The cloud seeding on small drones is being fulfilled through the resistance of the Rain Maker Technology Bid Airline Pilot Union, which has called on the Federal Aviation Administration to consider the refusal of a start -up request until it meets strict protection.
The Federal Aviation Administration's decision will indicate how the regulator pushes the weather editing through unmanned aerial system. Rainmaker's condition on a small drone hangs in balance.
The Airline Pilot Association (ALPA) told the FAA that the Rain Maker's application “failed to demonstrate equal level of safety” and poses a “high risk of safety”.
Rainmaker is taking immunity from the rules that prevents small drones from carrying hazardous material. The startup was filed in July, and the FAA has not yet ruled. Instead, he issued a follow -up application for information, which for actions and safety details. Press
In his filing, the Rain Maker recommended two flames, a “burn in place” and the other on his Elijah quadcopter, to disperse the particles of rain. The maximum height of Elias is 15,000 feet of MSL (measured by sea level), which is sitting within the controlled airspace where commercial planes fly as usual. Drones need permission from air traffic control to fly inside the bubble.
Rain Maker's request states that he will work in Class G (uncontrollable) airspace unless it is otherwise. ALPA notes that the filing does not clearly tell where the flights will be or what height will be used. Rain Maker and Alpa did not respond to Tech Crunch requests to comment.
The Union also objected to the outbreak of foreign objects, citing concerns about the debris and fire protection. ALPA said the application does not include modeling or analysis of cousins that evacuate the environmental effects of chemical agents.
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However, Rainmaker says the flights will be on properties owned by rural areas and private landowners, “with which the rain maker has built close -working relationships.”
Cloud seeding is already located today, with large -scale airplanes flying with state agencies in Western America. Sky Resorts commissioned operations to help keep their runs white, and helps to feed their reservoirs while melting in the spring to make irrigation and water districts in the winter.
Cloud Beijing's general process is the 1950s. Sprinkling small particles in some clouds, scientists found that they could give birth to rain. Generally, cloud seeding operations use silver iodide for particles, mostly because they imitate ice crystal shape.
When the silver iodide particle collides with water droplets that are extremely cool, they cause the drop to fold the drop because its water is already below the frozen point. Once after becoming an ice crystal, it can grow rapidly if the conditions are right, in the same way that the liquid is faster than the drop of water. In addition, rapid growth helps stick to longer than water droplets, which can make vapors before the chance to fall as a rain.
Rain Maker's turn – doing this with a drone instead of pilots – can be more secure in the long run. The company said the flight profiles are firmly bound, which is monitored in a remote pilot and trained staff, in rural areas, with other security checks.
What happens then what happens whether the FAA thinks they are sufficient. However, it has been decided that the agency's response will potentially tone the tone of the novel cloud seeding approach.
