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”.
However, Rainmaker’s CEO Augustus Doricko said that an email that all Union objections are based only on public alert and not on non -public documents submitted to FAA describing all company security data and risk mitigation.
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. However, Doricko said that the documents submitted to FAA revealed that in addition to the flights limited to a maximum altitude of 15,000 feet MSL, they would be held in airspace that is predetermined to be safe by the air authorities, “canceling any reasonable concern for the high -level coordination”. Alpa did not respond to TechCrunch requests for comments.
TechCrunch event
Francisco
|
27-29 October 2025
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.
“As for their objection to the use of inflammation, independent bodies such as the administration’s EPA and the multiple state departments of natural resources have studied the dispersion and environmental safety of materials used for sowing clouds for over 70 years and have never found adverse effects on the sowing clouds.”
Sam Kim, Rainmaker’s regulatory director, said the company respects the pilot’s union and hopes to “continue to strengthen our relationship with the organization”, but claimed that the objection “shows his lack of understanding because Rainmaker has filed for that exception”.
“The use of flares in unmanned systems is exclusively for research purposes in a controlled flight environment and is not part of our largest continuing activities,” Kim added.
Doricko said a typical Rainmaker business disperses 50-100 grams of iodide silver and much less than a flares flight, while one hour from a commercial plane flight releases kilograms of uncomfortable volatile organic, sulfur oxides and soil.
“Rainmaker is interested in doing the best, responsible atmospheric research and therefore compares the flames with the privately owned aerosol dispersion system that will replace the flames and emit the iodine iodide exclusively.
“Concerning Alpa’s concerns about coordination with the Air Force and Air space, our flight functions consist of emission signals, intentionally coordinating with local ATCs, certified pilots and a collision avoidance system that includes electronic and natural observers,” he said.
However, Rainmaker says flights will occur in rural areas and over private owners’ properties with whom Rainmaker has developed close labor relations. “
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.
9/13/2025: The story has been informed to include Rainmaker’s comments by Augustus Doricko, founder and chief executive and Sam Kim, Rainmaker’s Regulatory Aviation Manager.
