This fall, companies could start testing newly designed aircraft in Ventura County, with as many as one to three flights a day.
The Federal Aviation Administration signed off on a test range for Uncrewed Aerial Systems, or UAS, in May, issuing a certificate of authorization to the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Called Area 805, the project is a partnership with the university, which operates other UAS ranges in the U.S., and the county’s Department of Airports.
The 500-square-mile airspace spans the coast as well as parts of Oxnard and Camarillo, but much of the air traffic is expected over the ocean, officials said.
The federal review took roughly 17 months, said Keith Freitas, the county’s airports director. The approval now means aircraft will have a much more streamlined process before test flights, one that likely could be completed in a matter of weeks, he said.
The process gets expedited because the airspace was analyzed as safe to operate with other aircraft with certain protocols in place, Freitas said.
Over the past week, University of Alaska personnel worked with county airport personnel to stand up a local team, and testing could start by September.
Once the program begins, as many as three flights could happen daily, he said.
“We’re not in a rush to do all these things,” Freitas said. “We will take our time, be very cautious as we start this up.”
Why did Ventura County pursue an aircraft test range?
Freitas first heard about possibilities of operating test ranges a decade ago. He was working at airports in Contra Costa County, near the Bay Area, when he heard from startup companies in the autonomous aircraft operations, he said.
“We had these companies coming to us because they couldn’t do flight testing where they were because they’re too close to the congested airspace with San Francisco and Oakland,” he said.
Like Ventura County, Contra Costa provided a spot just outside of much more densely populated areas with big airports, he said. Partnering with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, he started a small test range, around the size of a couple football fields.
When he came to Ventura County five years ago, he saw a similar opportunity. Local companies were leaving the state for testing, with some losing engineers and other team members because of it, he said.
Meanwhile, the Navy had two of its largest test ranges in the area – Point Mugu along the county’s south coast, and China Lake, north of Los Angeles. But those spots were generally only available for military contractors and could have long wait lists, according to Freitas.
He reached out to the University of Alaska and officials started the process. The request went to the FAA, and after nearly a year and a half in review, they received authorization.
When will flight tests start in Ventura County?
Typically, someone designing a new aircraft would seek a certificate of authorization from the FAA and go into the agency’s queue for review. By seeking authorization with an approved test range, the timeline to meet requirements is shortened.
University of Alaska Fairbanks recently worked with county airport personnel on how the local program will run, from the required checks and paperwork to frequency verification and safety protocol, Freitas said.
With that process completed, officials could start processing requests for test flights, which likely will operate out of the Oxnard Airport in the beginning. Before any flight, the aircraft or drone would have to go through additional checks to show it can operate safely in the UAS range, Freitas said.
Flights are expected to only happen during daytime hours Monday through Friday, officials said. Plans also call for officials to look for possible sites outside of the airport, such as along the coast, to operate.
Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Feds OK Ventura County’s aircraft test range; flights to start soon
Reporting by Cheri Carlson, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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By Cheri Carlson, Ventura County Star | USA TODAY Network
