![\"63d5c0300e35128f54eb406e2121094a.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/mdpair.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/63d5c0300e35128f54eb406e2121094a-1.jpg\" "\\"63d5c0300e35128f54eb406e2121094a.jpg\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cThey have the expertise to operate this,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019ve done this seamlessly with tremendous success. We are fortunate to have a leader in the industry here as our partner, and I look forward to being able to develop all the new, future things that are coming down the road with drones and the aviation community.\u201d<\/p>\n
The agreement comes as officials with the Salisbury airport prepare for expanded drone programs and facilities. According to the concession agreement, SRS will operate from the airport\u2019s UAS facility.<\/p>\n
Councilman Joe Holloway, howev-er, voiced his concerns regarding proposed drone operations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we first started talking about this several months ago, it was supposed to be fixed-wing drones,\u201d he said. \u201cThat was the understanding I was getting from this, and I\u2019ve had concerns from some citizens. There are people out there that are concerned about the vertical lifts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Veatch told the council flight operations at the facility would include several types of drones.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are no drones being excluded,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have runway-type drone equipment that will use the runway and we have vertical lift [drones].\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Veatch stressed safety measures that would facilitate drone operations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have prescribed departures for ingress, egress that protect the operations on the active runways,\u201d she said. \u201cThose are all being published in a chart for all pilots to review and be able to see. There will be NOTAMS, or notice to airmen, generated for every pilot that flies. They are supposed to get them before they take off, as well as a local NOTAM where the tower will advise if drone activity is currently in operation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Veatch added that everyone would be aware of drone operations at the airport.<\/p>\n
\u201cTypically, the vertical lift is below 400 feet and aircraft are not supposed to be below 400 feet inside the five-mile radius of the airport. It\u2019s restricted,\u201d she said. \u201cWe feel we have a very safe operation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Veatch told council members she would also come before them in a meeting next month for permission to utilize drone detection technology at the airport.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s on the agenda to go ahead and get that technology installed so we can track and monitor all drone equipment operating in our airspace and coordinate with air traffic control,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
SALISBURY \u2013 Wicomico County officials this week approved a concession agreement with a company to provide unmanned aircraft flight operations at the Salisbury airport.
\nOn Tuesday, the Wicomico County Council voted unanimously to accept a concession agreement between the county and Sentinel Robotic Solutions (SRS) LLC.
\n\u201cThis is a concession agreement instead of a lease because SRS is providing a service, not renting a facility,\u201d Airport Manager Dawn Veatch said. \u201cThe facility is being built by the county. There will be office space and other things rented in that facility that will not be for this portion of this agreement.\u201d
\nVeatch told the council SRS was experienced in operating unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have the expertise to operate this,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019ve done this seamlessly with tremendous success. We are fortunate to have a leader in the industry here as our partner, and I look forward to being able to develop all the new, future th..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18701,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mdpair.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mdpair.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mdpair.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mdpair.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mdpair.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18700"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mdpair.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18700\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mdpair.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mdpair.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mdpair.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}