But Rules Still Prohibit Flight Within NAS

Business leaders near Dayton, Ohio, are working towards establishing the region as a national center for development of Unmanned Air Systems (UAS), but have been unable to get permission to fly UAV's in the area, a development they say would be "critical" to their success.

With the Air Force likely to acquire an increasing number of UAS's in the future that would be managed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton businesses are lobbying for the ability to test fly those aircraft near where much of the research and development could take place. The ultimate goal, say business leaders, is an influx of jobs to the area.

The Dayton Daily News reports that the Dayton Development Coalition, along with the Air Force Research Laboratory, have been in discussions with the FAA to allow simultaneous use of the NAS. But the FAA has long been cool to the idea.  They say the lack of "see and avoid' capability on UAV's makes them incompatible with manned aircraft flying in the same airspace.  “As of today, unmanned aircraft systems are not ready for seamless or routine use yet in civilian airspace,” FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said during a speech to an aviation industry group in Scottsdale, AZ in November.

THe UAS proponents say that "sense and avoid" capabilities recently developed would allow the aircraft to land autonomously should problems arise.  They say these systems have advanced to the point that the FAA's concerns could be addressed.

One developer working on UAV's that weigh under 100 pounds says that an area as small as 20-30 square miles would be sufficient for evaluating sensors and other equipment, and that other safety measures such as radar to be sure collisions do not occur.

FMI: www.af.mil