for the nation will open next week in North Dakota.

The drones, starting with the Draganflyer X4-ES, will fly at North Dakota State University’s Carrington Research Extension Center and Sullys Hill National Game Preserve, technology magazine IEEE Spectrum reported Monday.

The Draganflyer drones, which will have a camera known as a Tetracam attached to them, will be tested for their ability to take quality images for soil assessment and crop health mapping, the magazine reported.

Draganfly bills itself as “the world leader in Public Safety UAV’s that provide real-time airborne situational awareness to support a variety of high-value missions.”