Moses Lake not chosen as drone site

MOSES LAKE - Federal Aviation Administration officials recently announced their selections for the country's six unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) research and test site operators.

The Grant County International Airport was one of dozens of facilities being considered by the FAA earlier this year, but was not ultimately chosen.

The FAA made their selections following a rigorous 10-month process involving 25 proposals from 24 states, according to an agency news release sent out earlier this week.

The agency looked at geography, climate, research needs and airspace use, among other factors during the selection process.

"In totality, these six test applications achieve cross-country geographic and climatic diversity and help the FAA meet its UAS research needs," read the news release.

The University of Alaska, the State of Nevada, New York's Griffiss International Airport, the North Dakota Department of Commerce, Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) were the six operators chosen by the FAA.

A group of Washington-based organizations submitted a proposal on behalf of the state to the FAA earlier this year.

If selected, Grant County International Airport would have been the primary location for the flight center's office and facilities, according to a previous Columbia Basin Herald article.