Parallel Flight Technologies

Updates

VOTE for our SXSW PanelPicker® Idea!

about 2 months ago

Community voting is now open for the 2022 South by Southwest® PanelPicker®, and we need your vote! This is an opportunity for PFT CEO Joshua Resnick and a panel of wildfire experts to present our game-changing drone technology at one of the world's most prominent tech and culture conferences.

If you'd like to see PFT on stage at SXSW 2022, then cast your vote for our idea: A Techno-Traditional Approach to the Wildfire Crisis.

VOTE NOW

Voting takes less than two minutes, and every vote counts! Simply create a SXSW account, log in, and click "Vote Up" on our proposal page.

Our proposal, "A Techno-Traditional Approach to the Wildfire Crisis," explores the ancient practice of prescribed fire and how advanced drone technology can be used to modernize this practice to help prevent catastrophic wildfires.

Help us share these insights on the SXSW stage by voting today! PanelPicker® voting is open through August 26th.

PFT Awarded a Phase 2 Grant from the USDA

about 2 months ago

We're excited to announce that Parallel Flight Technologies has been awarded a Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the USDA. The $650,000 grant was awarded to PFT and Drone Amplified, the developer of the IGNIS prescribed fire system, to support further development of a large-scale UAS for prescribed fire.

This Phase 2 grant follows our recent completion of a Phase 1 grant that demonstrated successful integration of PFT’s heavy-lift aircraft and Drone Amplified’s IGNIS system. The goal for the Phase 2 grant work is to deliver this large-scale unmanned prescribed fire solution based on our parallel hybrid technology for use by the US Forest Service and other agencies. Our research indicates that this UAS will have eight times the payload carrying capacity of the existing solution as well as ten times the flight duration, resulting in more acres managed by prescribed fire at a lower cost and with increased safety for personnel. It will also provide more effective prescribed fire during active wildfires.

We're excited to continue our research and development under this USDA grant and ultimately deliver an advanced solution for wildfire prevention and land management.

See you at XPONENTIAL!

2 months ago

Parallel Flight Technologies will be exhibiting at AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2021, taking place August 16-19 in Atlanta. Visit us at Booth #2201 to meet our team and see our Firefly aircraft in person!

LEARN MORE

We hope to see you there!

$6.5M Raised! Thank you from Parallel Flight

3 months ago

Dear Investors,

That's a wrap! Our Regulation A+ offering officially closed on Wednesday, with more than $6.5M raised. On behalf of myself and the entire team here at Parallel Flight, I want to thank each and every one of you for your support throughout this campaign.

To our 4,776 new investors - Welcome to the Parallel Flight family! Here are some things you need to know:

Verifying your investment status: It may take a few weeks for PFT to receive the full list of new Reg A investors, so we encourage you to verify your investment status by logging into StartEngine's investment dashboard. If you have any questions about your investment, please visit StartEngine's FAQ page or contact their support team at contact@startengine.com.
Staying up-to-date with PFT: If you aren’t already signed up for our email list, please subscribe to receive the latest updates from The Hive. You can also follow our social channels via the links below or login to the Investor Portal on our website to view quarterly investor updates and FAQs.
Getting your PFT gear: For those of you who invested $1K or more, your gear is coming soon! Please be patient with our small team as we work to pack and ship t-shirts and hats to thousands of you.
Contacting our team: If you have questions for me or one of my team members, please email us at invest@parallelflight.com and we will reply as soon as possible.

Thank you again for supporting us throughout our most ambitious crowdfunding campaign to date. You have helped bring us one step closer to delivering unmanned systems to save lives, property, and the environment.

Cheers,

Joshua Resnick, CEO

Hours Left: PFT's Reg A Closes Tonight!

3 months ago

Parallel Flight Technologies' Regulation A+ Offering will close tonight at midnight!

Don't miss your opportunity to be an early-stage investor in our game-changing drone technology!

This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.

Final Hours of Reg A: PFT Advisors Visit African Countries with a Goal of Securing Contracts

3 months ago

PFT Advisors Visit African Countries with a Goal of Securing Contracts

Parallel Flight Technologies advisors recently toured four African countries with a goal of securing contracts for industrial logistics and other delivery applications. Our team is now engaged in advanced negotiations with these potential customers who are interested in utilizing our heavy-lift drone for logistics, medical deliveries and agriculture.

In addition to these exciting contract negotiations, Parallel Flight Technologies has achieved substantial company milestones throughout the course of our Regulation A+ offering.

