by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Walker Robinson
Viking Drone Packaging has received a Crash Protection Container (CPC) certification from the United Kingdom. The company says this certification is the first of its kind, and the product has numerous applications for the aerial transport and delivery of fragile or important cargo. Their product highlights a key intersection between the packaging and UAV industries.
Viking Drone Packaging is a UK based company that specialized in the development and manufacturing of containers with impressive resistance to crashes. The company was founded with UAV transports specifically in mind, providing solutions to specific challenges and concerns within the industry regarding cargo security and crash protection.
The Viking Drone Packaging is designed specifically for cargo that is classified as ‘dangerous’ which means that the cargo requires additional care in packaging and transportation. Until now, there was no UAV compatible packaging option that was certified for transporting cargo of this classification. In fact, until 2022 there were no industry test procedures to determine whether packaging specifically for UAV transport could attain this certification. The UK Civil Aviation Authority led a project involving the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) and key industry stakeholders to develop this test procedure. This procedure includes dropping a package from a helicopter 400ft in the air, which was determined to be the typical drone operating altitude.
Having passed this test, Viking Drone Packaging is now approved for the transport of vital, high-value cargo. They have also been involved in the VCA’s development of handling and training procedures for UAVs carrying this classification of cargo, paving the way for similar companies to achieve this certification in the UK.
As the UAV industry continues to grow, policy and regulations will have to grow with it. Viking Drone Packaging CPC certification is the first of its kind, and their work with the UK’s VCA and other stakeholders within the UAV transport and packaging industry has established procedures and criteria for the certification of other products.
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Walker Robinson is a 2022 Graduate of the University of California Santa Barbara with a passion for renewable energy and emerging technologies. An early career professional experienced in both sales and development of residential and utility-scale renewable energy systems, he is delighted to be part of the drone industry.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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