Utah

Utah Launches Groundbreaking Air Transportation System

Kim Stevens

Utah’s aerospace and defense association, 47G, in partnership with the Utah Governor’s Office, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), the Utah Inland Port Authority and industry stakeholders have launched a game-changing initiative called “Project Alta.” The Air Logistics Transportation Alliance (ALTA) is a collaborative partnership with a mission to establish an advanced air mobility (AAM) system for Utah. AAM is a new form of transportation that uses electric aircraft to safely and seamlessly move people and packages.

Project Alta seeks to transform how Utahns travel, and packages are delivered by 2034.

Project Alta seeks to create a well-functioning transportation system in the air that connects seamlessly with Utah’s transportation system on the ground. The alliance aims to expand existing drone package delivery to more Utah communities, utilize drones for cargo transport, and establish regional air taxi service that move people by 2034. With Utah slated to host the world for the Winter Olympic Games in 2034, efficiently moving people and goods will be critically important.

“Utah has unique assets—growth, tourism, business, beautiful national parks—47G’s work to establish statewide air mobility solutions will allow visitors from around the world to access everything Utah has to offer,” said Utah Governor Spencer Cox. “Aerospace, defense and cyber companies make up 20% of Utah’s economy. 47G Project Alta has a mandate from the state to lead our advanced air mobility strategy, positioning Utah to become a global leader in this fast-growing industry.”

Utah stands out as the one of the only states in the country undertaking a comprehensive, statewide approach supported at the highest levels of state and local government, industry and academia. Utah legislators have enacted forward-thinking policies to create a regulatory framework in which advanced air mobility technologies can flourish. They have passed laws enabling the creation of air mobility systems and directed UDOT to create an “AAM sandbox” that will accelerate these technologies in a safe testing environment. To date, state legislators have appropriated over $3 million for AAM initiatives.

“Project Alta represents a collaborative, public-private partnership of industry and government stakeholders seeking to establish the first nationally recognized multi-modal transportation system with air mobility as a core tenet,” said Aaron Starks, 47G president and CEO. “By leveraging our entrepreneurial spirit and cutting-edge technologies, we will attract investment, accelerate the development of critical infrastructure, and enable the deployment of aircraft that make our transportation system truly multimodal.”

Dozens of Utah-based companies play an active and integral role in the global AAM market:

  • Zipline – Partnered with Intermountain Health to deliver medicine to homes via drone
  • Hexcel – Supplies carbon fiber for air taxis made by Archer Aviation
  • Electric Power Systems – Provides cutting-edge batteries to various electric aircraft manufacturers
  • Albany Engineered Composites – Develops structural components for air taxis made by Beta Technologies
  • Intergalactic – Manufactures thermal management systems for Embraer’s Eve aircraft

“During my decade in Congress, I had the privilege of serving as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence where I played a key role enacting legislation that protected our national security,” said former Congressman Chris Stewart, chair of 47G. “47G Project Alta’s ground-breaking work will not only improve Utahns’ mobility but also protect our national security by creating a national model for air mobility collaboration that can be replicated around the country.”

Nation-leading work requires the right companies and the right people. To that end, 47G recently announced the strategic hiring of a former senior ranking Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) official to oversee Project Alta. Chris Metts has held numerous positions during his 31 years at the FAA, including time overseeing AAM activities nationally. Metts has authored AAM research studies for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and brings a wealth of experience to Utah.

“I have known Chris Metts for decades and have found him to be an innovative and collaborative leader who understands the issues, seeks consensus and can hit the ground running,” said former FAA Administrator Michael Huerta and Project Alta Chair. “Chris is an exceptional leader who will prioritize safety and security above all else. We are lucky to have him leading this generational initiative.”

Intermountain Life Flight Launches K9 Medical Air Transport Program for Public Safety Animals Needing Medical Care

Kim Stevens

In a unique collaboration with local veterinarians, specialized animal hospitals, and public safety agencies, Intermountain Life Flight, one of the nation’s premier medical transport programs, is launching a specialized operational K9 transport service.

