The Federal Aviation Administration took a step toward integrating drones into U.S. airspace by selecting six locations around the country for research.
The agency announced its selections on Monday after a 10-month selection period, during which it considered 25 applicants from 24 states. Four of the six testing sites will be at specified locations — the University of Alaska, Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi, Virginia Tech and Griffiss International Airport in Rome, N.Y. The remaining two accepted proposals came from the State of Nevada and the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce.
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We've denoted the six sites with airplane icons on the map below, which was provided by the FAA earlier this year.
Image: Mashable composite; FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office; iStockphoto, Leontura
"In selecting the six test site operators, the FAA considered geography, climate, location of ground infrastructure, research needs, airspace use, safety, aviation experience and risk," the FAA said in a statement.
Researchers at the sites will cover topics such as operation standards for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), application requirements, safety guidelines, categories for the different types of crafts, evaluation of potential risks and updates to air traffic control procedures.
The FAA also said it will require site operators to grant interested third parties access to facilities, though the agency did not specify details.
Perhaps because the use of drones is such a hot-button issue among privacy advocates and civil libertarians, the FAA stressed the need for oversight during the research process.
"Among other requirements, test site operators must comply with federal, state, and other laws protecting an individual’s right to privacy, have publicly available privacy policies and a written plan for data use and retention, and conduct an annual review of privacy practices that allows for public comment," the FAA announcement reads.
Operations at the test sites are scheduled to last through at least February 2017.
FAA Administrator Michael Huerta laid out the agency's full plan in a 74-page Roadmap for Integration of Civil Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the National Airspace System, released (.PDF) early last month.
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