Since opening our Reg A round in September, we have:

Completed construction of our first commercial-intent drone, Firefly, and began advanced flight testing with the aircraft
Received 30 signed letters of intent from potential customers
Completed grant work for the NSF and USDA
Hired 10 full time employees and added 3 industry experts to our advisory board
Met with government leaders in the US and abroad to discuss the potential for our heavy-lift drone technology
Became an official partner of the Alaska Center for UAS Integration (ACUASI), a Lead Participant in the Federal Aviation Administration’s BEYOND program, allowing us to demonstrate missions for the BEYOND program
Formed commercial partnerships with industry leaders
Signed to trade on StartEngine Secondary
And raised millions from investors like you!

Now, we're hours away from wrapping up our most ambitious crowdfunding campaign to date! We look forward to achieving even more in the coming months with the support of our 4,000+ new investors.

If you haven't invested in our Regulation A+ offering, now is the time. Make your investment now before our round closes in a few hours!

This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.

While the company has signed a quotation agreement to trade the securities offered on StartEngine Secondary’s new alternative trading system (the “ATS”), a company which intends to be quoted on the marketplace will be subject to certain requirements which the company may or may not be able to satisfy in a timely manner. Even if a company is qualified to quote its securities on the market, there is no guarantee an active trading market for the securities will ever develop, or if developed, be maintained. You should assume that you may not be able to liquidate your investment for some time or be able to pledge these shares as collateral.

1 Day Left: THANK YOU for following our Reg A!

3 months ago

Hey everyone,

The final hours of our Reg A offering are finally here! I wanted to send you all a quick video message to say thank you for following along throughout this journey.

The past eight months have been truly incredible for Parallel Flight. We introduced our first commercial-intent drone, Firefly, and completed hours of flight testing with the aircraft. We grew our customer pipeline and now have 30 signed letters of intent from potential customers. We're now preparing to bring this new parallel hybrid aircraft to the market, and we believe our technology has the potential to revolutionize the drone industry on a global scale.

Thank you, again, for supporting Parallel Flight throughout this campaign. If you've been waiting for the right time to invest - the time is now! Our Reg A offering closes tomorrow at midnight, so don't miss your opportunity to invest in the future of drone technology.

Cheers,

Joshua Resnick, CEO

This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.

2 Days Left: 30 Signed LOIs

3 months ago

Parallel Flight Receives its 30th Signed LOI

Our customer pipeline continues to grow!

PFT has received 30 signed letters of intent from potential customers who are interested in purchasing more than 200 aircraft over the next three years, making our customer pipeline worth over $75 million.

We believe there are endless possibilities for our groundbreaking technology, and we hope you’ll join us in our mission to deliver unmanned systems to save lives, property and the environment.

Our Regulation A+ Offering closes in just two days, so don’t miss your chance to invest!

This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.

3 Days Left: Your Updates from The Hive

3 months ago

Here's what you need to know:

	Parallel Flight Technologies' Regulation A+ campaign will close on June 30th, which means there are only three days left to make an investment in this offering! Don't miss your opportunity to own a stake in our game-changing drone technology - make your investment today.
____________________________________________________
We've received 29 letters of intent to date from potential customers who are interested in purchasing more than 200 aircraft from Parallel Flight over the next three years. This makes our customer pipeline worth over $75 million, and it's continuing to grow!
____________________________________________________
	We will be hosting three Town Hall sessions on Tuesday, June 29th, allowing potential investors to ask questions before our Regulation A+ offering closes the following day. Each session will be limited to 35 participants and spaces are filling quickly, so register today if you are interested in attending!

This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.

4 Days Left: Building a Solution to Prevent Wildfires

3 months ago

Parallel Flight Technologies has recently completed the research and testing for our Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 Grant from the USDA.

This grant was given to support the development of a large-scale unmanned system for controlled aerial ignition, also known as prescribed burns. Our team worked closely with the unmanned systems team in the US Forest Service and with Drone Amplified, a leader in the controlled burn space, to develop a solution for unmanned prescribed burns, a critical tool for preventing wildfires.

Over the past few months, our team has successfully demonstrated a working integration of the Drone Amplified IGNIS system on our full-scale “mule” platform. Through various flight tests, we observed acceptable levels of scatter of the IGNIS system's incendiary spheres and did not encounter any vibration or mission environment related problems. Read more and watch a test flight here.

Our research thus far indicates that our large-scale prescribed fire drone with parallel hybrid technology will have 10X the payload carrying capacity of the existing solution, as well as 10X the flight duration. This solution will make it possible for the US Forest Service to manage more acres with prescribed fire, at a lower cost and with increased safety for personnel.