This new service will provide transport for operational K9’s needing emergent medical care or who are injured in the line of duty in Utah.

Representatives from Intermountain Life Flight, participating veterinarians, and law enforcement and public agency dog handlers and officers unveiled the new Intermountain Life Flight Operations K9 Transport Program on Tuesday at a press conference where they talked about how this new air transport program aims to save these animals who are injured while serving the public.

Dog handlers and their animals from more than a dozen public safety agencies joined the announcement. It’s estimated that there are more than 100 operational public safety K9s working in Utah.

“Operational K9’s are essential to our public service community,” said Tammy Bleak, director of clinical operations for Intermountain Life Flight. “These animals are involved in EMS, search and rescue, law enforcement, fire rescue, FEMA, narcotics detection, and TSA. Training for one of these K9’s can range from $40,000 to $70,000 and take four to five years to train. When one of these operational K9’s is injured, it is a potential loss to the community and that agency. Until now, there has been no formal process to help these animals when they need medical care.”

The Intermountain Life Flight Operations K9 Transport Program is the first air medical program of its kind in Utah – and only the third air medical program in the nation that is designated to care for and transport public agency service animals for medical care.

Intermountain Life Flight will be transporting any operational K9 needing emergent medical or surgical services.

The new program is designed to serve the entire state. If a working K9 is injured (for example, gunshot wound, impalement, or automobile accident), the agency or handler can contact Intermountain Life Flight directly.

Intermountain Life Flight will transport the K9 and handler (human partner) to one of several pre-designated veterinary hospitals. These hospitals are advanced specialty/emergency veterinary hospitals which are open 24 hours a day, have board-certified surgical and/or critical care specialist veterinarians on staff, and have advanced life-support equipment such as ventilators and banked blood for transfusions.

“This is analogous to human medicine where a severe trauma victim might be diverted to a Level I Trauma hospital rather than transported to a closer or smaller medical facility,” according to Laura McLain, DVM, veterinary medical director for the Intermountain Life Flight Operations K9 Transport Program. 

The designated vet hospitals are: MedVet Salt Lake City; 2) MedVet in Sunset; and Mountain West Veterinary Specialists in Layton.

“These working dogs are awesome,” said Dr. McLain. “They save lives and serve our community. They can find a survivor buried under six feet of rubble concrete and rebar in a matter of minutes. As a veterinarian, it is an honor to care for these dogs.”

Law enforcement officers with the West Jordan Police Department agree.

The department lost their police K9, Maya, when she was shot and killed in 2022 by a fugitive who was being pursued by police.

“This is a terrific program and vital resource for our officers and their K9s,” said Sgt. Kendall Holt, with the West Jordan City Police Department. “The loss of Maya was an immeasurable pain that we felt from that day, and we are still trying to recover from it.”

Box Elder County Sheriff’s Deputy Timothy Kennedy says having a medical K9 program to provide care for his 20-month-old narcotics dog, named Elvis, is comforting, in the event he’s ever injured.

“He lives with me, he goes to work with me every day, he eats lunch with me — he pretty much goes everywhere with me,” said Kennedy. “Knowing that there is quality medical care available to him like there would be for you and I is a very big thing for us.”

Utah State’s Aviation Faculty Honored with Statewide Awards

Kim Stevens

Each year, the Utah Department of Transportation’s Aeronautics Division honors five individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the state’s aviation industry. This year, two of those award winners are faculty members in Utah State University’s Department of Aviation Technology.

Shalyn Drake

Shalyn Drake earned the Rookie of the Year Award. Before joining USU’s faculty as a lecturer in 2022, she spent the majority of her career as a high school English teacher and an avid drone enthusiast. Drake started a drone class at Farmington High School to share her passion for flying drones with the students there. Her dedication to education extended beyond her own classroom as teachers from various parts of the state visited her drone class to learn and gain the confidence to teach drones in their schools.

