On Dec. 30, the Federal Aviation Administration announced the six sites selected to performed unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) research as it moves towards integrating drone operations into the air traffic control system of the United States. The six were selected from over two dozen applicants and will provide research into all facets of UAS operation as well as test ranges in a variety of climates. Unmanned aircraft systems research is expected to begin within six months and last until 2017.
The selected test sites are:
- University of Alaska
- State of Nevada
- New York’s Griffiss International Airport
- North Dakota Department of Commerce
- Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
The various programs will research UAS safety issues, including the safety and security of radio links to the aircraft. Other programs will look at integrating UAS operation into the existing air traffic control system, with particular attention being paid to the heavily traveled northeastern U.S. Best practices and operator qualifications for a UAS flight are also on the research agenda.
The FAA has set the following research goals: “System Safety & Data Gathering, Aircraft Certification, Command & Control Link Issues, Control Station Layout & Certification, Ground & Airborne Sense & Avoid, and Environmental Impacts” and is confident that the six applicants will be able to meet those goals. It is clear from current FAA statements and guidance that the agency has no intent to rush the introduction of UAS into America’s skies. Drone operations in war zones and covert surveillance ops are not going to set the operational standards for civilian UAS systems.
The test sites will not be working with drones that do not fall under FAA jurisdiction, small and flying under 400 feet. In a National Geographic piece, Dr Jerry LeMieux, President and Founder of Unmanned Vehicle University, states:
“It is also important to realize that 95% of commercial UAVs will be small which the FAA defines as below 55 pounds. … This is where the greatest number of businesses are starting up for commercial applications like agriculture, wind turbine inspection. solar panel inspection and hundreds of other applications. … By August 2014, the FAA is required by Congress to pass the small UAV rule that will allow these business to thrive and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.”
The future of civilian UAS operations in the United States will be determined in the next several years. Skilled operators, as well as personnel able to maintain UAS, will be more and more in demand. It remains to be seen how restrictive and limiting Federal regulation of the industry will be.
