By DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill
Despite the expansion in using drones in agricultural applications, unmanned aerial vehicles likely is not going to displace using manned aircraft within the foreseeable future, the CEO of the National Agricultural Aviation Association said in an interview.
“What we’re seeing at this point is more of a complementary relationship,” said Andrew Moore. “I believe you’re seeing uncrewed aircraft perhaps doing stuff that ground rigs were doing, or they’re treating areas that normally wouldn’t have been done by crewed aircraft because they’re tougher to achieve.”
The NAAA, which represents small businesses and pilots that use aircraft in agricultural applications, includes amongst its members drone operators along with the operators of the more traditional manned aviation aircraft, similar to small planes and helicopters. “We, as an association, do advocate for them,” Moore said.
The variety of drones utilized in agricultural applications within the U.S. has risen rapidly up to now several years. Based on Federal Aviation Administration data, the FAA approved 837 applications to operate agricultural drones from June 2023 to today. This compares with 137 total approvals prior to June 2023.
“Current FAA rulemaking efforts are focused on developing an ordinary algorithm for operations beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) to make these sorts of operations routine, scalable and economically viable,” in keeping with an FAA statement.
Nonetheless, despite the expansion in using ag drones, Moore said two aspects – speed and product carrying capability — are likely to favor the continued dominance in using manned aircraft to help farmers in producing food, fiber and bioenergy, and in protecting forestry and controlling health-threatening pests.
“The key most significant function of manned aircraft is speed,” he said. Manned fixed-wing ag aircraft are turbine-powered and may fly across a field at about 140 miles per hour.
As well as, he said the typical manned aircraft has a much larger capability for carrying products to be delivered to farmers’ fields, between 400 gallons and 500 gallons, compared with the typical agricultural drone, with a 15-gallon capability.
“That enables for fewer flights, of refilling the hopper with crop-protection products or seeds or fertilizers. So, manned aircraft still have a vitally essential role,” Moore said.
“All of it comes right down to economics, right?” he said. Although the worth of deploying a manned aircraft to spray a field is comparatively expensive, covering the identical area with a fleet of drones might be cost just as much or more. As well as, it is going to require a greater cost of labor with a view to operate a fleet of drones, given the UAVs’ limited battery life and the necessity for frequent battery exchanges.
Moore said that as drone technology advances, ag drones with larger hopper capacities will little doubt be developed, but as the scale and weight of the unmanned vehicles increase, so too will the extent of federal safety regulations in addition to the associated fee.
“In lots of cases, drones don’t must be certificated like manned aircraft do,” Moore said. “But, as they get larger they usually must be certified for safety, there’ll be lots more testing required and the prices often go up when that’s implemented.”
Nonetheless, given all these limiting aspects, drones definitely have earned a distinct segment in the general ag aircraft market, Moore said.
“I believe you’re seeing almost two different markets within the sense that they’re treating areas that normally wouldn’t be treated by manned aircraft, simply tougher-to-reach areas.”
Drones must cede right of way
Moore lauded a provision of the FAA reauthorization bill, which was recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden, that establishes clear regulations for UAS operating in the identical low-altitude airspace as manned ag aircraft. Under the rules that Congress set for the establishment of a final BVLOS rule, drones are required in all cases to cede the fitting of option to manned aircraft traffic.
NAAA is advocating that the FAA require that unmanned aircraft flying beyond the visual line of site be equipped with sense-and-avoid technology to make sure compliance with the right-of-way rules.
“NAAA is an enormous umbrella. We’re have hybrid operations of crewed and uncrewed aircraft, but safety is paramount,” Moore said. We’re all the time pushing for our safety programs when it comes to application efficacy, ensuring the applications are secure and targeted.”
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