You have commented 338 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Science & Technology
Feds Order FAA To Devise Scheme So That Drones Share Airspace With Aircraft
2012-02-07
The Senate has sent President Barack Obama legislation that requires the Federal Aviation Administration to devise ways for drone aircraft to safely share airspace with manned aircraft within three years.
Posted by:Anonymoose

#11  I don't doubt it, Mitch. I was just reminded of the old Hitchcock line.
Posted by: Eric Jablow   2012-02-07 23:43  

#10  Of course Yanmar has their verison both use ultra low volume sprayers. These things were built for treating rice paddys.

Posted by: Choluse Graling8806   2012-02-07 21:43  

#9  As far as aerial application the Japanese have been there done that and got the t-shirt.

Posted by: Choluse Graling8806   2012-02-07 21:28  

#8  There is a guy out here who painted a field in a 40mph crosswind, had to pull an Immelmann at one end to avoid power lines.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2012-02-07 18:10  

#7  Eric Jablow, you jest, but I'm willing to bet that there is, actually, a viable agricultural drone market, especially for cropdusting. Hell, even for vanilla remote sensing aerial imagery. It's got to be cheaper than operating small planes to do the same thing. They're always in the market for new and more productive means to do that sort of thing.

I'm just not sure whether anyone's come up with drone aircraft large enough to carry a viable UAV air spray rig. But they already automated combines, seeders, and spray trucks about five-six years back - mostly because they wanted equipment which could operate in the dead of night, but still.

Come to think of it, the dead of night's a great time to be cropdusting - winds tend to die down after twilight, which means that you can narrow your buffer zone somewhat.
Posted by: Mitch H.   2012-02-07 15:27  

#6  TSA is not enough? Do not need you, and more to the point, you are not wanted. Wiseley recommend you take the hint.
Posted by: Thrush 5564   2012-02-07 13:06  

#5  Making 747's share air-space with remote controlled plastic toy planes.

Who has the right of way, genius?
Posted by: newc   2012-02-07 11:31  

#4  Drones do not yet have the situational awareness to mix with VFR traffic. This could get "interesting".
Posted by: tipover   2012-02-07 11:20  

#3  FEMA regional airspace should be much, much less crowded.
Posted by: Besoeker   2012-02-07 11:07  

#2  Hey! That dronecropduster's taking pictures ofdusting crops where there ain't no crops!

--North by Northwest NxNW II
Posted by: Eric Jablow   2012-02-07 08:35  

#1  Of course, so that "good" people can do "nice" things, in the densely populated airspace over cities.

Not icky things like persistent surveillance looking for anything criminal, potentially criminal, or just not authorized by government; instantly ticketing any driver who violates any of the rules; or other things only a recklessly paranoid, totalitarian, voyeuristic and corrupt government would do.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2012-02-07 08:05  

00:00