US names drone testing sites
United States aviation regulators on Monday released the
names of sites picked to test civilian drones whose slated 2015 debut over
American skies has sparked privacy concerns.
Testing of the unmanned aircraft is due to start within
three months and could continue until February 2017, the Federal Aviation
Administration, FAA, said in a statement.
The FAA has said some 7,500 small unmanned aircraft can be
expected in US airspace in the next five years -- provided regulations are in
place to handle them.
As well as law enforcement, supporters say civilian drones
could be used for a vast range of applications, including tracking the progress
of wildfires, helping to find lost skiers, identifying criminals or mapping
inhospitable terrain.
Data from the testing "will help the FAA answer key
research questions such as solutions for 'sense and avoid,' command and
control, ground control station standards and human factors, airworthiness,
lost link procedures and the interface with the air traffic control
system," the FAA said.
Operators include the University of Alaska, whose winning
proposal covers seven climatic zones and foresees testing in the states of
Hawaii and Oregon.
The state of Nevada will, among other things, focus on how
air traffic control procedures will evolve with the introduction of drones.
New York's Griffiss International Airport, meanwhile, will
study the integration of drones into the heavily frequented northeast airspace.
Another chosen operator, the North Dakota Department of
Commerce, is the only one to offer testing in a temperate, continental climate
and a variety of different airspaces, according to the FAA.
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi plans to develop
system safety requirements.
The sixth operator, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University, known as Virginia Tech, will conduct "failure mode
testing," with sites in both Virginia and New Jersey.
The FAA said it had received 25 proposals from 24 states and
made its selection following a 10-month selection process.
It noted in its announcement that, as laid out in November,
test site operators must comply with federal, state and other privacy laws and
have a "written plan for data use and retention."
Michael Toscano, president and chief executive of the
Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, representing drone
makers, welcomed the FAA's announcement, calling it "an important
milestone on the path toward unlocking the potential of unmanned aircraft."
According to Toscano, the market for civilian drones will
lead to the creation of 100,000 jobs over the first decade following their
integration into US skies. That would generate more than $82 billion, he said.
The American Civil Liberties Union urged Congress to ensure
the protection of privacy.
"We're pleased the FAA acknowledges the importance of
safeguarding privacy in the testing areas where drones will be flying, but
requiring test sites to have privacy policies is no guarantee that every site
will put strong protections in place," Catherine Crump, the group's staff
attorney, said in a statement.
"Someday drones will be commonplace in US skies and,
before that happens, it's imperative that Congress enact strong, nationwide
privacy rules."
About 80 law enforcement agencies currently operate unmanned
aircraft under special authorisation.
Earlier this month, Amazon head Jeff Bezos floated a
futuristic mini-drone delivery plan that would drop small packages at doorsteps
in just 30 minutes.
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