Crop dusters and drone operators have hesitated to share the same sky, but last week in the rural southeastern Colorado community of La Junta they did just that. There, participants in the annual Operation S.A.F.E. Fly-In of the Colorado Agricultural Aviation Association (CAAA) collaborated with UAS Colorado, to demonstrate how technology powered by AirMap can promote communication and coordination of flight operations in agricultural areas. The operation is a proof-of-concept that will be refined and rolled out across the country in the near future.
Sam Rogge, a crop duster from Colorado and a veteran Air Force pilot said, “Drones are a new and exciting frontier in agriculture technology. They are a piece of the puzzle that includes larger manned agricultural aircraft. If both types of aircraft will fly, then finding ways to de-conflict these tools is vital for safety and innovation.” Agricultural aircraft protect more than 71 million acres of United States cropland each year. Both drones and crop dusters operate in the low altitude airspace over agricultural fields. Mr. Rogge explained that the key to maintaining the safety of pilots and drone operators will be education, communication, coordination of flights, technology, and appropriate regulatory guidance.
Over the next several years, increasingly automated systems will help drones navigate safe and efficient paths, taking into account other drones, manned aircraft traffic, winds, obstacles, and other elements. But as the industry works to develop comprehensive solutions, there are simple, pragmatic tools that can be implemented immediately to help keep people safe.
“Crop duster pilots have welcomed technology into their work,” says CAAA Executive Director Jessica Freeman, “but they’re practical people, and they’re excited about real solutions that can help make the job safer right away.”
In last week’s demonstration, crop duster pilots and drone operators will use a simple iPhone app to indicate where and when they intend to fly. The app provides a map visualization of all of the flight plans so that everyone can keep tabs on where other aircraft and drones are operating.
Clicking on a flight plan on the map brings up a chat window so that operators can coordinate with each other to avoid collisions.
UAS Colorado Interim CEO Constantin Diehl explained, “This app, powered by AirMap’s backend technology, organizes and provides accurate and dynamic airspace information. It allows pilots of manned and unmanned aircraft to know where and when operations take place, and provides a way to de-conflict by directly communicating with one another. We believe this simple and effective approach is key to safe UAS operations.“
“We believe information is what will power innovation, and we are making this airspace information available to operators, manufacturers and software developers,” says AirMap CEO Ben Marcus. AirMap’s airspace information is available through APIs and SDKs. This demonstration proves the utility of empowering people to share airspace information, including the location of drones and manned aircraft. “We believe the best way to promote safety is to make information available in useful ways, regardless of which platform someone is using.”
AirMap is focused on creating an open exchange of information to help accelerate the safe deployment of drone-enabled services. The AirMap Software Development Kit has been released for testing to a limited number of application developers and will be fully deployed by the end of November.
In addition to the demonstration, the Operation S.A.F.E. fly-in will feature crop duster spray pattern testing, safety briefings from the NTSB and Colorado State Patrol, and training sessions for first responders from around Colorado.
About Colorado Agricultural Aviation Association: Colorado Agriculture Aviation Association (CAAA) was founded in 1977 to provide the Colorado agricultural aviation professionals an opportunity for learning more about their industry within the state of Colorado. During that time, it was determined that the agricultural community needed a forum wherein they could keep informed of state and national industry news, develop industry standards and establish relationships with others in the industry.
About UAS Colorado: UAS Colorado is a non-profit business league, committed to promoting and improving the aerospace industry in Colorado, particularly supporting the safe integration and use of unmanned aircraft systems throughout the state for the benefit of the public.
About AirMap: AirMap works collaboratively with industry partners to create the future for drones. The company focuses exclusively on providing accurate, reliable and trustworthy airspace information. AirMap is headquartered in Santa Monica, CA and is a member of the Small UAV Coalition, the NASA Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) program, the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), and the Know Before You Fly Campaign.
Source: Press Release