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The Drone Farm recently announced the opening of its new practice range in Wakefield and provides a solution that addresses the highly restricted airspace problem for drone pilots in Hampton Roads. 

With more than 144 acres of land use in Class G unrestricted airspace, this range provides pilots with the opportunity to create unique practice scenarios, test new equipment and perfect their beyond visual line of sight operations, a Drone Farm news release stated.

This range is designed specifically for law enforcement, fire departments, the military, commercial entities, academia and government agencies. 

With access to unrestricted airspace not found in the Hampton Roads area, this facility specifically allows public safety agencies, military branches and government institutions to operate and train with small unmanned aerial systems (s-UAS).

“Our team has put a lot of thought into designing this space for everyone’s needs, and we are excited to see how it is used,” The Drone Farm officials stated. “Operators can expect a spacious range that allows for unique practice scenarios including an Indoor Training Element for tactical beyond visual line of site operations. Thanks to our northern open range and southern range’s mature forest, pilots can take advantage of different flying conditions year-round,” officials continued. “The team is committed to providing a safe and accessible training ground for a wide variety of both rotocopter and fixed-wing drone pilots.”

Future plans include the development of a 300-foot fixed-wing pad and a large vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) pad expected in the fall of this year. This will allow the range to accommodate more types of drones and further increase versatility.

With the recent growth of drone technology, it means that there is now an option for agencies and businesses in southeastern Virginia looking to use them. The Drone Farm has been created with this in mind and provides space where agencies, universities and companies can train on how best to make their services work with these machines.

Contact Chief Air Boss Brenda Neckvatal at 757-940-5520 to register and make a reservation. Visit www.thedronefarmusa.com for more information on this unique facility.