BWA, Valqari share plans for drone technology in the NMI

Bella Wings Aviation and Chicago-based Valqari Drone Delivery shared some of their plans to bring drone technology services to the CNMI during a presentation at the Tuesday meeting of the Saipan Rotary Club yesterday at the Hyatt Regency Saipan.

Bella Wings Aviation CEO and president Charlie Hermosa, Valqari Drone Delivery founder and chief executive officer Ryan Walsh told club members that they are on island to kick off the first phase of their project.

Hermosa said their team is most remembered for their drone show during the Pacific Mini Games last year, but their company’s mission is to be able to provide access and connect the islands using drone technology, with deliveries of merchandise, especially medicine, into areas that are normally inaccessible.

Hermosa was on island just two weeks ago and gave a presentation at the CNMI House of Representatives. In March, Rep. Manny Gregory T. Castro (Ind-Saipan), who chairs the House Committee on Education, along with Diego M. Sablan, special assistant for the Substance Abuse, Addiction and Rehabilitation, toured the BWA facilities in Guam.

“What we’re doing here is we’re are going to officially sign the [memorandum of understanding] to be able to develop what we call ‘Phase 1 of the manufacturing part of what we think is the infrastructure that is needed here within the regions that are going to develop this joint technology,” Hermosa said.

Bella Wings Aviation president and CEO Charlie Hermosa and Valqari Drone Delivery founder Ryan Walsh pose with members of Saipan’s Rotary Club after BWA and Valqari’s presentation during the Rotary’s luncheon yesterday at the Hyatt Regency in Garapan. (CHRYSTAL MARINO)

He said they are partnering with Valqari and using their technology. “So we [Valqari and BWA] ventured into a partnership agreement that we are going to manufacture their [Valqari] technology here on Saipan. We are here to sign that agreement today. It’s a huge and historic for us. I strongly believe and I’m all in for this—that what we need is a spark to be able to create a tech hub on this side of the world, and there’s no reason why we can’t do it.” Hermosa said.

“…We tried this months’ back when we had the hardware and infrastructure…but we did not have enough folks to be able to give us what we need,” he said. To address this lack, Hermosa disclosed that they would be working with the Northern Marianas Technical Institute to have a course to educate and train interested young residents on the manufacturing side of drones.

Starting with elementary and high school students, he hopes “to get them engaged in the technology they’re developing and then get them into a profession…through a trade’s program or college program. …Young people will learn how to operate drones, flight characteristics, coding, and engineering through the college program.”

Hermosa shared that they already have a curriculum, and they did it with the University of Guam and now they want to do it here. This Thursday, he said, they are launching the 12-week Junior Drone Program in Guam. They could only accept 14 out of 200 applicants, all of whom are aged 7 to 12. “So at least we’re starting and sparking up an interest to let them know that we are creating…something that would allow them to stay on island. That is our goal.”

Walsh said they are excited to work with Hermosa and the CNMI. “He’s done incredible things for this industry and it’s not often getting the spotlight it deserves, so we’re really excited to take the partnership we’ve had for a number of years and extend it. To provide Bella Wings’ with our exclusive licensing for our technology…”

Some of the training in Phase 1 will start people off with cutting and designing, to soldering, and putting the drone units together. Hermosa said that education “is going to be the prime component of what we are going to do. …We are trying to create an ecosystem that starts out with education.”

When asked about funding, Hermosa replied, “…When we came here, we never asked for any type of funding. We wanted to actually do it from the ground up.” Later, he said the delivery service will have a monthly subscription fee. “But we also think that there’s a lot of programs out there that can actually fund this for areas that are not accessible.”

Hermosa also disclosed that they are looking to also have the drones deliver packages to a person’s doorstep.