“Game changing,” Parallel Flight Technologies Unveils Firefighting Drone

Parallel Flight Technologies, a Watsonville-based company, unveiled its latest drone technology, on Tuesday.

The new drone is touted as an industry game-changer, for its extreme heavy lifting and long flight times.

The aircraft weighs 100 pounds and can reach speeds of 70 to 100 miles per hour while carrying cargo that weighs its own mass. Current drones on the market can typically only fly for 15 minutes when carrying a full payload, CEO Joshua Resnik said.

The company spotlighted a hybrid-powered drone but used an electric prototype to carry a 400-foot long fire hose across a runway in a tech demonstration.

Retired CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Scott Watson was among those in attendance.

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