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<div>Greetings sUAS interest group members,</div>
<div>I am writing in follow-up to Matt’s message below.</div>
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<div>As Director of MAC, I aspire to host a sUAS flight center that supports future drone-borne image/sensing data capture for high throughput phenomics, adds to Central Arizona’s sUAS training capacities, and serves as a testing site for precision ag applications
in partnerships with industry . MAC is 2,100 contiguous acres (>3 sq miles), 1,700 of which is cultivated land. We have a decommissioned 1 mile runway and other potential launch sites. USDA-APHIS, through a sub-contractor, has been flying a sUAS at MAC
under an FAA issued COA to conduct insect management experiments. </div>
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<div>Recently, I was approached by a local AMA affiliated (see <a href="http://www.modelaircraft.org/">http://www.modelaircraft.org</a>) RC flight club about permissions to fly at MAC. I wonder if partnership with an AMA club might be a way for MAC to take
first steps towards my aspiration of a flight center. Any thoughts?</div>
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<div>I also wonder if NAU would be interested in partnering with MAC to create a flight center that could expand flight capacity of NAU faculty/students during the winter months. I welcome input/contacts from any NAU members on this list or others.</div>
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<div>Finally, I want to share that MAC is occasionally a launch site for the Arizona Near Space Research (ANSR) program (<a href="http://www.ansr.org/">http://www.ansr.org</a>/). A different flight ‘space’, but perhaps some opportunities for synergies with
sUAS flights.</div>
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<div style="font-family: Calibri;">Rick</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri;"><br>
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<div style="font-family: Calibri;">Rick Ward, Director</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri;">Maricopa Agricultural Center</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri;">Bud Antle Endowed Chair</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri;">University of Arizona</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri;">37860 W Smith-Enke Rd</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri;">Maricopa AZ 85138</div>
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<div style="font-family: Calibri;"><br>
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<div style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cell: +1 (520) 510-5785 / Fax: +1 (520) 374-6394 / Skype: wheatbreeder /</span><a href="mailto:rickw@email.arizona.edu">rickw@email.arizona.edu</a></div>
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<span style="font-weight:bold">From: </span>UAS <<a href="mailto:uas-bounces@list.cals.arizona.edu">uas-bounces@list.cals.arizona.edu</a>> on behalf of Matt Rahr <<a href="mailto:rahr@ag.arizona.edu">rahr@ag.arizona.edu</a>><br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">Date: </span>Thursday, August 27, 2015 at 7:49 AM<br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">To: </span>UAS Interest Group <<a href="mailto:uas@list.cals.arizona.edu">uas@list.cals.arizona.edu</a>><br>
<span style="font-weight:bold">Subject: </span>[UAS] Update on CALS UAS efforts<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Hello,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was asked by UITS yesterday if CALS was doing anything exciting with UAS/UAVs. I’ve been loosely keeping tabs on varying activities, but have been out of the loop with a few units, especially ABE. If you have anything to add to the summary
below, would you mind responding to the list?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Matt<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Hi Nik,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">We are loosely building a UAS interest group in CALS, although its meant to be as inclusive as possible. In fact, CALS has partnered with USDA, Arizona Western College, NAU and a few private firms, including
Raytheon and M3 Consulting. We have about a dozen drones throughout CALS and Cooperative Extension. Most are flown under the “recreational users” hat for use in remote sensing, but our department’s (<a href="http://cct.cals.arizona.edu/">CCT</a>) usage of
drones in high value video production pushes us out of that category. We’ve been in touch with FAA several times, and feel we have a clear path going forward. The first step is registering a UAS with the FAA (which gets us a tail number). This is a simple
process, one that does not dictate UAS usage. But, when we sent the paperwork over to Procurement and Contract Services for signature, it got sent up the flagpole and over to Risk Management. RM has been responsive and pro-active in working with us. We are
meeting with them and the Office of General Council soon. Simultaneously, we’ve submitted our Section #333 Exemption form to the FAA. We should be hearing back on that soon.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">This Fall, researchers in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment (<a href="http://snre.arizona.edu/">SNRE</a>) will be flying multi-spectral lidar over the
<a href="http://cals.arizona.edu/srer/">Santa Rita Experimental Range</a> (part of the Arizona Experiment Station) via a UAS operator contracted through NAU.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Farther out, we’d like to use our Experiment Station centers in
<a href="http://ag.arizona.edu/aes/yac/">Yuma</a> and <a href="cals-mac.arizona.edu">
Maricopa</a> as training hubs for those that seek skills in flying, post-image processing, and videography. Maricopa would also like to share this facility with their neighbors at the USDA-Arid Lands Research Center (<a href="http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=20-20-05-00">ALARC</a>),
who share an interest in UAS-based remote sensing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><a href="http://cct.cals.arizona.edu/">CCT</a> has begun building a UAS website to help coordinate efforts, documents, etc between our UAS users. It’s still in development, but I’ll let you know when it’s ready.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#7F7F7F">Matt Rahr</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#7F7F7F">Director, CALS Communications and Cyber Technologies (CCT)</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#7F7F7F">VM Hosting, Network & IT Security –</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"></span><span style="color:#1F497D"><a href="mailto:lab@cals.arizona.edu"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:blue">lab@cals.arizona.edu</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#7F7F7F">Programming & Web Development -
</span><span style="color:#1F497D"><a href="mailto:webdev@cals.arizona.edu" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:blue">webdev@cals.arizona.edu</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#7F7F7F">Video Production & Classroom Tech –</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"></span><span style="color:#1F497D"><a href="mailto:video@cals.arizona.edu"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:blue">video@cals.arizona.edu</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#7F7F7F">More Information Online -</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black">
</span><span style="color:#1F497D"><a href="http://cct.cals.arizona.edu/"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:blue">http://cct.cals.arizona.edu</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#7F7F7F">520-626-0329</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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