NASA Sending UAV To Restudy Kilauea Volcano.

The Wired UK (4/5, Brown) reports, "More than a year after first surveying the destructive Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, Nasa has sent its data-collecting drone UAVSAR back to the Big Island to assess how it shaped and shifted the Earth's surface." The Jet Propulsion Laboratory last sent the drone back in January 2010. "Nasa will now repeat its previous journey, mimicking the 2010 flight paths to an accuracy of five metres" in order to examine the changes. "The agency has previously used the UAVSAR technology to measure the temperate ice caps of Iceland and the boreal forests of Canada in 2009, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the Haiti earthquakes in 2010."

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)

FAA Fact Sheet
Introduction
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and serve diverse purposes. They may have a wingspan as large as a Boeing 737 or smaller than a radio-controlled model airplane. A pilot on the ground is always in charge of UAS operations.
Until recently, UASs mainly supported military and security operations, but that is rapidly changing. Unmanned aircraft promise new ways to increase efficiency, save money, enhance safety and even save lives. Interest is growing in a broad range of uses such as aerial photography, surveying land and crops, monitoring forest fires and environmental conditions, and protecting borders and ports against intruders.

In the United States alone, approximately 50 companies, universities, and government organizations are developing and producing some 155 unmanned aircraft designs.
The FAA’s Role:  Safety First
The FAA’s main concern about UAS operations in the National Airspace System (NAS) is safety. The NAS encompasses an average of more than 100,000 aviation operations per day, including commercial air traffic, cargo operations, and business jets. Additionally, there are more than 238,000 general aviation aircraft in the system at any time. It is critical that these aircraft do not endanger other users of the NAS or compromise the safety of persons or property on the ground.
Recreational use of the NAS is generally limited to operations to below 400 feet above ground level and away from airports and air traffic.

Grand Forks North Dakota UAV industry making big strides

Al Palmer, the head of UNDʼs unmanned aircraft research center, can talk pretty fast, but ask him how his industry is doing here in the Grand Forks region and it takes him two hours over two interviews to get everything out.

By: Tu-Uyen Tran, Grand Forks Herald

Al Palmer, the head of UNDʼs unmanned aircraft research center, can talk pretty fast, but ask him how his industry is doing here in the Grand Forks region and it takes him two hours over two interviews to get everything out.

Where does he even start?

From progress toward a test site where unmanned and manned aircraft can mix safely — critical for research and development — to a training contract with a European air force, to partnerships with North Dakota State University and businesses, Palmer ticked off one after another.

Others in the industry had plenty to say, too, mentioning the growing interest of major unmanned aircraft makers, emerging local businesses and maturing research programs. One UND project to use unmanned aircraft in precision agriculture is scheduled for real world testing at some area farms this summer.

“We have the start of an unmanned aircraft system cluster in Grand Forks,” said Chamber of Commerce President Barry Wilfahrt. He said he expects testing and training would emerge as key sectors.

Recently, the state Aeronautics Commission estimated that the unmanned aircraft industry had a $27.1 million economic impact and employed 231 statewide in 2010, mostly in Grand Forks. Thereʼs still room to grow, but the industry here has come pretty far since it started essentially from scratch a few year ago.

Teal Analysis UAV Industries Represent Key Targets of Acquisition

Paris, June 15, 2009  

"Unmanned Aerial Vehicles represent a prime area of acquisition interest for major aerospace contractors, report Teal analysts in their latest integrated market analysis.

"UAVs are one of the most active areas for acquisitions by defense companies," said Philip Finnegan, Teal Group's Director of Corporate Analysis. "The sector has the advantage of being a high growth area and having a number of small producers available for purchase." As a result, UAVs rank with intelligence, cyber security, homeland security and logistics as one of the most attractive for acquisitions." 

This  economic miracle has visited Oregon  

Insitu - Cloudcap Technologies  in the Gorge 

The Commodity is Available Land

The following is from the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News  -  It illustrates the natural advantage Central Oregon offers to UAV Companies.  Airspace over sparsely populated ground.

Central Oregon has a lot of  "Compatible Airspace"

UAV advocates want test-flying airspace closer

DAYTON — Supporters of efforts to establish the Dayton region as a national center of training, education and product development for unmanned aircraft say that persuading the government to approve airspace for flying the unmanned craft near this area is critical.

Being able to test-fly unmanned aerial vehicles and their systems near where research, development and integration of those systems takes place is a key as the Miami Valley tries to sharpen its capabilities to support Air Force acquisition of UAVs that are managed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, business leaders said. Advocates are hoping that the industry could lead to new jobs for the region.

“Having compatible space — that’s the holy grail that’s the key to breaking into having a significant chunk of the UAV industry,”

said Joe Zeis, chief strategist and a vice president of the Dayton Development Coalition.

In the news - Oregon Public Broadcasting cover story on Oregon UAV

Oregon Public Broadcasting News Story on Central Oregon UAV

Check out the linked news message about the Central Oregon UAV Area

Why Central Oregon is Ideal for UAV Test Area

Available Airspace Over Public Land 

• Like other western states, Oregon has a sizable public land base, with approximately 53 percent of its 61 million acres in federal lands.

• While Central Oregon was a crucial training area in the World War II.  Klamath Falls, Pendleton, Madras, Redmond, and Bend all had Air Force training bases.  The Military Operation Areas present in Oregon in some measure owe their presence to these former military operations.

• The Area of Consideration is in land that hosts a population density of less than 3 people per square mile, officially classified as Frontier.   Under the Juniper MOA, an area the size of Connecticut, the total population numbers less than 100 people.    

Flying Weather  

• Central Oregon has been noted first in the siting of the World War II Air Force training bases and secondly in the Chamber of commerce tag line of "300 Days of Sunshine per year" as a good place to fly.  Central Oregon also provides challenges related to weather,  in that all seasons can be represented and potentially can be represented in the same day.   

ATC Control and Lack of an Active Military Base  

• The selected area of operation is under exclusive control of Seattle Center which allows singular control over the affected airspace and control.

•  Oregon hosts  NO ACTIVE AIR FORCE BASES  so military transits and operations are primarily the Oregon AIr National Guard..   

People 

• Central Oregon was home to a thriving aviation industry  employing over 2000 people.  These employees are skilled in:
• Aircraft Design
• Aircraft Manufacture
• Aircraft Operation 
• Aircraft Maintenance and Modification

• A large and untapped talent pool exists in the community.  Less than 10% of the employee base in aviation is presently involved in the manufacture of aircraft and aircraft systems today.   Manufacturing jobs typically employee a community base of 3 times a factories employment.  This represents over 5000 jobs lost to in the Central Oregon community.     A huge opportunity to tap into this resource exists for companies willing to look into Central Oregon.