“The Wilmington Air Park can make a strong case as a future home for one of these new test sites. Ohio’s Third District is the birthplace of manned flight, and now with this legislation it has the opportunity to be a pioneer in the field of unmanned flight,”
Congressman Mike Turner voted for the passage of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2011(H.R. 658) which included language to create four new test sites for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Turner worked with the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as well as fellow legislators, to draft the language included in the bill. This bill could benefit Wilmington’s Air Park as sites are selected for the future UAV testing.Previously the FAA Reauthorization bill included no new test sites for unmanned planes. Now, Turner’s legislative effort will allow the FAA to create four test sites to study the effectiveness of allowing Unmanned Aircraft Systems to share airspace and runways with commercial aircraft.
“The Wilmington Air Park can make a strong case as a future home for one of these new test sites. Ohio’s Third District is the birthplace of manned flight, and now with this legislation it has the opportunity to be a pioneer in the field of unmanned flight,” said Turner.
If signed into law, this legislation would require the FAA Administrator to establish a program to integrate the Unmanned Aircraft Systems into the national airspace system. This would take place in coordination with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Defense.
“If passed by the Senate and signed into law by the President, this legislation could greatly expand opportunities for Wilmington’s businesses and workers looking to make their mark in the growing field of unmanned flight,” added Turner.