Robert Fitzgerald, a 22-year Air Force veteran and president of BOSH Global Services is optimistic about the future.
The company doesn’t build unmanned aircraft, but it provides flight training, classroom instruction, technical support and other services. Headquartered in Newport News, its clients include the US military, the intelligence community and Special Forces.
Fitzgerald is excited about the new federal law that requires the Federal Aviation Administration to open up the national airspace for unmanned aircraft to handle commercial jobs – everything from pipeline inspections to aerial photography. Police will also be able to launch unmanned aircraft.
The initial foray will take place at lower altitudes. Within 90 days, the FAA must allow police and first responders to fly unmanned aircraft systems under 4.4 pounds, keep them under 400 feet and follow other rules. The law sets a Sept. 30, 2015, deadline for full integration of unmanned aircraft into the national airspace.
With the prospect of more business at hand, BOSH Global Services will remain focused on Defense Department work, while Fitzgerald stands up a new family of companies specifically aimed at the commercial side of the business.
One will target agriculture, where the demand for crop-dusting, field-inspecting UAS could save farmers a bundle. Fitzgerald also plans to get into the business of building unmanned aircraft systems.
“We have seen what is coming,” he said. “We’re hoping it’s a tsunami of opportunity in the commercial and civil sector.”
Source: Newport News Daily Press