NM drone testing center could soon face competition
New Mexico could lose its lead on unmanned aerial vehicle development when the Federal Aviation Administration lays out a new set of rules that allow more airfields to test UAVs, a state leader in the industry said.
The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Test Center, an airfield run by New Mexico State University and the FAA, is the only FAA-approved UAS, or drone, flight test center in the nation. The center logs data from about two flights daily of commercial drones, which weigh anywhere from 15 ounces to 600 pounds.
But last year the FAA said it will authorize six more sites for drone testing.
“As soon as the FAA opens the door, there will be an explosion,” said Dennis “Zak” Zaklan, the director of the UAS FTC. “At this point, nobody knows. It depends on the FAA. It creates competition.”
http://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2013/05/22/drone-test-center-could-face-competition.html
