Pilot Union Urges FAA To Reject Rainmaker's Drone Cloud-Seeding Plan

An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Rainmaker Technology's bid to deploy cloud-seeding flares on small drones is being met by resistance from the airline pilots union, which has urged the Federal Aviation Administration to consider denying the startup's request unless it meets stricter safety guidelines. The FAA's decision will signal how the regulator views weather modification by unmanned aerial systems going forward. Rainmaker's bet on small drones hangs in the balance.

The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) told the FAA that Rainmaker's petition "fails to demonstrate an equivalent level of safety" and poses "an extreme safety risk." Rainmaker is seeking an exemption from rules that bar small drones from carrying hazardous materials. The startup filed in July, and the FAA has yet to rule. Instead, it issued a follow-up request for information, pressing for specifics on operations and safety. In its filing, Rainmaker proposed using two flare types, one "burn-in-place" and the other ejectable, on its Elijah quadcopter, to disperse particles that stimulate precipitation. Elijah has a maximum altitude of 15,000 feet MSL (measured from sea level), which sits inside controlled airspace where commercial airliners routinely fly. Drones need permission from Air Traffic Control to fly inside this bubble. Rainmaker's petition says it will operate in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace unless otherwise authorized. ALPA notes the filing doesn't clearly state where flights would occur or what altitudes would be used. Rainmaker and ALPA did not reply to TechCrunch's requests for comment.

The union also objects to the flares themselves, citing concerns about foreign object debris and fire safety. ALPA points out that the petition does not include trajectory modeling of the ejectable casings or analysis on the environmental impacts of chemical agents. However, Rainmaker says the flights will occur over rural areas and over properties owned by private landlords "with whom Rainmaker has developed close working relationships." [...] What happens next hinges on whether the FAA thinks those mitigations are sufficient. However it's decided, the agency's response will likely set the tone for novel cloud-seeding approaches.

Re:

[Tony Isaac]

Cloud seeding isn't new, just using drones to do it.

As for what could go wrong, one could argue that farming itself is interrupting a "large chaotic system." Perhaps we should stop farming altogether. Also, building cities interrupts large chaotic systems, literally affecting the climate in the area of the city. Perhaps we should stop building cities.

As with anything humans do, we need to be aware of, and manage, side effects.

A reasonable concern from a biased source

[Tony Isaac]

Clearly, the pilot union is mostly concerned about pilot jobs. But the proposal itself, seems sensible. These outfits shouldn't be able to just ignore controlled airspace.

Re:

[ceoyoyo]

I don't think the airline pilot's union cares much about a few cloud seeding pilot jobs.

They do care a lot about stuff flying around, especially high up though. Airline pilots really dislike uncontrolled air traffic, not without good reason.

Re:

[Tony Isaac]

Got it, so you think the pilots' union is just concerned about safety, and that their objections have nothing to do with the fact that these drones don't require an actual pilot. Sorry, I don't buy it.

Re:

[Tony Isaac]

Yes I am, how did you know?

Most things drones are used for, don't put a pilot out of a job. They are instead most often used for things a human pilot couldn't do. Like, for example, hovering over a crowd taking news photos, or dropping off a package or medicine in your back yard.

The union wouldn't be upset about such uses, because there's no way a human could do those jobs. In this case, drones are doing a job that until now, has been done by human pilots, thus eliminating some human pilot jobs.

Re:

[ceoyoyo]

Yes, airline pilots associations are well known for not caring much about safety, it's true. Also, have you heard the one about the pizza parlour basement?

Business model

[Fons_de_spons]

This rainmaker business model, is it a subscription model? Do you subscribe for rain or do you subscribe for sun. Both I guess...

In other news

[Wrath0fb0b]

Scriveners guild opposes printing press

Weavers guild opposes powered loom

Farriers guild opposes automobile

Tellers guild opposes ATM

Water still wet

Re:

[belmolis]

Bad analogy. Using drones to seed clouds will have a very small impact on the jobs of pilots - there aren't many pilots who do this kind of work. And it won't have any impact on airline pilots, who are the people who fly airliners, not the small planes that do cloud seeding. Their concern, as the article says, is with drones flying in the same airspace as airliners and with the debris (like "space junk" but at a lower altitude) that the cloud seeding flares generate.

Small plane pilots

[stabiesoft]

I'm surprised this group is not complaining. I've known a few pilots and flown in small planes. Cruising is very common below 15K, not uncommon I think only 5K above ground. I cannot imagine the surprise of the pilot when they are surrounded by drones dropping/firing crap. And it seemed like the pilots just flew visual so I don't think it uncommon to just sort of go that way. I know they file a flight plan but I thought that was as much to help in case they don't report back as much as anything else.

ALPA just wants the sky to themselves

[russotto]

ALPA just wants the airlines to be the only thing in the air. They don't like general aviation and are always pushing (often successfully) for further restrictions on it. They've claimed that to be allowed to fly a model airplane you should have as much training as a 737 pilot. If they ran out of things to do they'd probably pick a fight with the Audubon Society. They should be ignored.