The Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus, Miss., took on the stigma of unmanned aerial systems (drones) more than 10 years ago, Executive Director Mike Hainsey told the Starkville Rotary Club on March 11. GTRA was the first commercial airport in the U.S. to obtain FAA authorization to fly drones. But the regional drone experts are at the Mississippi State University-led Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE), which is the lead agency for the Center of Excellence for the FAA. Twenty-four universities across the nation are part of the ASSURE agency. But in the early days of drones, there was an angst created in the aviation markets. When kids started getting millions of drones for Christmas, it freaked the industry out, Hainsey said. The initial fear, he said, was diminished when drones proved to be a useful resource. Drone technology is “so simple yet we can pop (it) up there for an emergency” and when the batteries run low, it returns itself to the site of its launch, and batteries can be swapped out, he continued. GTRA started using drones to assess roof replacements for its buildings, and later produced marketing videos, including one for Delta Airlines for training purposes. Delta will be adding a fourth flight from Columbus to Atlanta in June. The GTRA has twice the number of international travelers than other airports of the same size, and Hainsey said MSU and other industries are the reason. Flights are full especially during busy months of April, May, October and November. GTRA have practiced using the drones with staged situations such as active shooters, emergency responses, and spills, says the retired Air Force pilot and former Deputy Wing Commander at Columbus AFB. He was named GTRA director in 2008. Since then, he has overseen and participated in two expansions of the terminal building. (Source: Starkville Daily News 03/12/19)
No comments:
Post a Comment