Drone test flights start in NY for agricultural research: FAA

[August 09, 2014]  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The fifth of six U.S. test sites chosen to perform research on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, has started operations in Rome, New York, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday.

The main focus of the New York site will be on evaluating methods for scouting agricultural fields using different types of sensors, research that is expected to enhance current ways of monitoring crops.

Flights will be conducted by Canada's PrecisionHawk Lancaster Platform drone, a tiny aircraft which weighs about three pounds and has a wingspan of four feet, the FAA said.

(Reporting by Ros Krasny)

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