North Dakota's congressional delegation and Gov. Jack Dalrymple are lobbying the Federal Aviation Administration to locate one of the nation's new unmanned aircraft test sites in the state, the delegation said Wednesday.
In a letter dated Tuesday to acting FAA Administrator Michael P. Huerta, they highlighted safety and the synergies to be found in North Dakota.
The delegation had pushed for legislation that would create six test sites around the country where manned and unmanned aircraft can share airspace. Now that the legislation has passed, the next push is to get North Dakota selected.
The FAA is expected to announce its selection criteria this summer before making its selection late this year or early 2013, the delegation said.
The letter to Huerta said North Dakota's sparse population and less busy airspace minimizes risks and inconvenience. It also said a test site should take advantage of existing unmanned aircraft activities, including those of Customs and Border Protection, Grand Forks Air Force Base, and civilian research at nearby universities and businesses.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Unlike some states that have only recently discovered their interest in UAS, our state has long been a leader in aviation, and seized on the potential of UAS a decade ago," the letter said, using the abbreviation for unmanned aircraft system.
