WASHINGTON - As commercial drone technology continues to evolve, Kevin Gould, CEO of Hawk Aerial, is looking to adapt the new resource to the world of agriculture. The company entered the drone market just over a year ago and is working to help established businesses streamline critical processes while minimizing the cost of aerial services to implement drone technology in their own work flows. While still in the education and development phases, Hawk Aerial is looking to make waves in precision ag technology.

“For agriculture, the motivation for companies should be more of an economic play for better quality and more comprehensive information. Whether it's working toward better disease or pest prevention, applying enough fertilizer or water rationing for a better application strategy, we see drones as the next big player in precision ag,” Kevin tells me.

If you are worried about the expertise Kevin brings to the table, we can definitely say that he has aviation in his blood.

Kevin is, at present, an active, instrument-rated pilot who has spent most of his career as an executive in the aircraft industry: Piper Aircraft (CEO), BendixKing/Honeywell Avionics (President), Adam Aircraft (SVP) and Boeing (Director). He holds an MBA from Harvard, an MS from Stanford and a law degree from USC.

Hawk Aerial has developed a system with multi-spectral cameras that takes imagery which is then analyzed by proprietary post-flight software to analyze the data. In the case of mapping, Hawk Aerial uses NDVI maps that use the process of measuring chlorophyll content within the leaves. 

“It gives an indication of whether the plants are healthy or not with the help of the NDVI map’s top-down view. This type of mapping has not been optimal in the past because of the expense of equipment, like a helicopter, or because people who do the leg-work means more man-hours, limited availability and coverage,” Kevin adds.

In the case of those that do not want to make that initial investment in a Hawk Aerial drone, the company became FAA-certified on April 8, 2015. The FAA granted Hawk Aerial a section 333 exemption, allowing it to legally fly drones for commercial purposes... including flying drones for other companies or training staff to do so. 

Hawk Aerial is currently going after a number of segments, with one project contracted to teach and certify twelve employees within the Jamaica Public Service (JPS) Power Company in how to safely fly, maintain and utilize small Unmanned Aerial Systems for crucial power line inspection.  A representative from the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) also participated in that training. The program included a multiple day excursion that included classroom, group flight instruction, written test and one-on-one flight testing. The end result was the completion of Hawk Aerial’s UAS Training Course. Sophisticated drone systems will be delivered to them this month.

“JPS will now be able to equip its power line inspectors with Hawk Aerial provided drone systems to more quickly, efficiently and safely maintain its country's power grid,” Kevin says.

While Hawk Aerial may still be quite new in a very new game, the company is continuing to prospect for the right clients to fit their mold.  Everything is in place to expand in agriculture and as Hawk Aerial continues to gain traction with the company brand and resources, we will keep you posted and up-to-date.

Hawk Aerial