Drone Testing Coming to Six States, Jobs to Follow

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Dec. 30 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. approved drone test centers in six states, including New York, as the start of research efforts to eventually allow civilian unmanned aircraft widespread access to the nation’s airways. Alan Levin reports on Bloomberg Television's "Bloomberg West." (Source: Bloomberg)

Systems into international airspace over the next several years.

Our reporter has been following this story out of d.c.. why these states?

We do not exactly know.

The faa said they were trying to select a diverse number of sites . they went to alaska so they could get the severe weather, for example.

They say the new york test site will allow them to put drones into the sky in congested airspace to gradually test how they can do that.

They are looking for a wide range in a diverse group.

Quest that is just what we need.


Someone argued they are there for a long time.

I wonder, when they were trying to choose these, were they in the way congress -- where jobs will be.

Is that a way to do it?

Because of certain things that could be tested they're related to oil and gas and so on?

North dakota, the university already has a drone major.

Very strong aviation program.

It made sense in that regard.

I should be clear there is no plan to put drones over it at this point in time.

They want to test how drones might operate in more congested skies.

I would imagine there would be economic impact.

Not the space program, but there has got to be spending that will happen in these places.

I'm sure california would've liked to see that i did not get it in silicon valley.

Class i think, speaking of that, a lot of the test sites are hoping they will have drone alley next to their testing facilities.

There is a lot of projection of economic development.

We have seen sometimes you can spur technology development around a test site like this.

Some of the projections are calling for billions of dollars of economic development.


In terms of economic development, you mentioned the university of north dakota.

Will build -- will there be more -- well, these states anticipate there will be businesses, technology, software developers, hardware developers, that are actually making these drones.

That is the anticipation.

I think we will have to wait and see how that turns out.

Quest there is a notion of duration.

Will this go on for decades?


Do we have any idea what they are trying to find out?

Congress authorized these tests sites to run through 2017 at least.

Would not surprise me at all if the next time they reauthorize the federal aviation administration that they extend that.

Especially if this industry takes off, i could see these things operating for a long time.

The ponds are endless when it comes to this industry.

Amazon did so much attention for the notion of a joan.

We have seen drones used in the military for very different purposes.

What difference do you think the focus will be for the early stages of business?

That is a very good question.

We know drones can do these things like conduct surveillance.

That might include agricultural uses on a farm, for example, or law enforcement searching for lost children or something like that.

Interestingly, the faa posses at least initial guidance on what they will allow will not permit the types of drones amazon is anticipating, a robot device that comes out and drops packages.

That may be a way off.



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