Drones in national airspace?

The House passed a bill Monday that starts the clock on safely integrating unmanned aerial vehicles into the national airspace, with full integration by the Sept. 30, 2015. The bill, previously passed by the Senate and now awaiting President Obama's signature, provides a number of deadlines for the Federal Aviation Administration. One is to establish six UAV test sites within six months. (Source: Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, USA Today, 02/06/12) Gulf Coast note: Global Hawk and Fire Scout UAVs are built in part in Moss Point, Miss.; several companies at Stennis Space Center, Miss., work with UAV sensors; the Coast Guard Aviation Center is involved in UAV training in Mobile, Ala.; Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is involved in UAV navigation systems.