Aircraft operates similar to Osprey
The Ohio Department of Transportation is about to deploy its first fixedwing drone to monitor freeway traffic, inspect bridge and road conditions and warn of chemical hazards. The aircraft is distinct because it will be monitored remotely, out of view of the person operating it.
To do so, ODOT’s Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Center recently received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly the drone over a portion of the Route 33 corridor northwest of Columbus. Permission is needed to fly drones beyond the pilot’s sight.
That’s important for the future, said David Gallagher, flight operations manager for ODOT’s 40 pilots who recently launched the craft from ODOT’s training center in Springfield.
“We’re building for the future of aviation,” he said. “We’re getting familiar with all the systems before we go to the Rt. 33 corridor . ... We’re doing everything we can do to have the most successful flight.”
Massive wingspan ... and price
The aircraft is a 20-pound Censys Sentaero with a wingspan of 71⁄2 feet, much larger than most commercial drones, which are about a foot long.
Its most distinctive feature — besides its $40,000 price — is the ability to take off and land vertically, without the need for a runway.
Consider it half airplane, half helicopter.
That’s similar to the MV-22 Osprey used by the U.S. Marines, and a similar version used by U.S. Special Forces, to operate in stealth conditions or difficult terrain.
“It’s got four propellers, so all four ... are spinning. So it takes off vertically, then it transitions,” with the propellers facing forward to enable the craft to fly like a regular airplane, said Gallagher.
First test: Route 33 corridor
The drone will first be put to use along a four-mile stretch of Route 33 between Route 42 and Watkins Road a few miles northwest of Franklin County. There it will test the capability of drone use for traffic monitoring and incident management.
ODOT already has about 60 drones, but they must fly within an operator’s eyesight. With a range of several miles, the Sentaero, using a ground-based video monitor, can better respond to natural disasters like flooding or tornadoes or severe traffic backups.
With that data, decisions can be made about shifting travel lanes or creating detours.
“If we can stop shutting down lanes, that’s safer for our workers and safer for the public,” Gallagher said.
The on-board systems are capable of detecting and avoiding other aircraft and will be supported by ground-based visual observers to “keep eyes” on the aircraft to ensure safety. Officials call the aircraft the first of its size to be approved for this type of operation, and the second in the United States approved for operations over people and traffic without a parachute.
How can drones help ODOT?
“Drones can do a lot of things. Depending on the aircraft, they can be equipped with object detection and analytics, which form a critical piece in improving safety on the roadway,” said UAS Center Director Rich Fox. “This is only the beginning. We’re excited to test the potential benefits.”
ODOT already has more than 1,000 stationary traffic cameras across the state. Drones can add another perspective, from up to 400 feet above the ground.
Deploying drones beyond the pilot’s line of sight could get real-time information to ODOT more quickly to help identify congested areas, crashes, or road hazards.
Those with special sensors can also detect radiation or other chemical toxins and relay that information to emergency responders. Others offer realtime video during search-and-rescue missions over a large area — easier, safer and quicker than conventional methods.
Without any drones, workers have to climb, crawl and repel to inspect or repair bridges, Gallagher said.
“It takes time. It takes skill. It takes some guts too,” he said.
The FAA approval must be renewed at the end of four years. Until then, the Route 33 area “will help determine the benefit of replicating this approach statewide to aid the public and first responders in emergency response and traffic monitoring, especially in rural areas,” according to ODOT.
The craft already is becoming a favorite of those using it. It has earned its nickname “Huffman Prairie,” the 84acre site in Fairborn northeast of Dayton where the Wright Brothers launched historic flights in 1904 and 1905.