The Federal Aviation Administration today anounced the last of six test sites is “ready to conduct research vital to integrating UAS into the nation’s airspace.”
To celebrate the occasion, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, along with Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe and other officials, watched a drone demo at the Virginia Tech site.
“We have undertaken the challenge of safely integrating a new and exciting technology into the busiest, most complex airspace in the world,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. “The six test sites are going to play a key role in helping us meet that challenge.”
The six test sites are located in Nevada, Alaska, Texas, North Dakota, New York and now Virginia.
Last month, we reported the Department of Transportation Department, in an audit asked for by Congress, found the FAA was in danger of meeting its September 2015 deadline to safely integrate drones into the National Airspace System.
“Having all six national test sites up and running will give us more and better data to help expand the safe use of unmanned aircraft into our airspace,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta.