AirShark lands VT's first FAA drone permit

Vermont's first federally approved commercial use of aerial drones has been granted to Burlington-based AirShark LLC, according to co-founder Jon Budreski.

Prototypes of the AirShark's unmanned quad-copters already have proven their capacity to cheaply and safely inspect hard-to reach locations such as power lines, bridges, wind turbines and solar arrays, Budreski said Thursday.

The company, founded last year, will likely begin commercial flights in mid- to late-June, he added.

Securing an exemption from Federal Aviation Administration rules took about a year to complete.

"Unlike Google and Amazon, we don't have staff attorneys," Budreski said. "I did it myself."

In a news release, AirShark's other co-founder, Ian Ray, said the company's craft would be capable of thermal imagery as well as high-definition photos and video, enabling customers to assess buildings' energy efficiency.

Contact Joel Banner Baird at 660-1843 or JoelBaird@FreePressMedia.com

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