Drone test site to fly high at all hours

Associated Press

FARGO, N.D.

Of the six sites in the U.S. where researchers are trying to figure out how to integrate unmanned aircraft into civilian airspace, only North Dakota’s can fly high both day and night.

The Federal Aviation Administration approved a plan last week that allows drones to be flown up to 1,200 feet above the entire state and permits flights at night, a combination that makes North Dakota unique, since other test sites are limited to a 200-foot blanket and daylight hours.

“It really expands the type of operations you can conduct,” said Nicholas Flom, director of safety for the Northern Plains UAS Test Site.

For example, some precision agriculture sensors are designed to function at a minimum altitude of 250 feet, he said, and drones that would be flown to look for hot spots in wildfires or used for search-and-rescue missions generally work better at a higher altitude because it gives the cameras a broader range.

Alaska, New York, Nevada, Texas and Virginia also were selected in December 2013 as national test sites for unmanned aircraft, which the FAA does not currently allow for commercial use. As for why North Dakota’s wide-open skies were chosen for the higher altitudes, the FAA referred questions to the North Dakota Department of Commerce.

Officials at the Northern Plains site wasted no time getting up in the air at night last week with the Draganflyer X4ES, which was monitored by three University of North Dakota pilots.

Flying drones at night can have many benefits, said Mark Hastings, the test site’s director of operations. Infrared sensors, which can detect people or animals on the ground, seem to work better in cooler temperatures. There’s also less air traffic in the nighttime hours and usually lower wind speeds, a challenge for drone pilots, especially in North Dakota.