http://www.opb.org/news/article/drone-industry-prepares-for-takeoff-in-oregon/
Oregon could soon become a launch pad for a drone industry expansion that produces thousands of new jobs over the next decade.
Drones are mostly used by the military, but manufacturers are ready to make them for other uses like crop spraying and forest fire search and rescue. The only problem is that they have few places to test new products the five drone companies based in Oregon use the Boardman Bombing Range or Edwards Air Force Base near Los Angeles.
If the Federal Aviation Administration approves Oregons application to be a drone test site, manufacturers could also fly out of the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport in Pendleton, Port of Tillamook and Warm Springs.
The objective of the FAA is to integrate unmanned aerial systems into the national airspace it means they (eventually) fly anywhere, said Erik Simpkins, lead researcher for the test site application. Our objective is to learn how to fly safely and avoid other unmanned systems and unpiloted systems by flying in rural areas.