Regulatory milestone clears path for nationwide commercial deployment of Firefly heavy-lift, long-endurance hybrid UAS
LA SELVA BEACH, CA, UNITED STATES, February 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Parallel Flight Technologies today announced it has been granted an exemption under 49 U.S.C. §44807 by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), authorizing operation of its heavy-lift unmanned aircraft system in the United States.
The approval marks a significant regulatory milestone and enables Parallel Flight to conduct commercial operations domestically under FAA-defined parameters. With this authorization, the company can support industrial applications including heavy sensor integration, wildland fire management, and logistics missions requiring extended endurance and high onboard power. The exemption positions the company to advance contracted programs and convert qualified pipeline into active customer programs.
“This is an important step for our team and our customers,” said Craig Stevens, CEO of Parallel Flight. “The 44807 exemption validates the safety architecture, system design, and maturity of our platform. We are ready to support customers as demand for heavy-lift, long-endurance UAS continues to grow.” Firefly has undergone rigorous reliability testing over the past several years, and the company expects to begin shipping initial customer units this summer.
Parallel Flight’s NDAA-compliant Firefly is a Group 3 UAS produced in the United States and widely regarded as a heavy-lift workhorse. A two-person-portable quadcopter that fits in the back of a pickup truck, Firefly is optimized for industrial and expeditionary missions. Its patented Parallel Hybrid Electric Multirotor (PHEM) propulsion system enables payloads up to 100 lb. (45 kg) and endurance up to 10x greater than all-electric UAS, while also supplying 2 kW of continuous in-flight power to payload systems. The platform is protected by five patents and has been supported by DIU, USDA, NASA, NSF, and the Office of Naval Research.
The milestone reinforces the company’s position as a U.S.-manufactured, NDAA-compliant provider of hybrid heavy-lift unmanned systems built for sustained commercial use. Parallel Flight will continue expanding approved flight envelopes and scaling production to meet accelerating demand across industrial markets.
Sarah Abdi
Parallel Flight Technologies
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