(The Center Square) — The Advanced Aviation and Drone Advisory Committee heard several unmanned aerial vehicle and counter-drone companies pitch the importance of advanced technology in Louisiana this week.
In May, Senate Bill 215, authored by Sen. Michael Fesi, R-Houma, was signed by Gov. Jeff Landry. The bill set up a vertiport infrastructure and development fund. Vertiports are essentially landing pads for small, electric aircraft or drones.
With the new fund, and the creation of the committee in 2021, several businesses saw Wednesday’s hearing as an opportunity to inform lawmakers on why their technology is important and can set Louisiana apart as a pioneer for the nation.
Brett Feddersen, the vice president of government affairs for D-Fend, a company that creates counter-drone technology, said in a presentation that the government faces a constant threat of smuggling across the border, harassment of citizens and espionage, all with drones.
Robert Perez with Romeo Papa LLC, a drone detection security company, echoed this sentiment.
“I think the Chinese and people have been mapping our facilities in Louisiana for years and it’s gonna continue to be a problem,” Perez said.
Perez also argued prisons and airports have the biggest need for this technology. In the case of prisons, contraband smuggling, and in the case of airports, interference with flight patterns.
“Around prisons, we’ve seen some drone activity there. We’ve seen drones flying around airports at the approach end of the runways. That’s dangerous. It’s a problem,” Perez said.
The D-Fend detection system detects drones up to about five kilometers (3.1 miles) and can mitigate the drone up to two and a half kilometers (about 1.6 miles) by taking control of the drone’s technology for safe landing and locating the home point of where it took off from.
Feddersen also said the product has the capability of setting up a geofence around any facility, but at current law, you’re not allowed to set up a geofence around a premises.
Steven Bary, the command pilot for Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, said they have trouble with people flying drones over fires and interrupting firefighter duties.
“We had great difficulty with sightseers over our fires and drones over our fires, interfering with firefighting operations with our ground crew members and with our airplanes,” Bary said.
In the case of forest fires, or situations outside of an urban area, Perez suggested they can use a mobile system to detect drones over the area.
Perez said the setup cost for an airport is about half a billion dollars, but they are working with FEMA and the Legislature to help fund this program for state airports.
Christopher Sharplin, the chief operating office of Dronestitute, a a drone education company, presented arguments for infrastructure on the other side of the drone industry and why financial viability for drone pilots is necessary. Sharplin wants greater understanding of these aircraft and how to properly use them.
He believes with more education, reform and funding they can study and prove how drones generate new revenue and stimulate local economies. They can also assist the coastal protection, fire prevention and transportation departments in Louisiana.
Dronestitute’s plan includes implementing drone education in K-12 schools, STEM programs and certain technical colleges.