________________________________________________________________

Parallel Flight Technologies is building unmanned systems to save lives, property and the environment, and you can join us in our journey to a brighter future.

Become an investor today before our Regulation A+ offering closes on June 30th!

This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.

The Parallel Flight Team continues to grow - Meet our new hires!

4 months ago

Our company continues to grow at an accelerated pace, with more funding, more customer traction, and more talent joining our team! Meet the newest additions to the Parallel Flight Technologies team: Paul Kele and Shan Knudsen.

_______________________________________________

Paul Kele

Senior Mechanical Engineer

Paul brings nearly 20 years of mechanical and product engineering experience to his role at Parallel Flight. Mostly recently, he worked as a senior mechanical engineer at Vista Outdoor Inc., leading engineering on flagship products and overseeing manufacturing processes. He has an extensive background in thermoplastics, injection molding, fabrication and design for manufacturing. Paul is a graduate of San Jose State University and holds multiple patents for products he has designed.

"I'm incredibly excited to join the team at Parallel Flight and start working on the drive system and hybrid power modules for the aircraft. I look forward to working alongside the best and brightest engineers to bring this new technology to the market." -Paul Kele

_______________________________________________

Shannon (Shan) Knudsen

Director of Strategic Projects (a.k.a. Master of Opportunity)

Shannon (Shan) Knudsen has been leading and supporting grant/contract activities and business development for over 14 years. A returned Peace Corps volunteer with an MBA from George Washington University, Shan has enjoyed helping university researchers, nonprofits, and small emerging technology companies secure funding, strengthen organizational capabilities, and navigate the daunting government and private sector systems and processes.

"I enjoy the inherent challenges of solutioneering and the comradery of working with optimistic, creative minds to make great things happen, which is why I'm honored to join the great team at Parallel Flight Technologies." -Shan Knudsen

_______________________________________________

Be a part of our journey by investing in our Regulation A+ offering today.

Hurry - this offering closes June 30th!

This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.

Behind-the-scenes of our journey to the skies

4 months ago

Bringing a new technology to the market is a complex process, but Parallel Flight Technologies is making great strides toward introducing our groundbreaking propulsion technology to the world. With the help of our strategic partners, we are taking steps toward FAA approval and real-world demonstrations.

This week, representatives from ACUASI, the Alaska Center for UAS Integration, visited our headquarters to see the latest progress with our beta-level aircraft and officially open the range for our COA (Certificate of Authorization).

Opening up the PFT range will enable our team to do more extensive flight testing in our approved airspace. Our partnership with ACUASI has also given us the opportunity to participate in the FAA's BEYOND Program, which will provide Parallel Flight with a pathway to commercial approval in the US.

Our team recently visited the CAL FIRE Alma Helitack Base to meet the Fire Captains and learn more about their operation. We toured their base and discussed their needs for unmanned systems to provide tactical support for firefighters on the front lines.

This was also an opportunity for our engineers to see the types of payloads our aircraft could carry to firefighters in the field, such as tools, fuel, food and water. The knowledge gained from this visit will be used to integrate payload systems into our aircraft to ensure our unmanned systems can provide support to wildland firefighters in the future.

_______________________________________________

Parallel Flight Technologies is preparing to deliver our first aircraft to customers at the end of the year, and our key partnerships are bringing us closer to successful commercialization.

You can accelerate our company's growth and own a stake in PFT by investing in our Regulation A+ offering, but hurry, this offering closes on June 30th!

This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.

Building a Brighter Future: Our Partnership with The Nature Conservancy

5 months ago

Parallel Flight Technologies to Partner with The Nature Conservancy for Wildfire Management Solutions

Parallel Flight Technologies' customer pipeline continues to grow, with more companies and organizations exploring commercial partnerships. We recently received a letter of intent from The Nature Conservancy, a global environmental agency fighting the dual threats of accelerated climate change and unprecedented biodiversity loss.

The Nature Conservancy will support PFT and our partnership with Drone Amplified as we work together to develop a large-scale controlled aerial ignition system. Parallel Flight began working with Drone Amplified in 2020 and has flown successful flight tests with "The Big Mule" and their IGNIS system. You can read more about this and watch a flight test on our blog.

With the support of The Nature Conservancy, we will be able to identify locations for conducting real-world trials of the new large-scale aerial ignition system. This partnership will also allow us to receive critical feedback on the system as it is developed. Ultimately, this partnership could lead to Parallel Flight and Drone Amplified's system being used across the country as part of The Nature Conservancy's prescribed fire program.

