The latest model of the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, the U-2S. Contrary to its glider-like appearance, the loudness when the engine is at full power is impressive.
Then, after doing some research, it was decided that a dry lake called Groom Lake (which had an emergency runway built during WWII) near the Nevada nuclear test site would be the best choice. . It's a nuclear test site for the federal government, so it's basically a place where no one lives, so it's easy to keep the facility secret and prevent outsiders from entering.
So, we decided to expand the site of the Nevada Nuclear Test Site a bit to include Groom Lake, and have a secret test facility that is off-limits. And this place will be called "Paradise Ranch" or simply "The Ranch".
Gloomlake went on to become involved in various Black Projects. The F-117A Nighthawk, once believed to be retired but recently flying again, was one of the aircraft that flew over Groom Lake.
However, things got complicated when a nasty thing called a reconnaissance satellite appeared. A land or air approach can be stopped by force, but a reconnaissance satellite orbiting space cannot be stopped. Then, of course, the Soviet Union/Russia and China would have taken satellite photos of the Groom Lake neighborhood and would have been investigating.
However, we know in advance what orbit the reconnaissance satellite will be in and when it will be overhead. Then, when an uninvited voyeur comes overhead, the aircraft is stored in a hangar and only taken out and flown when the voyeur is not present or at night. That's the story. That's why F-117A officials said they were forced to live a day-and-night cycle until the plane's existence was made public. Flight testing is not an easy task to begin with, but when you add in the issue of confidentiality, it becomes a real hassle.
While it's not a secret program, one of the trickiest things about securing a flight test site is the recent rapid Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are increasing in number.
A small, low-speed, low-flying aircraft is fine, but a larger aircraft that flies at a higher altitude cannot be tested without a suitable space and altitude. For example, to test an aircraft that can go up to an altitude of 10,000m, if it can only secure an altitude of 6,000m, it will not work. Also, drones require wireless communication for remote control and sensor data transmission, but regulations and regulations related to wireless communication differ from country to country.
So, as I wrote in Part 136 of this series, when General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) brought a Guardian UAV to Iki Airport and conducted a demonstration flight test, First of all, it was necessary to negotiate with the Civil Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (under the jurisdiction of Radio Administration). The former is in charge of securing airspace, and the latter is in charge of special approval for the use of U.S.-spec communications equipment in Japan.
What's more, the story doesn't end with just securing the airspace where the flight test will be conducted and the airfield that will be the base of the flight test. This is because they have to go back and forth between the airfield and the test airspace. Then, even there, in order to avoid conflicts with regular private flights, etc., it is necessary to make adjustments to secure the place and time.
However, if it is a test, you can adjust it to avoid conflicts, but in actual operation, the places where it can be used are limited. Therefore, sharing airspace with manned aircraft has become an issue for the industry, and various efforts are underway. The story is as I wrote before.
However, if that happens, a "test on collision avoidance with manned aircraft" will be required. It's not enough to just say, "It can be avoided in theory." Where and under what scenario should it be done?
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