Reflecting on her journey, Drake said: “I’ve always loved teaching because I love seeing what my students can do. But when those students are adults and other teachers? It honestly makes it that much sweeter.”

She helps lead the only Federal Aviation Administration-certified drone program in the state and recently led workshops that got 40 donated drone kits into the hands of teachers in Southern Utah.

“Shalyn is the main reason our concurrent enrollment classes in aviation are so successful,” said Shawn Barstow, head of the Aggie Drone Academy. “She is one of the most selfless people I know. She’s been teaching aviation for such a short time but has influenced hundreds of students, teachers and friends.”

Baron Wesemann

Andreas “Baron” Wesemann, USU Aviation Technology associate department head, was honored with the Colonel Gail Halvorsen Lifetime Achievement Award. The designation is given to an individual with 20 or more years of aviation experience and presented by the foundation that bears Halvorsen’s name.

Wesemann is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and served in the U.S. Air Force and the Civil Air Patrol for over 41 years. He began teaching at Utah State 12 years ago. Wesemann is renowned for greeting people with a wide smile, firm handshake, and the question, “Have you ever been interested in aviation?” His passion for aviation is infectious, and he uses every opportunity to ignite that same spark in others.

In 2018, Wesemann had the opportunity to interview Col. Gail Halvorsen — widely known as the Berlin Candy Bomber — onstage during an event at Utah State University, where they shared a warm and caring demeanor, Air Force careers, and a passion for aviation.

Halvorsen was most famous for his role in the Berlin Airlift after Soviet forces blockaded railway, road, and water access to areas of Berlin following World War II. At the start of the Cold War, shelter, warmth and food were scarce in Berlin. Halvorsen’s small act of kindness, when he shared a few sticks of chewing gum with hungry children near the airfield, grew into “Operation Little Vittles” that over many months delivered 21 tons of candy via tiny parachutes into the city.

Halvorsen passed away in 2022 at age 101, and Wesemann is proud to be the inaugural recipient of the award named in honor of the Utah-born aviation icon.

“I have been blessed by numerous mentors, friends, and organizations that have helped me achieve my dream of becoming an aviation professional,” Wesemann said. “Now it is my turn to serve and pay it forward to the next generation.”

Bruce Miller, the head of USU’s Aviation Technology Department, noted the balanced nature of the recognitions. “Shalyn earned this award at the beginning of her time at USU, and Andreas is in the prime of his,” Miller said. “We are fortunate to have these two faculty members in USU’s Aviation Technology program who are deserving of recognition at a statewide level for their exceptional contributions to aviation.”

Utah Aeronautics Division to Recognize Five Awardees at Conference

Kim Stevens

Award nominations have been submitted, and the awardees have been chosen! The Utah Aeronautics Division has named five individuals who have demonstrated outstanding progress in making contributions to the aviation industry in the State of Utah. They will be honored at the Utah Aeronautics Conference Evening Reception on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at the Davis Conference Center in Layton, Utah.

Shalyn Drake, USU, “Rookie of the Year” | Shalyn Drake has been a high school English teacher for over a decade and started a drone club at Farmington High School. Despite Shalyn’s little time in the industry, she has already left an impact on hundreds of youths. Shalyn created Rookie Fly Days to bring hands-on flight experiences around the state of Utah. She joined the Civil Air Patrol, quickly becoming a sUAS Pilot and Instructor, where she has already taught dozens of cadets and senior members how to fly. In addition, Shalyn has visited with over 40 educators, giving class presentations, teaching at an Educator’s Workshop, and provided demonstrations to help them set up college courses for multiple universities.

Jeff Hansen, UBAA, “Aviation Professional of the Year” | Jeff Hansen demonstrates a profound knowledge of private and corporate aviation, along with a visionary scope that continues to broaden Utah’s aviation industry. He is a perpetual leader that constantly gives back to Utah’s community. Whether it’s through the UBAA, mentorship, scholarships and/or aviation education, he’s constantly there to lend support or leadership to anyone who reaches out. He’s grown Aircraft Services Utah as the premier Part 91 aircraft management company in Utah.

