OT: Drone Testing at Virginia Tech

http://www.wdbj7.com/news/local/virginia-tech-leading-the-way-in-drone-t...

Thought this might spark a conversation. Apparently Tech has been one of six sites testing Drones in the national airspace.

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VT and the surrounding areas have been big on UAV research and development for a while now. The fact that the FAA selected them to be one of these research sites isn't surprising at all.

Hopefully they'll leave the other five sites in the dust ;)

There's always a lighthouse. There's always a man. There's always a city.

Commonwealth Cup Champions since Sat, Nov 27, 2004 at 4:05:00 PM EST

In order to hunt down the elusive terrorists hiding out in the mountains, the government is practicing by using drones to find UVA Fans at their spring game.

The Dude Abides

ahhhnald

HOKIE HOKIE HOKIE HI
'14 grad

I also heard they were experimenting with Terminator-style cyborg technology; hence Sam Rogers presence in the NRV.

The Dude Abides

Similar subject, but has anyone been on the river with the F-18's buzz by? Pretty awesome experience - Had 2 buzz by one time that had to be only 300-400 feet off the water.

It's part of a Navy flight training path - they head to Pilot from the New River and then down to Seymour, I believe.

We used to go up to Wind Rock a fair amount and there were always fighter jets flying across the valley

"We were at the pinnacle, and we did it for years," Foster says. He pauses, nods, takes a deep breath. "And I did it with the best guy in the business."

Wind rock is great place. When I was skiing @ Snowshoe in late Feb, a couple F-18s buzzed the top of the mt. It was pretty cool. There r several training runs that cut through several places from there down through NRV. Sound of Freedom - power projection!

On another topic, the area round Snowshoe is a legislated EM emissions quiet zone. There is a NSA listening post n the largest steerable radio telescope up there. No cell service @ all up there. Only 1-2 radio stations. EM emission sensitive people have been moving up there.

Pain is Temporary, Chicks Dig Scars
Glory is Forever, Let's Go Hokies!!

My hometown is about an hour from Greenbank. It's an interesting place.

VT Class of '12 (MSE), MVBone, Go Hokies!

I live at Lake Monticello, and the military has used the lake as a visual landmark on training flights for years. I've seen a wide variety of aircraft at low levels (some lower than the 1000 ft. min.), including C-130's, Osprey's, and choppers. I love seeing the planes, but a lot of the lake residents don't enjoy it.

Take the shortest route to the ball and arrive in bad humor.

When I was working at Claytor Lake we would always see the F-22's from Langley fly by. They used the dam as a target in the training missions.

I live at Claytor Lake and hear them quite frequently. Mostly at night though it seems.

@AMB4VT

Pretty cool.
Maybe we could have our drones do a flyover to start the football games this season:

Then again, maybe a bad idea.......

I LOVE THIS IDEA

On second thought, while I still love this idea, we should have a flyover of something Hokies made every single home game.

Game 1: Drones, as Shoog suggests.
Game against LOLUVA: Amazon-style delivery drone brings the Commonwealth Cup

EDIT:
On third thought, it might be overkill to use a drone to deliver the Commonwealth Cup to Lane, since it's PERMANENTLY HOUSED RIGHT NEXT DOOR.

Boom.

If they can really stabilize this, imagine the angles you could get watching sports since it wouldn't be constricted to hardpoint locations from which to film the game. You could do away with the wire harness for cameras above the field.

Rob Peterson
VTCC
Charlie/Hotel Company
Class of 1999

It'd be like an indoor blimp, just smaller, and not a blimp.

And not indoors.
Other than that......

So it's be a " "!

A kid from my alma mater has been making videos of campus and the Boone, NC area for about 2 years now. Pretty cool stuff! This would be awesome at a Thursday night game!

Go Hokies

Now you know why the indoor facility needs to have drone detection devices installed so no one can spy on our super secret plays.

Rob Peterson
VTCC
Charlie/Hotel Company
Class of 1999

It'll strategically take out anyone who doesn't admit Danny Coale caught that damn ball

"When I was growing up, Virginia Tech was a school that was kicking ass and taking names, and it's time we get back to that" - James Franklin

I'm waiting for Box or some of our other talented folks to come up with a gif of the Hokiedrone firing a missle and taking cavman off his horse.

Take the shortest route to the ball and arrive in bad humor.

Can someone do this please.... turkey legs for the person who does!

That is a waste of a missile he tends to fall off on his own...

I really want to take advantage of this to get employed in the NRV. Airborne network comms is my bag.

Pain is Temporary, Chicks Dig Scars
Glory is Forever, Let's Go Hokies!!

I remember hearing a few weeks ago that an anti drone activist had come and was speaking, and at the conclusion of her talk asked for questions or audience input. Well sitting in the audience was one COL Montgomery, the commander of the AFROTC det. and a UAV pilot, and she invited him up and he shared his experience with the audience.

Another fantastic opportunity and experience you wont find anywhere else!

Edit: Heres the link, its the CT but its not that bad, http://www.collegiatetimes.com/news/virginia_tech/article_4a3e3ac6-afc3-...