Thread: Unmanned government aircraft lands at civilian airport

Unmanned aircraft lands in Oshkosh

Updated: Wednesday, 22 Jul 2009, 8:50 AM CDT
Published : Tuesday, 21 Jul 2009, 9:48 PM CDT
Michelle Melby

OSHKOSH - History was made in Oshkosh Tuesday. For the first time ever, a plane without a pilot landed at a civilian airport. The Predator B is a spy plane, and a new attraction at this year's EAA AirVenture.

Watching the landing, this bird seems to touch down like any other plane. But this landing is different. No one is behind the controls on board the plane. Look closely. There are no windows.

The unmanned Predator B aircraft system is part of the Department of Homeland Security. It landed at Wittman Regional Airport, for next week's EAA AirVenture. Soon, pilots and the public will be able to check it out.

"People can get relatively up close to it, and see this new technology used by the military and by customs and border protection agents," said Dick Knapinski, EAA spokesman.

The plane is controlled remotely, from a command center on the ground. U.S. customs and border patrol agents use the Predator B to monitor national borders. A camera system is onboard the aircraft, which can detect human activity from 18 miles away.

"That's critical in a border security role, because there are a lot of open range with cattle, deer. When we find activity, we put border patrol agents on that activity. We don't want to put them on a group of cattle," said unmanned aircraft system director, Pete McNall.

The Predator B is not a cheap piece of machinery. The system costs 18-million dollars. Airventure organizers are excited to host the aircraft.

"I think it also speaks well to what this event is. It is one of the world's greatest avaiation celebrations. It is a collection of aircraft and aerial vehicles you will see no where else in the world," Knapinski said.

http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/new ... 12040_rev1

I wonder if this is the kind of aircraft that Barry is going to use to keep the Ameircan people in line after he puts Communist Health Care into effect against our collective will.