State Pledges $7 Million for Michigan Drone Park in Battle Creek: MICH-AIR

Battle Creek Unlimited Secures $7M Appropriation for Michigan Drone Park

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

Battle Creek Unlimited (BCU) has closed a $7 million appropriation in Michigan’s 2024 state budget signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer on July 31st. This funding will be leveraged to support the development of MICH-AIR, an advanced air mobility park at the Battle Creek Executive Airport (BTL). The airport has roughly 200 acres of land available for development, making it the perfect site for drone operations.

BTL is home to aviation companies such as Duncan Aviation and WACO Aerospace, as well as the Michigan Air National Guard’s 110th Wing, which currently has a remote drone operation. Also based at BTL is Western Michigan University’s College of Aviation, which offers degree programs in aircraft operations, aircraft maintenance, and airport operations. The airport is also adjacent to the 3,000-acre Fort Custer Industrial Park, with almost 90 companies and more than 13,000 employees.

MICH-AIR will be the first facility of its kind in Michigan, serving as a hub for the advanced air mobility sector, which includes autonomous and remotely piloted aircraft as well as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft..

The facility will be marketed by BCU as a site for drone manufacture, operations, maintenance & repair, and drone training, in addition to urban air mobility. The $7 million in funding will be leveraged to upgrade BTL’s airspace surveillance system in preparation for increased traffic from autonomous and remotely piloted aircraft. BCU has already invested roughly $3 million in the MICH-AIR project, including site preparation, land acquisition for a new entrance, engineering plans, and environmental analysis.

“MICH-AIR will put Battle Creek and Michigan at forefront of the advanced air mobility sector,” said BCU President & CEO Joe Sobieralski. “This industry is rapidly expanding, and this project will have a transformative impact on our community. It will bring a new, high-tech industry to Battle Creek which will create hundreds of high-paying jobs. We are grateful to Gov. Whitmer and the Michigan State Legislature for their support. We especially appreciate Rep. Jim Haadsma’s efforts to get this project funded. This would not have been possible without Jim’s leadership.”

“At MICH-AIR, we will be targeting large aviation and defense manufacturers, which are developing next generation aircraft. These could be used for transportation, cargo delivery, border surveillance, spraying crops, or firefighting. There are all kinds of applications, for both civilian and military use. Our goal is for MICH-AIR to be a leader in the emerging sector.”

Fortune Business Insights projects the global commercial drone market to grow from $2.3 billion in 2021 to $11.2 billion by 2028. The state of Michigan is seeking to advance its aerospace industry, with a focus on the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) sector. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is currently partnering with the Canadian province of Ontario on a feasibility study to research potential commercial applications of drones.

Read more:

• The Top Ranked State for Drones May Surprise You: the Mercatus Center 2023 Scorecard
• North Dakota’s BVLOS Drone Network Snags $20-million boost
• NUAIR Issues UTM RFI: Long Term Development of the New York Drone Corridor
• New York Doubles Down on the Drone Industry: NUAIR’s 50 Mile BVLOS Flight Corridor, New Funding

Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.