____________________________________________________

Join us in our journey

Parallel Flight Technologies was founded with the mission of creating unmanned systems to save lives, property and the environment. By forming key partnerships with organizations like Drone Amplified and The Nature Conservancy, we are getting one step closer to fulfilling this goal.

You can join us in our journey toward a brighter future by investing in our Regulation A+ offering on StartEngine today.

This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.

Investor Update from Parallel Flight Technologies - Q1 2021

5 months ago

Investor Update | Q1 2021 Recap

______________________________________________________________________

Message from the CEO, Joshua Resnick

______________________________________________________________________

Buzz from the Hive

Preparing for Takeoff

After months of testing, our beta-level aircraft is preparing for takeoff! Stay tuned for videos of the drone's first "hops"!

______________________________________________________________________

A look at our Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Testing

Since completing construction of our beta-level aircraft, our team has spent weeks running Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Testing, a sophisticated method of validating and de-risking systems prior to flight testing. During HIL Tests, the aircraft is restrained and "flying" in a simulation, with the flight controller, ground station and powertrain all functioning as if the drone is in flight. This ensures our hybrid power systems and flight controllers are working successfully and also helps our team to identify and prevent any potential system issues.

Watch as our co-founders Dave and Bobby complete the beta aircraft's first HIL flight:

______________________________________________________________________

Commercialization Updates

Our customer pipeline has continued to grow in 2021, with potential new customers reaching out weekly to discuss applications for our technology.

We are on track to deliver aircraft to early customers at the end of the year, with production scaling up in 2022. We're also engaging with manned aircraft companies interested in utilizing our parallel hybrid technology, which could provide an additional revenue stream for Parallel Flight.

______________________________________________________________________

Going BEYOND with the FAA's BEYOND Program

Parallel Flight Technologies has been selected as an official partner of the Alaska Center for UAS Integration (ACUASI) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, a Lead Participant in the Federal Aviation Administration’s BEYOND program. This partnership will allow PFT to demonstrate missions for the BEYOND program, which is focused on advancing unmanned aircraft systems operations in the National Airspace System. We will be working with ACUASI on demonstration missions in Alaska later in the year, with focus areas of remote medical delivery, remote and industrial logistics, and ship-to-shore.

LEARN MORE

______________________________________________________________________

This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.

Parallel Flight Announces Plan to Join StartEngine Secondary

7 months ago

Investors in Parallel Flight Technologies may soon have the ability to trade their shares through StartEngine Secondary, one of the first markets in the US where non-accredited investors can publicly trade investments in startups that have raised capital via Regulation Crowdfunding and Regulation A+.

What does this mean for investors in PFT?

This planned upcoming quotation would allow Regulation A+ investors to sell or trade their shares in PFT. StartEngine Secondary provides an alternative to waiting for a liquidity event, such as an acquisition or IPO, giving investors the option to trade available shares in a company with other investors.

When will PFT's quotation be available?

The exact date for our quotation is not yet determined, as our current Regulation A+ offering is still active. Our upcoming quotation with StartEngine Secondary is planning to undergo the diligence process for quotation once our Regulation A+ campaign is concluded.

How can investors start trading their shares in PFT?

Once Parallel Flight Technologies is approved to launch on StartEngine Secondary, we will alert our investors that the quotation is available. At that time, our Regulation A+ investors can offer their shares for sale on StartEngine Secondary and begin browsing, buying and trading shares online.

What if I invested in previous rounds?

We are working with StartEngine to find a way for our Regulation CF and Regulation D investors from previous rounds to trade their shares as well. However, StartEngine Secondary will only be available to our Regulation A+ investors initially. More information will be shared in the coming months.

________________________________________________________________________

Important Information about StartEngine Secondary

A company which intends to apply to list its securities on the marketplace will be subject to certain requirements which it may or may not be able to satisfy in a timely manner. Even if a company is qualified to quote its securities on the market, there is no guarantee that a demand for these securities will exist. Even if a company does meet the requirements for listing its securities, we do not know the extent to which investor interest will lead to the development and maintenance of a liquid trading market. You should assume that you may not be able to liquidate your investment for some time or be able to pledge these shares as collateral.

There has been no public market for our Class B Shares. While we have signed a quotation agreement to trade our Class B Shares on StartEngine Secondary’s new alternative trading system (the “ATS”), an active trading market for our Class B Shares may never develop or, if developed, may not be maintained. If an active market for our Class B Shares does not develop or is not maintained, it may be difficult for you to sell Class B Shares you purchase in this offering without depressing the market price for the Class B Shares or at all. An inactive trading market also may impair our ability to raise capital to continue to fund operations by selling shares. The lack of an active market also may reduce the fair market value of your Class B Shares.

