Rainmaker technology offer for the development Flame flames on small aircraft are met by the resistance of the Air Force Pilot Union, which urged the federal aviation administration to consider refusing the start of the start, unless more stricter safety instructions are fulfilled.
FAA’s decision will signal how the regulator views the modification of the weather by the unmanned airline systems. Rainmaker’s bet on small aircraft hangs on balance.
The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) told FAA that Rainmaker’s report “does not prove an equivalent level of security” and puts “an extreme risk of security”.
Rainmaker seeks exemption from rules that prevent small aircraft from transporting dangerous materials. The boot deposited in July and FAA has not yet decided. Instead, he issued a monitoring request for information, clicking on details of functions and security.
In his testimony, Rainmaker suggested using two types of flares, one “fuel” and the other blackmail, on the Quadcopter of Elijah, to disperse the particles that stimulate rainfall. Elias has a maximum altitude of 15,000 feet MSL (measured by sea level), which sits in the controlled airspace where commercial aircraft usually fly. The aircraft need permission to control air traffic to fly in this bubble.
Rainmaker’s report states that it will operate in the G (uncontrolled) airspace, unless otherwise approved. Alpa notes that the deposit does not clearly state where flights will occur or what altitudes will be used. Rainmaker and Alpa did not respond to TechCrunch requests for comments.
The Union also oppose the flares itself, reporting concerns about foreign objects and fire safety. AlPA points out that the report does not include a housing orbit of housing or analysis on environmental impacts of chemical factors.
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However, Rainmaker says flights will occur in rural areas and over private owners’ properties “with which Rainmaker has developed close working relationships.”
The cloud is already happening today, to a large extent in the western US, with the crew planes flying in coordination with state services. Ski resorts impose businesses to maintain white routes and their irrigation and aquatic areas fly to build snow in winter to help feed their tanks during spring.
The general practice of sowing clouds dates back to the 1950s. By spraying small particles in some clouds, scientists found that they could cause sedimentation. Usually, sowing clouds use silver iodine for particles, mainly because they mimic the shape of ice crystals.
When a silver iodine particles beats in droplets of water that is overdlying, they cause the droplet to freeze quickly because its water is already below the freezer point. Once the ice crystal is formed, it can grow quickly if the conditions are correct, faster than a liquid water droplet will under similar conditions. In addition, rapid growth helps crystals to stick more than a water droplet, which can evaporate before it has the opportunity to fall as a rainfall.
Rainmaker’s twist – doing this project with drones instead of pilots – could prove to be safer in the long run. The company points out that the flight profiles are narrowly delimited, supervised by remote pilot and trained crews in rural areas, with other security checks.
What happens then depends on whether FAA believes that the mitigation is sufficient. However, it is decided that the organization’s response will probably put the tone for new approaches to the cloud.
