Rick Rademacher
Pre-Flight
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2011
- Messages
- 83
- Location
- The Villages, Florida
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Rick Rademacher
I attended an all-day Airspace and Infrastructure Work Group (AIWG) meeting last Thursday in Dayton, Ohio. I was invited to attend this meeting representing the interests of private pilots. The invitation occurred the preceding night when I was in attendance at an Ohio Airspace Integration Study (OASIS) that was noted in an AOPA e-gram. The U.S. Air Force is looking for a place within 60 miles of Wright Patterson field to do UAV testing.
The meeting was very well structured with facilitators, a dedicated audio/video specialist, staff people, representatives from Dayton and Springfield and two general aviation pilots. In all, about 25 people were present with one called Pappy who teleconferenced into the meeting from Washington. I enjoyed talking with and meeting all of those gathered who I felt had the knowledge and experience to make the correct decisions.
The main focus of the meeting was to present to the ESG (?) our recommendations or evaluations of UAV airspace sites. The site selection criteria included such things as emergency landing area, proximity to special use airspace, away from populated areas, avoid ground hazard areas, low air traffic volume, stay away from traditional GA traffic (flyways and training areas) ect……
The UAVs that would be flying in the selected area were classified as group 1 through group 3. These would include hand launched weighing from 1 to 20 pounds through group 3 weighing 1320 lbs. or less flying less than 250 knots. The altitudes of use would be between 10 feet to 6,000. The area needed would be some 10 to 20 square miles.
After spending all day looking at various locations, the consensusof the group was to place a restricted area for UAV testing under the existing MOAs in the southern part of Ohio. Then Pappy, the man from Washington reminded the group of his suggestion earlier in the day to extend the Class D airspace from Wright Patterson field to Springfield and use this area for the UAVs as it would take too long for the FAA to approve any restricted area for the UAV testing.
As Pappy seemed to be the leader of the group from afar, the meeting dissolved. I expressed to Pappy and the group my uneasiness about using the Springfield/Dayton area for UAV flights as this area was not far away from GA activities and populated areas. We have powerful local politicians who want to keep and expand local jobs in the UAV activities business sectors. I can understand their position yet let’s not do something stupid.
The meeting was very well structured with facilitators, a dedicated audio/video specialist, staff people, representatives from Dayton and Springfield and two general aviation pilots. In all, about 25 people were present with one called Pappy who teleconferenced into the meeting from Washington. I enjoyed talking with and meeting all of those gathered who I felt had the knowledge and experience to make the correct decisions.
The main focus of the meeting was to present to the ESG (?) our recommendations or evaluations of UAV airspace sites. The site selection criteria included such things as emergency landing area, proximity to special use airspace, away from populated areas, avoid ground hazard areas, low air traffic volume, stay away from traditional GA traffic (flyways and training areas) ect……
The UAVs that would be flying in the selected area were classified as group 1 through group 3. These would include hand launched weighing from 1 to 20 pounds through group 3 weighing 1320 lbs. or less flying less than 250 knots. The altitudes of use would be between 10 feet to 6,000. The area needed would be some 10 to 20 square miles.
After spending all day looking at various locations, the consensusof the group was to place a restricted area for UAV testing under the existing MOAs in the southern part of Ohio. Then Pappy, the man from Washington reminded the group of his suggestion earlier in the day to extend the Class D airspace from Wright Patterson field to Springfield and use this area for the UAVs as it would take too long for the FAA to approve any restricted area for the UAV testing.
As Pappy seemed to be the leader of the group from afar, the meeting dissolved. I expressed to Pappy and the group my uneasiness about using the Springfield/Dayton area for UAV flights as this area was not far away from GA activities and populated areas. We have powerful local politicians who want to keep and expand local jobs in the UAV activities business sectors. I can understand their position yet let’s not do something stupid.
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However, the middle of the Pacific Ocean works, too.