We may, at any time, remove our Class B Shares from quotation on the ATS, in which case, an active trading market may cease to exist.

The trading price of our shares of Class B Shares, if any, is likely to be volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control, including limited trading volume.

If you have not yet invested in Parallel Flight Technologies, you can now join our group of more than 1,500 foundational supporters by investing in our Regulation A+ Campaign on StartEngine.

Thank you for your continued support as we prepare to deliver unmanned systems to save lives, property, and the environment.

This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.

The Parallel Flight Team continues to grow - Meet our new hires!

8 months ago

Parallel Flight Technologies has kicked off the new year with incredible company growth. Our first commercial product is nearly complete, we have continued to gain customer traction, and we have welcomed two new hires to our growing team.

Meet Greg and Max, the newest members of the Parallel Flight team. Since joining the company a few weeks ago, they have jumped right into supporting aircraft production on our beta-level drone. They each bring unique talent and experience to their roles and are helping us to build unmanned systems to save lives, property, and the environment.

____________________________________________________________________________

Greg Bringedahl

Lead Technician

Greg comes to Parallel Flight from Textron Systems, where he was deployed as a civilian contractor in support of US Forces. He led the day-to-day flight operations of a small site operating unmanned aircraft systems. Before flying UAVs, Greg was an aircraft mechanic in the United States Air Force. He is an FAA certified Airframe and Powerplant mechanic with over 10 years in aviation and more than 2,500 hours of drone flight experience.

Fun Fact: After accepting his role with PFT, Greg had quite a move ahead of him! He relocated to the Santa Cruz area from Africa, where he was stationed as a contractor.

____________________________________________________________________________

Max Kauker

Mechanical Engineer

Max is a recent graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, holding a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in propulsion. He was a member of the university's rocketry club and enjoys building his own rocket motors in his spare time. Previously, Max worked as a summer intern at Parallel Flight, where he focused on cooling shroud iteration as well as assembly procedures for the beta aircraft modules.

Fun Fact: Max was recently featured on Discovery Channel's "Rocket Around the Xmas Tree" television show. He was approached for the show after posting a YouTube video of his family's unique holiday tradition: launching their Christmas tree with some of Max's homemade solid rocket motors.

____________________________________________________________________________

Get to know the entire PFT team!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE

Infravision Australia signs LOI with Parallel Flight

8 months ago

Continued Customer Traction: Our LOI from Infravision

This month, Parallel Flight received its 12th LOI from an early partner company: Infravision. Based in Australia, Infravision is a technology company that specializes in developing innovative hardware and software solutions for industrial applications in energy transmission and distribution. The company is building technology to support the energy systems of the future, as Australia and many other countries transition from traditional energy systems to variable, renewable energy resources.

Infravision uses drones to string high-voltage power lines and is pursuing a partnership with Parallel Flight Technologies to leverage our drones’ heavy payload capacity and flight endurance. To date, Infravision has completed 13 commercial projects utilizing an electric drone, but these all-electric systems have significant limitations.

Photo of one of Infravision’s recent commercial projects utilizing an electric drone.

By partnering with Parallel Flight, Infravision will be able to scale its operation and utilize our technology to conduct a range of activities in the energy sector. Ultimately, Infravision aims to accelerate the adoption of unmanned systems to revolutionize the way renewable energy resources are connected to the world’s electricity grids.

A rendering of Parallel Flight Technologies’ drone inside Infravision’s TX system, a mobile container equipped with powerline for stringing.

Parallel Flight Technologies is proud to partner with Infravision for their powerline stringing solution, which will reduce human risk, reduce environmental impact and increase productivity in powerline stringing.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Parallel Flight Technologies is on the cusp of commercialization, with plans to deliver drones to our first customers in 2021. You can help accelerate our growth and own a stake in PFT by investing in our Regulation A+ Campaign!

Thank you for your continued support as we prepare to deliver unmanned systems to save lives, property, and the environment.

This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.

Investor Update from Parallel Flight Technologies - 2020 Wrap Up

8 months ago

Investor Update | Q4 2020 Recap

________________________________________________________________________________________

Letter from the CEO, Joshua Resnick

Dear Investors,

Happy New Year! Each New Year brings new opportunities, and here at Parallel Flight, we're expecting 2021 to be our most exciting year yet. Our team has been working incredibly hard over the past few months to prepare our first production-intent drone for commercialization, and we are now only weeks away from its first flight. I cannot wait to share updates with you when our beta aircraft has lift off and we begin flight testing - we think this drone is going to be a game-changer. Beyond bringing a new technology to the market, Parallel Flight is well-positioned for rapid growth in the unmanned systems industry. Unlike competitors who primarily function as OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), PFT will provide full-stack solutions by serving as an OEM with DAAS (drones as a service), allowing us to create new markets in this high-growth space.

