Drone Cloud-Seeding Plan Faces Turbulence with Pilot Concerns
So, there's this startup, Rainmaker Technology, that wants to use drones for cloud seeding. Instead of traditional airplanes, they're envisioning a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with flares to disperse particles into the clouds and coax them to release some rain.
However, not everyone is thrilled about this idea. The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the union representing airline pilots, has raised some serious concerns with the FAA. They're worried about the safety of having these drones, which they say are carrying hazardous materials, flying in the same airspace as commercial airliners.
Rainmaker argues that their approach is actually safer in the long run. They say their drones will be flown by trained crews in rural areas, with various safety checks in place. They will fly as high as 15,000 feet.
The FAA is now in a tricky position. It needs to weigh the potential benefits of this new technology against the safety concerns raised by the pilots union. The decision that the FAA makes could set a precedent for how weather modification is regulated in the future. It's a big deal!
Cloud seeding has been around since the 1950s. It's done by spraying small particles, like silver iodide, into clouds to encourage precipitation. These particles act like ice crystals, causing water droplets to freeze and eventually fall as rain or snow. Ski resorts and water districts often use cloud seeding to increase snowfall and water supply, and Rainmaker hopes to make the process more efficient and safer with drones.
I personally think that there are pros and cons to it. On the one hand, drones could be a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to conduct cloud seeding. However, we need to make sure that all safety concerns are addressed before we start launching these drones into the sky. No one wants a drone-induced downpour of fire.
Source: TechCrunch