The FAA has announced that the first of six test sites chosen to perform unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, research is operational several weeks ahead of schedule.
The agency is working to stay ahead of a fast-growing industry with an enthusiastic potential consumer base – aerial photography is burgeoning already — even going so far as to publish “myth-busting” fact sheets. For example, it says it has control over all airspace, even that below 400 feet, and argues that it does in fact have resources necessary for enforcement.
The FAA granted the North Dakota Department of Commerce a waiver to use UAS to check soil quality and the status of crops, saying precision agriculture is a likely early adopter industry for UAS. The test site also will be collecting safety-related operational data needed for wider integration of UAS into the airspace.
“We believe the test site programs will be extremely valuable to integrating unmanned aircraft and fostering America’s leadership in advancing this technology,” said FAA administrator Michael Huerta.