Michael Duke, DBT Aero, “Innovator of the Year” | Michael Duke has developed with his company, DBT Aero, six-seat future autonomous aircraft with a target fuel economy of an SUV or luxury car traveling six times faster. The aircraft are designed to be the most efficient, high-speed aircraft ever developed whether powered electrically, with hydrogen or using traditional fuels.

Senator Wayne Harper, Utah Senate, “Partner of the Year” | Senator Wayne Harper has been at the forefront of most aeronautics-related legislation in Utah for at least the last 20 years. He has been an advocate for aviation and has shepherded many bills through the legislative process.

Andreas (Baron) Wesemann, Utah State University (USU), “Gail Halvorsen Lifetime Achievement” | Baron Wesemann has served over 41 years in 10 different wings of the Civil Air Patrol. He is the embodiment of aviation education in the state of Utah with many historical successes. From Civil Air Patrol flying events to Boy Scout Aviation Merit Badge, he constantly looks for opportunities to bring aviation to the community—especially youth! He brings aircraft, hands on STEM events and activities to airport open houses, community events and school visits. He received a $238,500 Federal Aviation Administration Workforce Development Grant to bring aviation to the rural communities of Utah. He has created or advised eight aviation clubs at USU, where they support outreach events, including Girls in Aviation Days, Oshkosh Air Venture trips, and STEM events at elementary schools from Cache Valley to St. George. He has also received a Hill AFB STEM Grant, to support hands-on activities to encourage youth to aviation careers.

Visit the conference registration site to sign up.

Consolidation Announced Between Utah Aerospace & Defense Association and Deseret Unmanned Aerial Systems

Kim Stevens

Pictured above – The XTI TriFan 600 is a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft currently under development by XTI Aircraft Company, a company that has tested at Deseret UAS facilities.

The Utah Aerospace & Defense Association (UADA) and Deseret Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) have announced that they are consolidating efforts to better collaborate and advocate on behalf of Utah’s aerospace and defense industry.

UADA will lead the organizations’ respective efforts going forward, with Deseret UAS being restructured as UADA’s newly created Advanced Aviation and Technology Committee (AATC). Shawn Milne, Deseret UAS board chair, will chair the AATC under the leadership of UADA President and CEO Aaron Starks.

“UADA and Deseret UAS’ shared vision to foster the world’s premier ecosystem for Utah’s aerospace and defense companies seamlessly and synergistically aligns, creating a unique opportunity for this collaborative partnership,” said UADA President and CEO Aaron Starks. “Together, we will advocate for policies, regulations, and research that directly support our members.”

“We whole-heartedly embrace a consolidation with UADA to keep Utah’s aerospace and defense industry at the forefront of the world’s technological innovations,” said Deseret UAS Chair Shawn Milne. “The United States did not have roads or a national interstate system when Henry Ford built the Model T. We will work proactively with UADA to support the uncrewed aerial vehicles and transportation systems that will be used for the roads of the future.” 

Established in 2022, UADA is taking off literally and figuratively. The fast-growing organization boasts dozens of members both in the public and private sector, including Northrop Grumman, Fortem Technologies, Hexcel, the Utah System of Higher Education, the Utah Governor’s Office, and many more. The organization’s goal is simple: to ensure all companies in Utah’s aerospace and defense industry have the tools they need to succeed.

“Advanced air mobility is the way of the future and has the potential to fundamentally reshape our lives. UADA represents aerospace and defense companies making transformational innovations that are improving Utahns’ quality of life and leading to strong economic prosperity for decades to come,” said UADA Chair Robert C. O’Brien, co-founder and chairman of American Global Strategies. “Through this organizational consolidation and UADA’s efforts going forward, Utah will continue to be at the epicenter of making these innovations a reality.”

DroneUp Partners with Utah Division of Aeronautics for Air Mobility & Urban Planning

Kim Stevens

DroneUp, LLC, has announced it has joined the Utah Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics Utah Advanced Air Mobility Working Group. The objectives of this group are to study and strategize on policies around Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).

