Drone Takes Flight in Williston; Shows Potential of Industry for Williams County

WILLISTON, N.D. (KEYZ) - Drones are playing a part in the future of the energy industry, and officials in Williston and Williams County caught a look at what drones could do at the Williston Square. The Northern Plains UAS Test Site provided a demonstration of the Volansi VOLY C10 Drone (pictured), which has vertical takeoff capabilities, allowing it to take off from virtually anywhere without additional infrastructure.

CEO of Volansi Hannan Parvizian tells News Radio the drone can provide a number of services to different areas, including the oil and gas industry. The C10 will be able to deliver parts, which can reduce downtime.

"This is going to be extremely helpful and meaningful," he says.

The Northern Plains UAS Test Site (NPUASTS) was in charge of the flight. Executive director Nicholas Flom was excited to bring the technology to Williston and provide a glimpse into the future of drone technology.

“We continue to move forward
toward achieving this first-of-its-kind, world-class, BVLOS (flights beyond visual line of sight) network, right here in North Dakota,” says Flom.

City of Williston officials are enthusiastic about the industry’s future in the area. “We’re very excited to welcome the Northern Plains UAS Test Site to western North Dakota,” emphasized David Tuan, administrator for the City of Williston. “The potential for economic and industry growth in Williston comes at an opportune time and we couldn’t be happier about showcasing Williston Square as a launching pad for advanced unmanned flights.”

While the oil and gas industry will be the primary focus here in the bakken, the C-10 has uses in other fields including supporting hospitals and the medical industry. Parvizian predicts the drone can deliver vaccines to medical centers in the future.