The aeronautical test range in Chitradurga, Ganimangala village in Chamarajanagar district and Kodagu’s Choudigudi Estate in Karnataka are part of the 23 sites identified by the civil aviation regulator for testing efficacy of drones in the country.
The locations were identified in the Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) publicised by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday. Besides the three sites in Karnataka, there are seven more locations in south India where one can do the testing. There are four such locations in Tamil Nadu (Vellore, Salem, Erode and Coimbatore), two in Kerala (Munnar and Idukki) and one in Telangana (Mulugu village in Hyderabad).
Other sites include Surendranagar in Gujarat as well as Aurangabad, Amravati, Ahmednagar, Satara and Shirpur airport. “To encourage new technology, Indian organisations involved in research and development related activity of RPAS (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems), having obtained industrial license from DIPP (Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion), shall use the test sites for testing/demonstration purpose,” the policy unveiled on Monday said.
These organisations can also alternatively utilise unused airstrips or government educational institutions’ campus, provided adequate safety precautions are in place. It will be the responsibility of operators to ensure that no manned or unmanned aircraft is flying during such operations in the intended test area.
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