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North Dakota Unmanned Aircraft Test Site Making Progress

An evaluation done by the FAA showed the test site’s procedures are in good shape, offering positive news for an operation that’s attracted the attention of a growing industry.

North Dakota’s Northern Plains Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site is right where officials want it to be, its director Bob Becklund told a research group on Friday.

UND’s UAS Research Compliance Committee heard about progress made at the test site since it became operational in May from Becklund and the university’s UAS center director, Al Palmer.

A three-day visit and evaluation by the Federal Aviation Administration earlier this month showed the test site’s procedures, operations and other aspects are in good shape.

It’s good news for an operation that’s attracted the attention of a growing industry.

“The phone is ringing off the hook — and that’s not an exaggeration — with individuals, companies and industries that want to fly their airplane legally,” Becklund said.

He told the committee the test site authority is close to signing contracts with several companies that want to use it to test their products.

Commercial use of unmanned aircraft is banned by the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States, but these companies can apply for certificates for experimental flight purposes.

Congress has mandated that the FAA safely integrate UAS technology into commercial airspace by September 2015. The agency’s creation of test sites is meant in part to provide spaces where testing integration can be done.

The FAA hasn’t identified specific research directions each test site should take, but Becklund expects to see those released by the end of the year. No funding announcements for that research have been made.

For now, North Dakota and the other five test sites would serve mainly as opportunities for businesses and individuals to certify their aircraft’s airworthiness.

The test site has submitted two proposals for airspace access, both of which were denied by the FAA. A third request is pending and would include a large portion of airspace north of Interstate 94 in North Dakota, Becklund said.

©2014 the Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, N.D.)