Predator Drone being used along the Sierras

I just read in the local Palo Alto Daily Post (P.7) that the National Guard is using a Predator Drone to relay live rimfire imagery to the firefighters in the Sierra Nevadas around Yosemite. The drone is operating out of Victorville airport in LA, which means it must fly up and down the Sierra Nevada range every day (22 hrs aloft max.). It must end up passing near Inyokern, Lone Pine, Bishop, etc. if it take a direct route.

Do these things pose a danger to gliders in that area? Do they fly only through MOAs? Is a TFR corridor established for transit? when they are going from point A to B, how hight do they like to fly them?

Matt

On Thursday, August 29, 2013 9:01:57 PM UTC-4, Matt Herron Jr. wrote:

Do these things pose a danger to gliders in that area?

Does the Predator use TCAS?

Matt Herron Jr. wrote, On 8/29/2013 6:01 PM:
I just read in the local Palo Alto Daily Post (P.7) that the National
Guard is using a Predator Drone to relay live rimfire imagery to the
firefighters in the Sierra Nevadas around Yosemite. The drone is
operating out of Victorville airport in LA, which means it must fly
up and down the Sierra Nevada range every day (22 hrs aloft max.).
It must end up passing near Inyokern, Lone Pine, Bishop, etc. if it
take a direct route.

Do these things pose a danger to gliders in that area? Do they fly
only through MOAs? Is a TFR corridor established for transit? when
they are going from point A to B, how hight do they like to fly
them?

I read it is escorted when not in restricted airspace.

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm
http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl

When It is "NOT" escorted does it use TCAS??

This would be one more reason for those of us that still do not have transponders
to get that taken care of.

joesimmers wrote, On 8/30/2013 8:05 PM:
When It is "NOT" escorted does it use TCAS??

This would be one more reason for those of us that still do not have transponders
to get that taken care of.

I don't know if it has TCAS, but it's in a Restricted area when it's not
being escorted, so I assume all the pertinent parties in the area are
aware of each other, even without TCAS.


--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm
http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl

In article Eric Greenwell writes:
joesimmers wrote, On 8/30/2013 8:05 PM:
When It is "NOT" escorted does it use TCAS??

This would be one more reason for those of us that still do not have transponders
to get that taken care of.

I don't know if it has TCAS, but it's in a Restricted area when it's not
being escorted, so I assume all the pertinent parties in the area are
aware of each other, even without TCAS.

The aviation editor on a local TV channel tonight had a story on them,
and reported that it is flying at 19,000 feet in "positive control airspace".
(I guess he figured that would be less confusing on the 10 pm news than
"class A airspace".)

Alan

On Friday, August 30, 2013 8:26:26 PM UTC-7, Eric Greenwell wrote:
joesimmers wrote, On 8/30/2013 8:05 PM:

When It is "NOT" escorted does it use TCAS??



This would be one more reason for those of us that still do not have transponders

to get that taken care of.



I don't know if it has TCAS, but it's in a Restricted area when it's not

being escorted, so I assume all the pertinent parties in the area are

aware of each other, even without TCAS.





--

Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to

email me)

- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm

http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl

Wouldn't it just shoot down anything in its way?

jfitch wrote, On 8/31/2013 9:12 AM:


I don't know if it has TCAS, but it's in a Restricted area when it's not
being escorted, so I assume all the pertinent parties in the area are
aware of each other, even without TCAS.


That's why it's being escorted - to make sure it remembers the mission
is "the fire", not "to fire"!

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm
http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl

jfitch wrote, On 8/31/2013 9:12 AM:
On Friday, August 30, 2013 8:26:26 PM UTC-7, Eric Greenwell wrote:

I don't know if it has TCAS, but it's in a Restricted area when it's not
being escorted, so I assume all the pertinent parties in the area are
aware of each other, even without TCAS.


Wouldn't it just shoot down anything in its way?

That's why it's being escorted - to make sure it remembers the mission
is "the fire", not "to fire"!

--
Eric Greenwell - Washington State, USA (change ".netto" to ".us" to
email me)
- "Transponders in Sailplanes - Feb/2010" also ADS-B, PCAS, Flarm
http://tinyurl.com/yb3xywl

On Saturday, August 31, 2013 1:32:22 PM UTC-4, Eric Greenwell wrote:

to make sure it remembers the mission

is "the fire", not "to fire"!

Predator Drones are not fully autonomous. The human pilot sits in a chair on the ground. I guess that the drone has some autonomous stick and rudder skills sorta like an autopilot to handle turbulence in real time.