Aviation tech firm buys NWF airport

Skyborne Technology Inc., a developer, designer and manufacturer of manned and unmanned aviation systems, has expanded its footprint in Northwest Florida (NWF) by purchasing Costin Airport in Port St. Joe, Fla., for an undisclosed sum. Last fall, Skyborne, HQ’d in Australia, established its first American-based facility in Gulf County. Costin Airport will be used by Skyborne for flight operations, manufacturing, and training pilots in unmanned systems. Skyborne has also found a partner in Unmanned Systems Inc. of Henderson, Nev., a manufacturer of unmanned systems and drones, which will be moving a portion of its manufacturing and training to NWF. The two will also help further development of regional educational needs by teaming with Gulf District Schools to establish a high school program for certification in operation of unmanned systems; and Gulf Coast State College to focus on training in advanced aviation systems. One of its major applications is used for agricultural assessment, and the technology used in assessing power grids and a host of monitoring applications. Skyborne’s facility at Dalkeith Industrial Park in Wewahitchka, which the company opened in September, already has a handful of employees building drones. Skyborne is also working on creating unmanned aerial systems that identify and kill bad drones. (Source: Apalachicola Times 03/14/19) Gulf County is located in the western sector of north Florida. Port St. Joe is the county seat, and the county is included in the Panama City metropolitan statistical area.