Golden Triangle Regional Airport Gets A Clear Bird’s Eye View

COLUMBUS, Miss.(WCBI) – When it comes to measures of safety, you can never take too many, especially when preparing to take flight.

The Golden Triangle Regional Airport is one of the first in the country to use a certain piece of tech to make operations at the airport a little safer.

It’s not a bird and though we are at the airport, it’s not a plane either. It’s an unmanned aerial system, better known as a drone.

Golden Triangle Regional Airport Executive Director Mike Hainsey says it’s an addition that gives staff a bird’s eye view.

“For us it’s just another tool in our toolkit to help with anything from the birds but also our buildings our fence line. If there’s an airplane crash, heaven forbid, this drone could be over head and help the people in charge see where the fire trucks are, where the people are, and things like that. It’s a tremendous asset and we’re just now figuring it out what we can do with it,” said Hainsey.

Hainsey says other airports that use the technology often have contractors to operate the drones.

“We, as the airport, got the waver for the F.F.A. and we’ve worked closely with the air traffic control folks. So, it allows us to have direct control over how we use the drone, when we use the drone,” said Hainsey.

Matthew Dowell is the Deputy Director at GTRA and is now certified to operate the airport’s newest gadget.

“It’s been a really unique experience having a drone flying in the same air space as other air craft but it’s being done safely. They treat us just like any other air craft. We communicate with the tower, we maintain separation, and we’ve been able to get some really unique capabilities,” said Dowell.

Mike Hainsey says they hope to utilize the drone for years to come.

“With Mississippi State being the center of excellence for unmanned air crafts for the F.F.A. This area’s always been a leader in unmanned aircraft and being on the leading edge we know how to use them safely and integrate them into our operation. It’s a tremendous advancement for us,” said Hainsey.

The drone has been in operation at GTRA for the last 6 months.