Pyka’s large Pelican AG drone wins FAA approval for crop spraying

California maker of large-scale special purpose Pelican drones, Pyka, has received Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to operate its highly automated agricultural UAV for crop spraying missions – an achievement that may facilitate the company’s planned deployment of its cargo delivery craft as well. 

Oakland-based Pyka said it had received FAA authorization for its Pelican Spray UAVs for crop dusting services across the US. The company says the authorization clears the way for deployment of “the largest-ever highly-automated electric drone in the United States,” which it promises will speed the process and improve the precision of crop dusting work at the nation’s farms. 

The Pyka Pelican Spray weighs in at 1,125 lb., and has already racked up considerable flight time over agricultural holdings in Costa Rica, Honduras, and Brazil. The company says the heavy toting drone can carry up to 540 lb. (70 gallons) of spray…