New research effort based on drones

Ryan Zinke is trying to get a new industry off the ground - literally - in Montana.

Zinke, a state senator from Whitefish, serves as a co-director for the Unmanned Aerial Systems Center of Excellence.

The basic idea is to develop unmanned aerial vehicles - also known as drones - for a variety of nonmilitary uses.

The first test flight likely would occur around the Lewistown area in late summer 2011. The initial testing could be for crop analysis or cattle tracking. The central Montana location would typify the theme that all of Montana, including universities and small businesses, is involved in the project.

There are two Lewistown sites that could be used, Zinke said.

Montana State University-Northern has a satellite campus next to the city airport and the Western Transportation Institute has a facility and test track there. The city airport has low activity, Zinke said. He noted it was a B-17 base during World War II.

The University of Montana, two campuses of Montana State University, Rocky Mountain College in Billings and Mississippi State University are joining together on the project. The center would be located administratively at Montana State University-Northern in Havre.

Zinke, 48, said that various small industries already in the state likely will become involved in the near future as well.

The unmanned aerial vehicles have changed military aviation, said Zinke, who served as a U.S. Navy Seal commander and retired in 2007. As an example of the impetus behind unmanned aerial vehicles, Zinke said the Air Force last year trained more unmanned aerial vehicle pilots than manned aircraft pilots.

Flying drones in areas outside military-restricted airspace is a challenge and tightly controlled by the Federal Aviation Administration, Zinke said in press release.

"We want to be part of the discussion on how to integrate [drones] into the National Airspace System without impacting general aviation. Montana contains the largest military operations air space in the lower 48 [states]," he said, but noted that Malmstrom Air Force near Great Falls does not have an active runway. It currently is focused on intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The "military-centric industry" will transition into the public and private sector.

It will be able to help with crop optimization, pinpoint forest insect infestations such as beetle kill, where fertilizer is needed, and reveal snow density in the mountains. Another possible use is counting wolves, Zinke said.

Montana has a diversity of climate, crops, vegetation and topography that makes it ideally suited for the Center of Excellence, he said.

"Montana has had a legacy of letting its resources go downstream," Zinke said. "We've had difficulty value-adding. We are a resource provider," citing examples of trees, aluminum, coal and wheat. "Rather than to try to save some dying industries, we can be at the forefront of a new one.

"We're attempting to use our air space, the Big Sky, to bring an emerging industry into Montana. This is an enormous industry that is on the verge of occurring."

Rocky Mountain College has an accredited aviation program, Zinke said. It will help with training. "Montana's air space is the perfect environment to research how to safely integrate [drones] with commercial and private air traffic," he said in the press release.

MSU-Northern in Havre has a "world-class biofuels program," and will be involved in engine and propulsion testing. Most drones are electric, but some of the larger ones run on gasoline. MSU-Northern can help with a transition to heavier fuels such as jet and diesel fuel.

The University of Montana, Montana State University-Bozeman and Mississippi State University will be involved in research. Mississippi State has expertise in maritime programs and Gulf Coast research.

Montana State's engineering-related research could involve sensors, software and high-tech instrumentation, Zinke said. The University of Montana's research would be focused on the forestry program and geo-spatial positioning in regard to beetle-killed trees and forest fire management.

The collaboration between the state universities and the private college is "huge," Zinke said. "I don't think it's ever been done before."

One example of the small aviation-related companies located in Flathead County is Zinke Air, which is involved in battery propulsion.

There are also some firms in Bozeman that focus on optics, he said. These small companies can help with software and hardware programs. "We're going to try to look in Montana first" for partners, he said.

In the Navy, Zinke was involved in numerous projects, but "this is one of the most exciting ones I've worked on."

North Dakota and New Mexico have some unmanned aerial projects that are in their infancy, but Montana is not competing against them, Zinke said. It is competing against China and India.

Reporter Caleb Soptelean may be reached at 758-4483 or by e-mail at csoptelean@dailyinterlake.com.