AAM has the potential to unlock the key benefits for Utah, including economic growth; connecting underserved communities; providing safe, quiet, affordable transportation of goods; offering life-saving technology; and reducing carbon emissions. Members of the AAM include the Utah legislature; the Utah business community; local city planners and sub-groups, MPOs (metropolitan planning organizations), Utah economic development organizations, academia, OEMs (original equipment manufacturers); and service providers.

As drone flight volume increases, safely managing flights is beyond human scale and requires an automated system to plan, request clearance, and factor in potential hazards and airspace restrictions. DroneUp’s Airspace Solutions advance safety for operations while also providing advantages for other drone operators to publish their flight plans, promoting uniform safety.

“DroneUp’s extensive experience in enterprise services, delivery services, and Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM) airspace solutions will bring insights to AAM with regards to drone service provider operations, as well as meeting the challenges of air traffic management. This is hugely important to us as we seek to make Utah a pioneer and capture the operational, societal, and economic benefits of unmanned aircraft systems,” said Jared Esselman, A.A.E. Aeronautics Director.

“The State of Utah, facing significant population growth, is forward-looking and innovative in using drones to help address getting fewer cars on the road. We’re pleased to partner with and bring drone experience to such a progressive state,” said Greg James, Head of Business Development and Sales at DroneUp.

Zipline and Intermountain Healthcare Begin Drone Deliveries in the Salt Lake Valley

Kim Stevens

Zipline announced last week it is beginning deliveries of prescriptions and medical products directly to select Intermountain Healthcare patients’ yards in the Salt Lake Valley area, and that interested customers can sign up to use the service and place orders.

‍Zipline’s Utah delivery system will expand gradually over five years and will eventually be capable of delivering directly to more than 1 million people. With this new partnership, the companies are making healthcare more accessible, convenient, and better for the environment. 

‍Zipline will begin to operate its service in the Salt Lake and Utah counties. Anyone interested in using Zipline in Utah should visit flyzipline.com/utah to sign up. Zipline will evaluate whether the companies can deliver to someone’s home based on several factors, including their yard size, location, and surrounding airspace, and will get in touch with eligible customers who are interested in using the Zipline system. To start, the companies will service local communities within a few miles of the Zipline distribution center. Over time, they will gradually add new distribution centers, households, and community drop-off locations.

Intermountain Healthcare is the first health system west of the Mississippi River to use Zipline to bring prescriptions and over-the-counter medications to patients’ homes via Zipline’s on-demand logistics system, which includes fully electric, autonomous aircrafts. This enables Intermountain to provide people-first care to its patients, in-person or virtually, and ensures patients can receive support in a convenient and accessible way, which is particularly impactful if they are less mobile, sick, or have work obligations that make it harder to visit a hospital or pharmacy to get medications.

“This partnership allows us to reach patients faster than we ever thought possible, at a time that’s convenient for them,” said Gordon Slade, associate vice president of supply chain logistics at Intermountain Healthcare. “Combined with our telehealth services like Connect Care, it’s possible to virtually see a doctor and get medication you need delivered from Zipline, without having to travel to a clinic or the hospital.”

Zipline’s on-demand logistics and delivery system features a fleet of small, fixed-wing, fully autonomous aircraft that operates quietly and releases packages with parachutes to a patient’s yard, in an area about the size of a couple parking spaces. Zipline’s aircrafts can fly up to a 50-mile radius in most weather conditions, including rain, wind, and extreme temperatures, and are known for minimal sound. Each flight produces about 30 times less CO2 emissions per mile than an average electric vehicle and up to 98% less CO2 emissions than a combustion engine vehicle, according to company estimates. These environmental benefits are particularly important along Utah’s Wasatch Front, where air quality has been a major issue.

