The manager of the unmanned aircraft range in Pendleton will be the guest speaker at the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce’s Business to Business Luncheon on Oct. 25.
Darryl Abling recently retired from Northrop Grumman after 29 years. During his Northrop career, he worked as an avionics engineer on the B-2 Stealth Bomber for 15 years, then moved to unmanned projects. Abling led the MQ-8C Firescout flight test program at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. He also led the Systems Integration Laboratory for the X-47B project in San Diego. The X-47B is an unmanned, 40,000-pound flying wing, designed to be launched and recovered on U.S. Navy aircraft carriers
Abling will talk about what the Pendleton UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) Range is and how it came into being, what is done at the range, and how the range and its operations benefit the local economy. He will also show some video clips of recent UAS operations.
The luncheon gets under way at 11:45 a.m. at the Pheasant Blue Collar Bar and Grill, 149 E. Main Street. The cost is $10 for chamber members and $13 for non-members.
For more information about the luncheon and to RSVP, contact the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce at 541-567-6151 or info@hermistonchamber.com.
