Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Electric Department (BED) will be using drones tomorrow/Wednesday morning to measure its woodchip piles at both the McNeil Generating Station, 111 Intervale Avenue, Burlington, and its satellite wood yard, 45 Demers Drive, Swanton. The measurements will be taken by the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, and performed by members of the University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Lab of the Rubinstein School of Environmental & Natural Resources.
Given the recent news coverage of unexplained drone sightings in various locations around the country, BED is alerting communities in both areas to avoid unnecessary concern.
BED, as part of its annual audits, partners with the UVM Spatial Analysis Lab two times each year – once in December at the end of the calendar year and again in June at the end of our fiscal year – to obtain woodchip pile measurements to help confirm and adjust BED woodchip inventory.
The drones will reach an altitude of up to 300 feet above ground level (AGL) at McNeil (limit in Class C airspace with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorization), and up to 400 feet AGL in Swanton (limit in Class G airspace without additional authorization).
The drones will take off and land at each site and never leave the area of the two sites. Each flight will last approximately five minutes. The Pilot in Command will be an FAA certificated remote pilot.
The McNeil flight, for which the UAS Team will obtain FAA authorization due to proximity to Burlington International Airport), will take place at some point between 8:30 and 9:00am, and the Swanton flight between 10:30 and 11:00am.
For further information, please contact the UAS Team at [email protected].
Source: 12.17.2024. Burlington Electric Department burlingtonelectric.com Burlington, Vermont
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