We may be seeing a serious step in the evolution of drone aircraft with the inauguration of the first-ever drone only air corridor in the United States. Oklahoma State University researchers are asking for FAA permission to allow unrestricted UAV flights between airspace over-and-around Fort Sill, Okla., and the old Clinton-Sherman Air Force Base about 60-miles away.
This is huge because drones are heavily restricted in crowded domestic airspace. By restricted I mean it’s damn hard to get clearance fly one outside military airspace in the continental U.S. due to FAA concerns about collisions with manned aircraft.
Specifically, OSU is pushing for unrestricted flights of the Tigershark UAV between the privately-run Oklahoma Training Center for Unmanned Systems next to Fort Sill and Clinton-Sherman, an old SAC base.
Here’s Oklahoma’s secretary of science and technology, Stephen McKeever (who also directs Oklahoma State University’s Multispectral Laboratory, the organization pushing for the air corridor) on how this program could help the FAA with its mandate to open up national airspace to UAVs by 2015:
“The corridor is part of an overall plan in which OSU and the UML are working in partnership with the FAA to use UAVs to assist the FAA in testing electronic instrument landing systems at all commercial airports in the U.S. and elsewhere,” he said. “The (certificates of authorization) will help, ultimately, to open the national airspace to unmanned vehicle flights.”
“All together, this is part of Oklahoma’s plan to develop the infrastructure within the state in a coordinated fashion to attract UAV manufacturers to use Oklahoma as the center of their test and evaluation plans,” he said. “Truly exponential growth will happen when U.S. airspace is opened to UAVs.”
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
If I had money to invest it would be in anything drone related….
If there is ever a drone/manned aircraft collision you know 2:1 the manned aircraft will probably be at fault.
You do realize there is a human driving the drone too right? -1 for headwork.
You do realize that Mastro didn't imply otherwise?
a week ago I watch two F-16s landing about 800 feet above me. both heading north. suddenly, the wingman moved from his position to the opposite side of leader. i thought it odd and watched with more interest. within four seconds of their passing overhead, a CIVILIAN light plane came into view, just a few hundred yards to my north, about the same altitude, but heading almost directly 180 degrees opposite, landing at a civilian field.
an aerial "head on" narrowly averted by the F-16s.
flying "drones" in common airspace is an excersise in idiocy.
when we can drive remote control or robotic vehicles safely on our highways…..then, we MIGHT have a SLIGHT chance of being able to fly drones as this article reports…
It'll be easier to control the airspace than the highways, if nothing by sheer virtue of traffic quantity.
Wow! New Mexico State University has had a UAV research center with 4 times the size of this one for over a decade. Its been used by contractors and DOD organizations all along. And its on the Border where UAVs are needed.