Northwest Aerospace News August | September Issue No. 10 | Page 58

Pilot Project
However, if that same sensor could be
mounted on a crewed aircraft, flights
could be arranged almost immediately
— so instead of weeks and months,
progress could now be made in
hours and days. The key to making
the model successful was to create a
supplemental type certification with
the FAA that would allow for a range
of different payloads, rather than one
specific modification, to its fleet of
Piper Cubs.
“We have a friendly relationship with the FAA,” Prange said. “They are the new, friendly FAA, and they are here to help —
and that has truly been our experience with them. They get excited about being on our side of the table and making things
happen.”
Working with the agency, the newly formed Hood Tech Aero partnership was able to get permission to mount a “blob”
underneath their Cubs — so long as it is less than 55 inches long, 16 inches across and weighs less than 50 pounds. While the
blob is most often a sensor package, it has even been used to test propulsion systems, according to Prange.
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