FAA urges FAA to reject a drone plan from Rainmaker drones

Rainmaker technology display To publish Flames of the cloud on Drones He is being confronted with the resistance of the Aviation Pilot Union, which urged the Federal Aviation Administration to consider rejecting the start -up request unless it meets more strict safety guidelines.

The Federal Aviation Administration decision (FAA) will indicate. Rainmaker’s bet on drones hanging in balance.

The Air Force Association (ALPA) has told the Rainmaker seam “failed to show an equivalent level of safety” and poses the “intense threat of safety”.

However, the CEO of Rainmaker Augustus Dorikko said an email that all union’s objections are based on the general notice only, instead of non -public documents provided to FAA that define all safety data in the company and risk alleviation.

Rainmaker seeks to obtain an exemption from the rules that prevent small drones from carrying dangerous materials. The start starting in July, FAA has not yet ruled. Instead, I issued a follow -up request to obtain information and click on details about operations and safety.

In his file, Rainmaker suggested using two types of glow, one “Burn-in -fice” and the other is acceptable, on Elijah Quadcopter, to disperse the particles that stimulate rain. Elijah has the maximum height of 15,000 feet MSL (measured from sea level), which is located within the controlled airspace as commercial aircraft fly routinely. Done -aircraft need permission to monitor air traffic to travel inside this bubble.

The Rainmaker seam says it will work in the (non -disciplined category) airspace unless the other than that is declared. AlPa notes that the deposit is not clearly mentioned where flights will happen or what are the rises that will be used. However, Dorico said that the documents submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration revealed that in addition to the flights restricted at a maximum altitude of 15,000 Feters MSL, it will be made in the airspace that was previously determined to be safe by the airline, “to see any reasonable concern about coordination or coordination in the airspace.” AlPa did not respond to Techcrunch requests for comment.

The Federation also objects to torches, citing concerns about the wreckage of external organisms and fires from fires. AlPa notes that the petition does not include the modeling of the coordination path or the analysis attached to the environmental effects of chemical factors.

“With regard to their objection to the use of torches, independent bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency in this administration and the multiple state departments of natural resources dispersed and environmental safety of the materials used in cloud sowing for more than 70 years and did not find any negative impact from the cloud seed,” Doriko said.

Sam Kim, the organizational director of airline at Rainmaker, said that the company respects the pilot’s union and hopes to “continue to enhance our relationship with the organization”, but claimed that the objection “shows the lack of understanding of the reason for the request of Rainmaker for this exemption.”

Kim added: “Our use of uninhabited systems is only for the purposes of searching for a controlled aircraft environment and not part of our larger continuous operations.”

Dorico said that the model rain maker separates 50-100 grams of silver, and much less on a flight with Mashael, while one hour of a plane from a commercial plane launches kilograms of undisciplined volatile organic materials, sulfur oxides, and the hole-much more than the rain maker.

“Rainmaker is concerned with the best research in the atmosphere, and thus compares torches with our aerosol dispersion system that will replace torches and emit exclusively from the silver.

“With regard to Alpa Fears regarding coordination with aviation authorities and air field, our airlines consist of broadcast signals, deliberate coordination with local ATC, accredited pilots, and a collision avoiding system that includes electronic and physical observers,” he said.

However, Rainmaker says that flights will occur across rural areas and on the property owned by private real estate owners “who have developed documentary working makers.”

The cloud is already happening today, to a large extent in the western United States, with the vehicle -covered aircraft in coordination with state agencies. The ski resorts form operations to help maintain their white, and are flying by irrigation and water areas to build snow in the winter to help feed their tanks during the melting of the spring.

The general practice of cloud sowing dates back to the fifties. By spraying small particles in some clouds, scientists have found that they can stimulate rainfall. Silver clouds are usually used for molecules, mostly because they mimic the shape of ice crystals.

When the silver -silver particle collides with drops of water, it is superior to it, it quickly freezes the drops because its water is already less than the freezing point. Once the ice crystal is formed, it can grow quickly if the conditions are correct, faster than liquid water drops in similar conditions. In addition, rapid growth helps crystals to stick longer than a drop of water, which may evaporate before they have an opportunity to fall as a precipitation energy.

Rainmaker’s development – doing this work with drones instead of pilots – may be safer in the long run. The company indicates that airline profiles are tightly limited, supervised by a remote pilot and trained crews, on rural areas, with other safety checks in place.

What happens the following hinges about whether the Angolan armed forces believe this dilution is sufficient. However, this has been determined, the agency’s response is likely to determine the tone of the new methods that prevail the cloud.

9/13/2025: The story was updated to include Rainmaker comments from Augustus Dorikko, Founder and CEO, Wissam Kim, Director of Aviation Organization at Rainmaker.