WingtraRAY: New survey drone ends waiver delays and rework

Swiss drone maker Wingtra has launched its most advanced surveying drone yet, the WingtraRAY, designed to eliminate the delays, limitations, and complexity that surveyors routinely face. From faster data collection to legal flights over people in the US, without waivers, WingtraRAY promises to speed up and simplify every step of the survey workflow.

For surveyors working in urban or high-traffic areas, getting permission to fly over people has always been a major headache. WingtraRAY solves that with a parachute system that meets Category 3 OOP (Operations Over People) requirements, making it legal to fly over 98% of US territory without needing FAA waivers.

In Europe, WingtraRAY is also pre-cleared for C6 certification and qualifies for EASA’s STS-02 operations, opening up smoother, waiver-free approvals for flights in populated or sensitive areas.

This isn’t just a waiver-free drone; it’s a time-saving machine. According to Wingtra, surveyors can set up a site after their morning coffee, fly 250 acres in just 10 minutes, and have accurate results delivered before lunch. Data automatically syncs to WingtraCLOUD for processing in your preferred coordinate system, so you don’t waste hours converting files or switching platforms.

It’s also packed with safety features: obstacle avoidance, a backup battery, and full system guidance so even newer drone operators can fly confidently.

WingtraRAY supports six high-quality sensors, including two new hot-swappable payloads that make the system flexible enough for just about any survey job. Whether you need LIDAR digital terrain models in vegetated areas, high-resolution crack detection on airport runways, or precise surface models for urban planning, WingtraRAY can do it, all from one platform.

In fact, with the new INSPECT payload, the drone can capture 100 acres at 1/10-inch (2.5 mm) resolution from 200 feet above ground — enough to survey an entire small airport in a single flight. Compare that to multirotors, which need multiple flights and lower altitudes to get the same level of detail.

And because WingtraRAY is Blue UAS and AUVSI Green cleared, it’s pre-approved for fast-track use in sensitive US government infrastructure and airport projects as well.

Wingtra says the new drone pays for itself within months. Here’s how: it surveys more acres in less time, eliminates the need for multiple revisits, and helps teams avoid costly mistakes thanks to a fully guided, accurate workflow. Plus, the intuitive software and sensor integration means surveyors of any experience level can get high-quality results quickly — no expert troubleshooting required.

As Wingtra CEO Maximilian Boosfeld explains, “Our survey customers care about results that solve their problems and a fast return on their investment. They also need a solution that’s easy and safe for all of their pilots. With WingtraRAY, we offer these things in one cost-effective system that provides efficient analytics and GIS service deliverables.”

WingtraRAY is now available in select countries, with a global rollout set for October 2025.

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