Final FAA-mandated UAV test site established in Virginia

In December 2013 the FAA selected six test sites that would help facilitate the utilisation of UAVs in national airspace, all of which have subsequently opened since April 2014.

The measures were a result of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, in which the administration was mandated by Congress to ensure UAVs can be fully integrated into the national airspace by 30 September 2015. The sixth and final US Federal Aviation Administration-mandated unmanned air vehicle (UAV) test site has been established in Virginia.

The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University test site officially opened on 13 August, and follows the opening of the other sites in Alaska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota and Texas.

ScanEagle to monitor wildfire in Alaska

The massive wildfire raging on Alaska’s Kenai Penninsula is now being monitored by an ScanEagle UAV.

This aircraft can fly at altitudes up to 22,000 feet, and can remain airborne for up to 20 hours, recording video with two different cameras: one infrared, which shows the contrast of cool areas and heat areas, and a regular visual camera. The video is then analyzed and given to fire officials to determine their next actions.

It was an exercise in the applications of unmanned aircraft in public safety, officials said, and in maneuvering new regulations still early in their evolution. "It really got some of the key people understanding that we can really help," said Ro Bailey, deputy director of the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration. "It's not a toy or something like that. It's actually something that can improve their ability to do a job."

FAA names six states as UAV test sites

The FAA has announced that six states have won the bid for official UAV testing sites. The states that won the bids include Virginia, Nevada, Texas, New York, Alaska and North Dakota. The sites will allow for testing of UAVs in controlled environments to gather data on how different UAVs perform. In 2015, the FAA has been mandated to open the airspace for operation of UAVs.  Agriculture is said to be one of the primary beneficiaries of UAV technology in the future.