The Senate Appropriations Committee is looking at line items in the Commerce budget – to expand research and use of drones.
The “asks” are for $30 million, to build a network to fly the unmanned vehicles beyond line of sight anywhere in North Dakota; $3 million for infrastructure at Grand Sky, the nation’s first commercial UAS business and aviation park, in Grand Forks; and $3 million to continue to fund the operations of the Northern Plains Test Site authority. The House approved $27 million for the network, $1 million for Grand Sky and $2 million for the authority.
"We would love to see $3 million appropriated to help us take those next incremental steps of growth at Grand Sky," Grand Sky Development Corporation president Thomas Swoyer said in an interview. "Some of the things we would use the money for include sensor equipment, telemetry equipment and ground control equipment."
Swoyer said that equipment would be "pushed out to the west," as Grand Sky works on plans to expand westward.
"That would create jobs," Swoyer said. "Not tons and tons of jobs, but it would create the importance of the network of electronic equipment that helps keep the aircraft in the air and working."
Swoyer said the plans definitely include westward expansion.
"Especially around the Devils Lake area and Camp Grafton," Swoyer said. "We're talking to the National Guard about whether we should have some assets at Camp Grafton itself, or do something outside of that."
Swoyer said Grand Sky is also looking in the Bakken area.
"We're looking at how to use larger aircraft to support the whole area, as opposed to just individual pipelines and wellheads," Swoyer said.
Swoyer said he’s working with Devils Lake, Williston and Watford City on that plan. He said the drones can go several thousand miles on a single tank of gas, so he doesn’t necessarily need more “ground assets” in the west.
"But I do need people, and I do need some airports, so if there's inclement weather, there can be some airports where we can land and shelter overnight, if need be," Swoyer said. "We are looking at how we can be able to do that."
The Senate committee has not yet acted on that budget.
