Montana drone aircraft program kicks off

Whitefish resident and state senator

Ryan Zinke thinks Montana is the right place to begin using “drone”

unmanned aircraft technology for non-military purposes.

Following a year of coordination and

organizing, several selected academic and research institutions

within Montana have signed a collaborative agreement with

Mississippi State University to jointly create an Unmanned Aircraft

Systems (UAS) Center of Excellence.

Representatives from Montana State

University-Bozeman, Montana State University-Northern and Rocky

Mountain College-Billings signed the agreement at a kick-off

ceremony in Bozeman on Dec. 1. Representatives from the UAS

industry, Gov. Brian Schweitzer’s Office of Economic Development,

Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, and Rep. Denny Rehberg were also

in attendance.

UAS, also known as drone aircraft, have

gained attention in recent years for their military use overseas

and have emerged as a growing multi-billion dollar industry.

“UAS will transition from today’s

military-centric role to important civilian applications, such as

research, farming and forest management,” said Zinke, a co-director

of the project. “UAS are ideal tools for conducting a vast array

activities that are currently done by more expensive methods, such

as satellite imagery or manned aircraft.”

Examples include using spectrum

analysis equipment to look at light reflecting off plants —

agricultural crops or forests — to detect insect impacts or the

need for watering or fertilizer. Farmers could save money by

focusing efforts on smaller crop areas, Zinke said.

The same technology could be used to

analyze snow depth, which would help electric companies more

accurately assess future hydropower output and improve flooding

forecasts. Drone aircraft could provide better information than

satellites during cloudy days and beneath smoke from wildfires,

helping fire crews pin down hot spots. Drone aircraft could also

provide cell-phone coverage in mountainous or remote locations

where cell phones don’t work, Zinke said.

Montana has a unique opportunity to

leverage its enormous airspace and become a hub of research,

testing and development in an emerging industry, Zinke said.

“We’re at the forefront of change in

aviation technology with enormous potential to create the kinds of

jobs we need in Montana,” he said.

Flying drones outside of

military-restricted airspace is a challenge and is tightly

controlled by the FAA.

“We want to be part of the discussion

on how to integrate UAS into the National Airspace System without

impacting general aviation,” Zinke said. “Montana contains the

largest military operations airspace in the Lower 48 and is unique

in having such diversity in climate, terrain and vegetation.

Montana’s airspace is the perfect environment to research how to

safely integrate UAS with commercial and private air traffic.”

Two sites near Lewistown could be used

to base the project, Zinke said. The first test flight could occur

near Lewistown by late summer next year. Initial testing could

involve crop analysis or tracking cattle.

Montana State University-Northern has a

satellite campus next to the Lewistown city airport, and the

Western Transportation Institute has a facility and test track

nearby. The city airport sees little activity now, Zinke noted,

adding that it was used to base B-17 bombers during World War

II.

The collaboration with Mississippi

State University combines the assets of world-class programs in

maritime and Gulf Coast research with MSU-Northern’s biofuel

program, Rocky Mountain College’s accredited aviation program, and

MSU-Bozeman’s acclaimed Engineering Department. Together, the

members of the project represent more than $400 million in research

capability.

“This project combines the unique

talents and capabilities of different academic and research

institutions to form an unequaled UAS Center of Excellence

partnership,” said MSU-Northern’s Dean of Technology, Greg Kegel,

whose college will be in charge of administration and testing.

The goal of the project over the next

few months will be to add industry and other institutions to the

partnership and launch the first drone aircraft in summer 2011.

Great Falls, Havre, Lewistown and Glasgow also are being considered

as launching locations for the drones.

“I think we all are excited about the

future of UAS in Montana and look forward to putting our resources

and talents to work,” Zinke said.