Along with the excitement around launching our first commercial product, I'm also really happy about the growth we're experiencing as a company. We recently hired two new team members to support our aircraft production and will continue to grow our team in the coming months. Our customer pipeline is strong, we're making great progress with our grant research, and our crowdfunding campaign has had continuous momentum since launching in the fall. We have certainly had a wonderful start to the year, and we can't wait for what's to come. Thank you for taking this journey with us!

Sincerely,

Joshua Resnick, CEO

________________________________________________________________________________________

Buzz from the Hive

Beta Coming Soon!

Our team is making great progress with constructing our beta-level aircraft: the airframe is complete, the new hybrid power modules are being assembled, and the completed aircraft will be unveiled in Q1. Once complete, the aircraft will undergo rigorous field testing before being delivered to our beta customers.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Over $1M Raised

Our Regulation A+ offering on StartEngine has raised over $1.5 million to date! If you haven't checked out our most ambitious crowdfunding campaign to date, visit our offering page today to learn how you can own a stake in Parallel Flight.

________________________________________________________________________________________

USDA Grant

We recently shared information about our SBIR grant from the USDA, which we received to support the development of a large-scale unmanned system for controlled ignition (read more here).

We have been working closely with the team at Drone Amplified, a leader in the controlled burn space, to develop a solution for this critical land-management application. This month, we'll begin flight tests with Drone Amplified's IGNIS system, which will be integrated with our platform and flight controller to drop incendiary chemical spheres. Stay tuned for updates and exciting video footage of the IGNIS system at work!

________________________________________________________________________________________

National Science Foundation Grant

Parallel Flight Technologies is funded in part by a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation to support the development of our technology. One of the key steps in developing and testing our drone propulsion technology is flight testing with our full-scale electric drone, "The Big Mule," which mimics the size and mass distribution of our beta aircraft.

In Q4, we flew many successful test flights with The Big Mule and were able to validate and tune our flight controller with the same programming to be applied to our commercial-intent drone. We also integrated our first payload drop mechanism into The Big Mule, which will be used for missions with our beta aircraft. The next steps for this test drone will be heavy payload dynamics testing, propeller thrust validation, and system integration testing.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Meet Our New Team Member

Max Kauker

Mechanical Engineer

________________________________________________________________________________________

Investor Webinar

For even more updates from the PFT Hive, register for our first Investor Webinar of the year! We’ll be hosting this live webinar on Tuesday, January 26th at 12:00pm PST.

This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.

Fighting Fire with Fire: PFT's USDA Grant

10 months ago

Parallel Flight Technologies' SBIR Grant from the USDA

Parallel Flight Technologies recently received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the USDA to begin developing a large-scale unmanned system for controlled ignition, also known as controlled burns. This solution is being developed for use by the US Forest Service, which is a branch of the USDA.

What is a controlled burn?

A controlled burn is an intentional fire that is ignited for land management purposes, such as to reduce flammable fuels on the forest floor. They are also used for fighting active wildfires by creating fire breaks. The US spends hundreds of millions each year on controlled burns because they are a key tool in preventing wildfires.

Why use drones for controlled burns?

Tragically, several pilots have died over the years in these controlled burn missions, as they require low and slow flight operation. Agencies are actively looking to replace helicopters with drones for this operation, but they need unmanned aircraft that can carry larger payloads and offer longer flight times.

Developing the Solution

Parallel Flight Technologies is working closely with the unmanned systems team in the Forest Service and with Drone Amplified, a leader in the controlled burn space, to develop solutions for unmanned prescribed burns, as this is a critical tool for preventing wildfires. In California, the 2020 fire season has been one of the most devastating on record, and it is still far from over. The unmanned controlled burn solution we are building can help change this situation for the better, supporting the fight against the global wildfire crisis.

Inside the Technology: Parallel Flight + Drone Amplified

Drone Amplified manufactures the IGNIS fire ignition management system for drones, which is shown with our beta aircraft in the above simulation. IGNIS is a complete system that integrates with drones and carries a payload of chemical spheres. These spheres are ignited on command, sparking prescribed fires in the exact area where the sphere is dropped. Parallel Flight's heavy-lift, long duration technology will allow our drones to carry an 8.75x larger payload of chemical spheres, allowing a significantly larger coverage area per flight. We’re proud to partner with the Drone Amplified team to integrate their technology with our heavy lift platform.

