Two different drones will take flight over the San Luis Valley following Federal Aviation Administration approval.
The FAA has approved the launching and testing of two drones in an 8000 square mile airspace near the airport in Alamosa County.
Brian Argrow, professor of aerospace and engineering sciences at The University of Colorado Boulder, was involved in getting FAA approval. "Everyday there's some new application that people are using the drones for and this is all in the interest of tapping into this market," he said.
Professor Argrow said two drones will be tested. Both are designed to carry loads and could potentially be used for search and rescue, wildlife observation, or electrical line inspection.
CU partnered with the nonprofit aerospace advocacy group UASColorado and Alamosa County to propose the project to the FAA.
Editor's Note: The airport being used for the testing is the San Luis Valley's Leach Airport located in Saguache County, which is 30 miles north of Alamosa's San Luis Valley Airport. We regret any confusion.
