NASA helping FAA control drones

[Commander]

NASA Marks Success for Most Complex Drone Traffic Management Test Yet at FAA Test Sites
http://www.nasa.gov/feature/ames/nasa-m ... test-sites

In the first and largest demonstration of its kind, NASA and operators from the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test sites across the country flew 22 drones simultaneously to assess rural operations of NASA’s UAS traffic management (UTM) research platform.

Operators outside NASA interacted with the UTM research platform, entering flight plans and planned operations from several geographically diverse locations, using various aircraft and software. The UTM research platform checked for conflicts, approved or rejected the flight plans and notified users of constraints. Engineers at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California, monitored operations and system load and gathered qualitative feedback to identify capability gaps to further refine the UTM research.

But have they factored in the rockets?

[bernomatic]

When I think about this I begin to wonder. Yes technically, bicycles are considered to be under motor vehicle statutes and all, but in most cases enforcement is another thing.

With the UAV's this would be an active control issue. Filing flight plans for taking your son out to the back forty to play with his new quadcopter? and what about line control airccraft? I haven't heard anything mentioned regarding that area. If you don't think some power or money hungry bureaucrat or enforcement officer won't try pulling them into the regulated club you must believe that the government really is here to help.

[Commander]

Here is the TW@N (This Week @ NASA) video that has footage at the beginning regarding the test.

TW@N

Final line of the segment

Safely integrate Unmanned Aircraft into the airspace

Well, I don't see no men riding any of the birds out there, when are they going to do something about them? They have caused more crashes and incidences than UAV's. Ah, hell, forget about birds, did you know that between 1990 and 2012 (last date figures are available) there had been 1,037 deer struck by civil aircraft in the USA. WILDLIFE STRIKES TO CIVIL AIRCRAFT IN THE UNITED STATES 1990–2012 (see page 16).

You know the major reason for filing a flight plan if you are flying is to give them a place to start looking for your carcass if you don't show up at your destination. It's not like all those flight plans are input into some mega-computer where the paths are calculated and reviewed for some sort of conflict. So why do you need to file a flight plan for a R/C plane that you intend to just circle in the local park? My best guess is for the sake of control.