“Think back to the last time you had a doctor’s visit and then had to trek to the pharmacy for your prescription, making what can already be a time-consuming experience that much more draining, or the last time your child was ill and you had to pack the family in the car just to get cold medicine,” said Bijal Mehta, head of global fulfillment operations at Zipline. “Zipline and Intermountain Healthcare are working together to eliminate the burdens that make it harder to get the care you need when you need it. We believe instant delivery is a key element to the future of healthcare and we are excited to bring our service to the Salt Lake City area to make people’s lives better, easier, and healthier.” 

‍Test flights in Utah began several weeks ago. This partnership will expand gradually over five years and eventually be capable of delivering to approximately 90% of patient homes in the Salt Lake Valley area. Over time, the companies will expand beyond the Salt Lake Valley area to serve other communities in Utah so that patients can access the care they need, regardless of where they live.

RAF Issues Call to Action to Preserve Utah Backcountry Airstrips

Kim Stevens

The Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) has released a call-to-action, noting that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), has begun the Public Scoping process to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Resource Management Plan (RMP) for Utah’s Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument (GSENM). The BLM scoping process is to gather topics that the public thinks should be considered in the EIS and RMP.

The RAF is seeking help to encourage the BLM to include aviation and retention of the nine Utah backcountry airstrips in the EIS/RMP study area. The deadline to submit public comments is SEPTEMBER 27, 2022.

You may comment at a BLM virtual public scoping meeting via Zoom at 1:00 pm MDT on August 30. You must pre-register HERE.

OR

Please submit your public comments using this link: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020343/510

RAF suggested talking points: Please submit your own individualized comments in your own words based on the below:

  • Aviation should be included in the RMP as an allowable use.
  • Most Utah backcountry airstrips have been in existence since the 1950s, predating the 1964 Wilderness Act. Access and use of these airstrips should be retained.
  • Aviation has a very small environmental footprint, the lightest footprint form of access to these lands. Airstrips do not have driving wheels and once landed, do not go “off trail.” Noise from aircraft is transient and of short duration.
  • Airstrips are situated on natural flat land features, such as level, open meadows with little occurrence of soil disturbance or erosion.
  • Airstrips provide vital access to aid Search and Rescue, emergency response, and firefighting.
  • Airstrips offer possible life-saving options when small aircraft encounter mechanical problems or deteriorating weather conditions while flying over the relatively hostile terrain in southern Utah.
  • Airstrips are an excellent resource to the administrative needs for supervising the lands.
  • Airstrips transcend the need for roads and offer widely dispersed recreation activities.
  • Peer-reviewed research substantiates that small aircraft noise has no detrimental impact on wildlife.
  • Backcountry airstrips offer recreational access to the disabled and those with limited mobility and without the need for strenuous physical activity to enjoy our public lands.
  • Airstrips are trailheads: aviators are non-motorized recreationists, participating in hiking, camping and other low-impact activities.
  • Backcountry aviation offers a positive economic impact, with aviation fuel sales, food and lodging, sale of provisions and supplies, and other tourist-related support for the surrounding communities.
  • The Recreational Aviation Foundation and the Utah Backcountry Pilots have successfully renewed MOUs in place with the BLM to provide cooperative maintenance of backcountry airstrips.

Your public comments count.

Thank you for helping preserve these unique and priceless backcountry aviation assets.

Here are the nine airstrips affected:

  • Boulder – 37.88548 N / 111.46342 W
  • Bowington – 37.77606 N / 111.39434 W
  • Cedar Wash – 37.66053 N / 111.54239 W
  • Collet Top – 37.45633 N / 111.467 W
  • Colt Mesa – 37.74 N / 111.08834 W
  • Escalante Canyon – 37.5323 N / 111.7063 W
  • Grand Bench – 37.27334 N / 111.195 W
  • Pilot Knoll – 37.24317 N / 111.491 W
  • Squaw Bench – 37.36817 N / 111.66333 W

First-Ever Utah Aviation Conference Draws 500, Builds Community

Kim Stevens

Photo above – from left are, Dave Haymond, (Aviator of the Year), Brenda Maughan, (accepting the Disciple of Flight award for her father, LaVar Wells), Jared Esselman, Steve Durtschi (Airport of the Year – Skypark Airport), and Aaron Organ (Aviation Educator of the Year award).

