Okay, I admit it: the title is a bit of a misnomer. UAVs have been flown in a lot of places, including FAA-controlled airspace, for years. What is getting started in North Dakota is not really about testing the UAVs. Most of the vehicles that will start populating the skies in the test areas are proven airframes. The objective of the "tests" is mostly to prove out avoidance procedures and systems to be sure that the drones can be kept away from other traffic. This is incredibly difficult stuff. A lot of very smart people have been trying to crack this nut for at least 10 years, and every hammer that has come down on it so far has shattered. The fact that the FAA set up no less than six official testing sites should tell you that there are likely several years ahead of us before anyone is allowed to regularly mix unescorted, untethered UAVs with other traffic.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/apr/21/faa-nds-drone-test-site-ready-for-operations/
No comments:
Post a Comment
Feel free to join the discussion! Do you know something more about a recent flight test? Jot a line and let us know how it went! Think you know what will be coming next? Tell us what to expect! (Comments are moderated, so they may not appear immediately.)