$15M UAS/UAM Testing Facility Opens in Pendleton

The city of Pendleton, OR has completed construction of a $15M USD industrial park dedicated to UAS operators and manufacturers. The park is located on the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport and the city envisions the UAS range being used by stakeholders in the aerial mobility and last-mile delivery industries. 

Airbus’ Vahana eVTOL prototype completes a test flight at the Pendleton UAS Range earlier this year.

The city is nearing completion of two brand new 18,000 sq ft. hangars which will be ready in April 2021 for use on the range. The hangars are in addition to those purpose built for Airbus’ Vahana Project which has been operating at the airport for the past 2.5 years. 

Per the park’s website, “The Pendleton UAS Range (PUR) is able to facilitate a wide variety of testing needs through logistical coordination. PUR will work with you and your team to ensure that your Testing needs such as: Procedures Development, Engineering, Integration, Modeling and Simulation requirements are met though our organic capabilities and strategic relationships.”

For OEM’s in the aerial mobility space, the UAS range at Pendleton will offer the infrastructure needed to conduct a complete developmental and certification flight test campaign. The range also has the ability to supply chase aircraft for extended range operation as well as a Mobile Operations Center. 

Moreover, the airport is strategically located to maximize operational efficiency for OEM’s. In the high desert of Oregon, the area regularly experiences VFR conditions and has plenty of open airspace to conduct flight tests without interference from local traffic.

Why it matters: The opening of the Pendleton UAS Range signals a significant investment by the city for the aerial mobility industry. The city has built a world class facility with amenities to conduct a complete flight test campaign. OEM’s now have a plug and play solution when it comes to testing their prototypes in a safe and professional environment. Expect to see more neighbors join Airbus as the park takes on more tenants.

Source // Pendleton UAS Range website