We believe Parallel Flight Technologies is on the cusp of commercialization, with plans to deliver drones to our first customers in 2021. You can help accelerate our growth and own a stake in PFT by investing in our Regulation A+ Campaign, now live on StartEngine.

Thank you for your continued support as we prepare to deliver unmanned systems to save lives, property, and the environment!

This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.

Get to Know Parallel Flight’s Early Partners

10 months ago

Get to Know Our Early Partners

Parallel Flight Technologies' list of initial customers has continued to grow, with multiple companies exploring commercial partnerships. We want to introduce you to three of these companies and share how they are planning to utilize our heavy-lift platform.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Infravision is a technology company that specializes in developing innovative hardware and software solutions for industrial applications in energy transmission and distribution. The Australian company is working to accelerate the adoption of unmanned systems to revolutionize the way renewable energy resources are connected to the world’s electricity grids.

Infravision intends to partner with Parallel Flight to use our heavy-lift drones for powerline stringing applications. By utilizing drones for their powerline stringing solution, Infravision aims to reduce human risk, reduce environmental impact and increase productivity.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

SkyTEM is a leading airborne geophysical survey company offering the acquisition and advanced processing of transient electromagnetic (TEM), magnetic and radiometric data. Airborne Instruments ApS, part of the SkyTEM group, has created unique sensors for airborne surveys that have been used to map all of the underground water resources in Denmark, and they deploy their systems worldwide.

Airborne Instruments ApS has signed an LOI with Parallel Flight Technologies and intends to use our heavy-lift drones to carry their sensors for mapping underground water resources. The ability to reveal the availability and movement of water is a huge asset for countries and communities wanting to manage resources and respond to natural disasters.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

BeadedStream is a designer, manufacturer and distributor of world-class temperature monitoring solutions for multi-use industrial applications. BeadedStream's product pipeline offers best-in-class temperature measurement and monitoring solutions, allowing customers to rapidly deploy digital temperature cables and loggers in the field and then collect, store and analyze the data in the BeadedSteam cloud.

The Alaska-based company is planning on using PFT's long duration, heavy lift aircraft to deliver sensors in remote areas for monitoring ground temperature. This will be useful for studying permafrost for environmental and industrial applications.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Parallel Flight Technologies is on the cusp of commercialization, with plans to deliver drones to our first customers in 2021. You can help accelerate our growth and own a stake in PFT by investing in our Regulation A+ Campaign!

Thank you for your continued support as we prepare to deliver unmanned systems to save lives, property, and the environment.

This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.

Investor Update | Q3 2020

11 months ago

Investor Update | Q3 2020

IN THE HIVE

LETTER FROM OUR CEO, JOSHUA RESNICK

Dear Investor,

Looking back on the last few months, Q3 was nothing short of surreal. In August, our community was impacted by some of the most destructive wildfires in our state’s history. While our business operated as normal during this time, many of our team members were evacuated from their homes. We have immense gratitude for the firefighters and first responders who have worked tirelessly to keep our region safe, and our thoughts are with them as they continue to fight the current wildfires in Northern California.

Amid these unprecedented times, our team remained committed to providing solutions that will change the future of firefighting and disaster relief. Through this hard work and dedication, Parallel Flight Technologies has achieved multiple milestones in Q3. We successfully kicked off our Regulation A+ crowdfunding campaign and have already received an overwhelming amount of support from investors. We designed our beta-level aircraft – PFT’s first production-intent aircraft that will be delivered to our first customers next year. We expanded our team, continued the development of our core technology, and have remained on track for commercialization in 2021.

You can read more about our recent progress below, and as always, I’m available to answer any questions you may have. I truly appreciate your unwavering support as we work toward delivering unmanned systems to save lives, property and the environment.

Sincerely,

Joshua Resnick, CEO

BUZZ FROM THE HIVE

We're excited to unveil the design of our beta-level aircraft, now under construction at PFT. Our product has evolved from a prototype to a production-intent aircraft featuring a compact hybrid power module design, large cargo volume, lightweight carbon fiber body, shock absorbing landing gear, and all weather flight capability.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

USDA Grant: Fighting Fire With Fire

This summer, Parallel Flight Technologies received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the USDA to begin developing a large-scale unmanned system for controlled ignition, to be used by the US Forest Service. The Forest Service is a branch of the USDA, and controlled burns are a key land management tool they use for removing combustible fuels and preventing wildfires. Controlled burns are also used for fighting active wildfires by creating fire breaks.

