[Scan-DC] Unmanned Aircraft Runway

Thu May 18 23:50:11 EDT 2017

You can see this on N Wallops Island in Google but Bing is too old.  There
are UAS runways at AP Hill, and Dahlgren (marked UAV), and at the Army ARL
facility at Blossom Pt., MD.  

--
David L. Wilson

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Scan-DC [mailto:scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of
> Richard Rowland
> Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2017 11:31 PM
> To: Scan DC
> Subject: [Scan-DC] Unmanned Aircraft Runway
> 
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> Date: May 18, 2017
>  Office of the Governor
> Contact: Brian Coy
> Email: brian.coy at governor.virginia.gov
> 
> Virginia Opens Unmanned Aircraft Runway on Wallops Island
> 
> ~ After cutting ribbon, Governor McAuliffe becomes first governor to fly
in
> autonomous aircraft ~
> 
> WALLOPS ISLAND - Governor Terry McAuliffe today celebrated the opening
> of Virginia's newest asset in drone technology research - a runway for
> unmanned aircraft - and then experienced the future of aviation firsthand
by
> flying in a plane that can be piloted from the ground.
> Governor McAuliffe visited NASA Wallops Flight Facility for a
ribbon-cutting
> on the runway, a $5.8 million state-funded project officially known as the
> Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport's Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MARS UAS)
> Airfield.
> "The MARS UAS Airfield presents a significant new capability for Wallops
and
> the Hampton Roads region," Governor McAuliffe said. "It propels Virginia
> further on its quest to become a national leader in autonomous technology
> and industry, which is at the heart of our efforts to build a new Virginia
> economy."
> Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Governor McAuliffe boarded an
> Aurora Centaur, an optionally piloted aircraft that can be operated
remotely
> from a ground control station, and flew in the plane over Wallops Island.
> "This new facility at Wallops provides government and commercial users
with
> a runway under restricted airspace on a secure federal facility -
discreetness
> that is of high interest for research and development,"
> Virginia Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne said.
> "The new UAS runway is an outstanding and strategic addition to the vast
> array of unmanned systems assets in the Commonwealth," said Secretary of
> Technology Karen Jackson. "The addition of these unique capabilities will
> provide the opportunity for even more companies and organizations to test
> their systems in Virginia."
> Additional details about the runway:
> .         The runway is 3,000 feet long and 75 feet wide.
> .         Its concrete pad measures 130 feet by 120 feet and is rated to
> 5,000 psi for Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) operations.
> .         The airfield is surrounded by 75 square nautical miles of
> restricted airspace that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to
> unlimited altitude.
> .         The Virginia Department of Transportation managed construction
of
> the $5.8 million, state-funded project.
> .         A 90-foot-by-50-foot hangar with a 70-foot-tall rollup door, lab
> space, communications and broadband connectivity will be under
> construction this summer.
>  Dale Nash, executive director of Virginia Space, thanked Governor
McAuliffe
> and Virginia's legislators for providing funding for construction of the
MARS
> UAS Airfield.
> "I also want to thank Secretary Layne and VDOT Commissioner Charlie
> Kilpatrick for all their support," Nash said. "With Virginia Space being
within
> the Transportation Secretariat, we were able to draw on their considerable
> resources. VDOT managed the entire construction of runway from the initial
> turnover of engineering drawings and permits to the last foot of paving."
> The MARS UAS Airfield is the latest commitment by Virginia to become the
> home of an array of autonomy-related assets designed to attract business.
> This investment, combined with programs from NASA at Wallops and
> Langley, the establishment of the Autonomous Systems Center of Excellence
> run by the Center for Innovative Technology, and designation of Virginia
as
> one of six FAA test sites for unmanned aircraft systems, will help fulfill
the
> Commonwealth's mission of being one of the best autonomous hubs of
> industry in the nation.
> According to a study completed by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle
> Systems International (AUVSI), the UAS industry is predicted to have a
total
> economic impact in Virginia of approximately $270M annually by the year
> 2020.
> 
> ###
> 
> Charlotte Gomer
> Office of Governor Terence R. McAuliffe
> Press Assistant
> Charlotte.Gomer at governor.virginia.gov
> 
> 
> Richard Rowland
> Secretary/Treasurer Emeritus
> Richmond Building Trades
> richrowl at covad.net
> 
> 
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