The Utah Aeronautics Division held its first conference on May 9-11 in Provo, Utah. The event was a huge success, with more than 500 professionals in the aviation industry in Utah and across the country attending.

Forty vendors filled the Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo.

Forty vendors from all over the country set up shop in the Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo. Hundreds of aviation professionals, state and local officials, mechanics, engineers, planners and industry leaders came together during the three-day event to improve safety, network, share best practices and foster collaboration.

“Being that this was our first conference, we were all praying and hoping people would come,” said Jared Esselman, Director of Aeronautics for the Utah Department of Transportation. “We opened on Monday with just over 400 pre-registrants; but our on-site registrants took us to over 500.”

Breakout sessions were offered with subject-matter experts.

Participants were able to obtain cutting-edge training that offered continuing education credits, attend breakout sessions with subject-matter experts, engage in networking opportunities and interact with new industry technologies.

One of the conference highlights was the impressive student turn out for the Career Fair. More than a hundred high school and college students had the opportunity to meet with companies, universities and flight schools to find employment opportunities and get information about careers in the aviation field.

Jared Esselman, left with Michael Huerta.

Another highlight, hearing from nationally renowned keynote speakers, including Michael Huerta, former FAA administrator, Bill Wyatt, Salt Lake City Department of Airports executive director and David Neeleman, Breeze Airways CEO. In conjunction with the conference, Provo City Mayor Michelle Kafussi also made the exciting announcement that Breeze Airways is set to launch flights from the newly constructed airport terminal in Provo.

A special awards ceremony was held to honor those who have made significant contributions to the world of aviation. Aviator of the Year, Aviation Educator of the Year and The Disciple of Flight Award in honor were all presented to well-deserving recipients. During the ceremony there was also a beautiful tribute to the life and legacy of the late Utahn Gail S. Halvorsen, the “Candy Bomber.”

Perhaps the most fulfilling part of the conference, Utah Aeronautics Division staff heard repeatedly that the event offered meaningful connections with the broader aviation community in Utah. “That was the goal,” stated Esselman, “to build a community.”

Intermountain Healthcare Launches Drone Delivery Service in Utah

Kim Stevens

Intermountain Healthcare (IHC) is launching a drone-delivery service with Zipline to fly medical supplies and home care equipment to hundreds of patient’s homes each day in Utah. The goal is to deliver supplies to approximately 90 percent of patient homes in the Salt Lake Valley over the next few years.

Photos curtesy of Zipline

The service is planned to reach patients within a 50-mile radius of a new distribution center in Salt Lake County, with construction set to begin early next year. IHC anticipates using Zipline’s drones to parachute deliveries to patients’ homes with accuracy and precision.

Previous to this project, Zipline has successfully initiated drone delivery services in Ghana, Rwanda, and North Carolina among other places around the world.

“A number of factors are involved, including construction and [Federal Aviation Administration] approval, but we anticipate that we will be launching first deliveries in spring [of] 2022,” said Caroline Cammarano, a spokesperson from Zipline. The service will launch initially with deliveries of specialty drugs and equipment, with the expectation that a wider range of medications and products will be available for drone delivery over time.”

The Utah Division of Aeronautics has been working on advancing urban air mobility in the state, including through drone package delivery. While previous plans to bring this innovation to the state were halted due to issues related to the pandemic, the division worked with Zipline to introduce the concept to IHC and provided input on how the service could operate within the region’s existing infrastructure.

The next step in planning for a future aerial transportation system is to determine what adjustments will need to be made to welcome a second service provider.

Jared Esselman

“We are currently conducting a study to measure the effect this is going to have on the state,” said Jared Esselman, director of the Utah Division of Aeronautics. “With drones entering the scene, we will be able to reduce some truck traffic on our roads. Over time, this will improve air quality and mobility, and significantly enhance Utahns’ quality of life.”