The US spends hundreds of millions each year on controlled burns. Several pilots have tragically died over the years in these missions, so the agencies are beginning to use drones, but they need aircraft with larger payloads and longer flight times. Parallel Flight Technologies is working closely with the unmanned systems team in the Forest Service and with Drone Amplified to develop solutions for these firefighting applications.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

MEET OUR NEW TEAM MEMBERS

Scott Allen

Mechanical Engineering

Scott has more than 30 years of industrial design experience, with an extensive background designing cars, car parts, motorcycles and other vehicles for Yamaha, Polaris, Jaguar, Mercedes and VW. He has also worked on space shuttle designs with NASA.

Sara Lunsford

Business Project Manager

Sara has an extensive background in business operations and bookkeeping, with over 15 years of experience in project management roles. She supports accounting, human resources and business development projects for PFT.

This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment.

Save the Date for our Upcoming Webinar

12 months ago

Save the Date for our Live Webinar

The Wildfire Crisis: Causes + Solutions

Monday, October 12th

12:00 PM PST

Join us for a round-table conversation about the current global wildfire crisis, its causes and potential solutions. You'll have the opportunity to ask our panel of experts questions and learn more about the future of wildfire fighting.

REGISTER HERE: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ir3oT-ayR_CPr9KuuNBQFA

Meet the Panel

	Joshua Resnick Joshua is the co-founder and CEO of Parallel Flight Technologies, an industrial grade drone company with a mission to deliver unmanned systems to save lives, property and the environment. Prior to founding PFT, he led system architecture and electrical engineering for the Tesla Semi Truck program. He previously led state-funded research for the State of Alaska developing hybrid electric commercial fishing boats.
	Ret. Chief Scott Watson Chief Watson devoted nearly 40 years to the fire service, starting with the US Forest Service and retiring from CAL FIRE as a Battalion Chief. As an aerial firefighter, he has over 20 years in tactical helicopter operations. During his career, he worked in the Aviation Program and ultimately provided leadership to the Interagency Military Helicopter Firefighting Program, where he was awarded the Order of California.
	Dr. Rodrigo Neito Dr. Nieto is a geostrategist and defense futurist focused on the consequences of the accelerating pace of change in homeland security and policing environments. He is a research professor at the National Security Affairs Department and at the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School and holds a Ph.D. in Geopolitics.
	Sevan Gerard Sevan is the VP of Curriculum Development for Counter-Terrorism Watch, Inc. and has been a firefighter and paramedic with the Los Angeles City Fire Department for nearly 15 years. In his role at the LACFD, he protects lives and property, promotes public safety and fosters economic growth through leadership, management and actions, as an all risk life safety response provider.

Show More Updates End of Updates

Comments ({{profileCtrl.startup.comments_count}} total)

{{comment.user.firstName}} {{comment.user.lastName}} {{comment.user.firstName}} {{comment.user.lastName[0]}}. se owner {{comment.user.numberOfInvestments}} {{ comment.user.numberOfInvestments > 1 ? 'investments' : 'investment' }} - Parallel Flight Technologies {{comment.created_at_in_words}}
Pinned by Company

You reported this comment as inappropriate.

{{reply.user.firstName}} {{reply.user.lastName[0]}}. - Parallel Flight Technologies {{reply.created_at_in_words}}
Pinned by Company

You reported this comment as inappropriate.

{{ reply.upVote }} {{ reply.upVote }}

{{ comment.upVote }} {{ comment.upVote }}

The California Senate recently passed Bill 109 and Bill 322 to address the growing wildfire threat through more advanced firefighting technology and wider use of prescribed fire. The bills promote using new technologies to control wildfires, including drones deploying incendiary payloads for prescribed fires. (Read more here)
	Congressman Panetta and his team visited Parallel Flight to learn more about our drone technology and the large-scale controlled aerial ignition solution we are developing in partnership with Drone Amplified. This full-stack, fully scalable solution is being developed through our USDA grant and could play a huge role in the future of wildfire prevention and management.


Drone Amplified is a leader in the controlled burn space and the manufacturer of the IGNIS fire ignition management system for drones. Parallel Flight is proud to partner with the Drone Amplified team to integrate their technology with our heavy lift platform, which will allow a significantly larger coverage area per flight for unmanned controlled ignition.		Infravision is a technology company working to accelerate the adoption of unmanned systems to revolutionize the way renewable energy resources are connected to the world’s electricity grids. Infravision intends to partner with Parallel Flight to use our heavy-lift drones for powerline stringing applications, making them one of our first potential customers.