Gov. Mike DeWine, along with several other senior Ohio and military officials, announced Friday that Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport would be the test site for a new and revolutionary aviation system.
DeWine was joined in his announcement by Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, and Major General William Cooley, Commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright Patterson Air Force Base.
The new system will be run and overseen by the Ohio Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Center and AFRL. A press release from DeWine’s office described the new technology as follows:
This month, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that new technology developed in collaboration between AFRL and the State of Ohio – called SkyVision – safely, accurately, and effectively allows unmanned aircraft systems (UAS or “drones”) to detect and avoid other aircraft while in flight. Simply put, SkyVision can be described as an air traffic control system for drones.
The drone test flights will take place at an altitude range of 1,000 feet above ground to 10,000 feet above sea level. They will be operated by air traffic control experts from the Ohio UAS Center. Currently, as this program is still in a testing phase, there is no data on job creation or potential wealth generated for the Buckeye State.
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Andrew Shirley is a reporter at Battleground State News and The Ohio Star. Send tips to [email protected].
Photo “Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport” by Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport.
