Tethered systems extend flight times for drones. However, there is always a challenge to manage durability and the weight of the tether. A company called Aria created a microfilament tethered system to allow flight lasting for days, rather than the standard minutes of most battery-powered UAVs. Their system is touted as capable of flying in adverse weather conditions and high winds can reach an operational altitude of 400 feet. Unlike a tethered drone, the company ran out of energy, and ceased business in march this year. Today, thermal imaging company Flir announced that it has acquired the intellectual property and some operating assets from the former company.