UAV test site promises unfettered access to airspace

摘要

A full-time unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operating facility is set to be established in the north of Oklahoma that will enable flights to take place without the need for clearance from civil aviation authorities. Speaking to IHS Jane's, Dr Stephen McKeever, Oklahoma's Secretary of Science and Technology, said that an agreement with the Federal Aviation Authority will permit Class 1 and 2 UAVs to be flown within the range area at Chilocco. The Chilocco site is centred on an urban facility that is already in use for UAV testing and technical and tactical training. The facility contains a representative urban area based around a former school for Native Americans, which is spread over an area of 265 acres and contains more than 70 buildings; the wider sitt covers 5,000 acres.