Pyka’s Autonomous Electric Pelican To Spray Californian Farms

A commercial-scale demonstration of zero-emission crop spraying using electric aircraft is beginning under a multi-year project funded by the California government and involving Pyka’s Pelican 2 autonomous agricultural aircraft.

The California Zero-Emission Aviation Demonstration Project is backed with funds from the state’s Cap-and-Invest regulation, which raises revenue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by auctioning emissions allowances. Over the course of the project, Pyka’s aircraft are expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by more than 1,000 tons.

Administered by the Foundation for California Community Colleges, the project “will deploy one of the first large-scale commercial demonstrations of all-electric autonomous aircraft in Californian agriculture,” Pyka said.

The five Pelican 2s will be operated under an FAA Section 44807 exemption  for large uncrewed aircaft at Victoria Island Farms, which grows a wide range for crops including corn, alfalfa and blueberries on an inland island of more than 7,000 acres in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

Power for the project will come primarily from off-grid solar charging systems, augmented by zero-emission ground support vehicles. Together, the aircraft and power systems are expected to significantly reduce fossil fuel use in flight operations and on-site support.

Yamaha’s uncrewed helicopters have been used for crop spraying in California since the mid-2010s. The company’s R-MAX can carry 32 liters (9.5 gal) and cover 6-12 acres per hour. Smaller drones are also in use. The Pelican 2 carries 300 liters and can cover 180-260 acres per hour. The aircraft can fly for 35 min., enough for two flights, and recharge in 2 hr., although batteries are swappable.

“By operating autonomous electric aircraft at commercial scale in a real agricultural environment, we’re proving that aviation can reduce emissions today—not decades from now—while improving safety, efficiency and community outcomes,” Pyka Chief Operating Officer Chuma Ogunwole says in a statement.

In addition to reducing CO₂ emissions when compared to conventional cropdusters, Pyka said the Pelican 2 is expected to reduce nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and noise, while improved application precision can reduce chemical use and spray drift.

Based in Alameda, California, Pyka has previously delivered aircraft to operators in Latin America. In January, the company announced a follow-on order for Pelican 2s from SLC Agricola, one of Brazil’s largest agricultural producers.

Intended to inform policy development and regulatory pathways as well as encourage industry adoption, the Californian project is designed to be a replicable model that can be scaled across the state’s agricultural sector.

With an emphasis on developing the Californian workforce in zero-emission aviation, the project includes engineering services provider Ogive Technology, technology training organization NPower California and the Bay Area Community College Consortium.