.png "Volker Fabian Highlights Pyka Partnership with Heinen Brothers")
Bonnie Johnson
September 05, 2025
Media ArticlePyka, A robotics company that builds autonomous aircraft, announces its first U.S. Distribution partnership with heinen brothers agra services, one of the largest privately owned aerial application service providers in north America, and its subsidiary, kelly hills unmanned systems.
Under the agreement, both heinen brothers agra services and kelly hills unmanned systems will market and distribute pyka’s pelican 2. This is recognized as the world’s largest autonomous agricultural aircraft and the largest uncrewed aerial system authorized by the federal aviation administration (FAA) for commercial agricultural use.
“Partnering with heinen brothers and kelly hills is A major milestone for pyka,” said volker fabian, chief commercial officer of pyka. “They have decades of experience serving growers in north america, A strong reputation for safety, and A commitment to advancing innovative solutions in agricultural aviation. Together, we’re bringing pyka’s technology to U.S. Farmers to help them operate more efficiently, sustainably, and profitably.”
The Pelican 2 is designed with advanced features for modern agriculture. It has an 80-gallon payload, can cover up to 222 acres per hour, and operates fully autonomously. Its electric power system and reliability make it A key innovation in crop protection.
“Pelican 2 represents A big leap forward in agricultural aviation,” said lukas koch, chief executive officer of kelly hills unmanned systems. “We’re excited to partner with pyka to bring this aircraft to U.S. Growers. With its payload capacity, autonomy, and proven reliability in the field, pelican 2 is the type of innovation farmers need to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.”
The partnership was presented at the kelly hills unmanned systems field day in seneca, kansas, with agricultural experts, state officials, and industry leaders attending. The first Pelican 2 aircraft is scheduled to be delivered to customers in the coming months.
This partnership is expected to accelerate the adoption of autonomous electric aviation technologies, helping U.S. Agriculture increase productivity while reducing environmental impact.
Photo by:heinenbrosag.com
