California: Is the Sky Falling?

On June 22, 2014, the Washington Post published the results of a far-reaching investigation into crashes that have occurred in the U.S. drone program.

Shockingly, of the 194 major ("Class A") crashes that the Washington Post was able to document, 47  occurred within the United States.

Below is information on ten (10) drone crashes that occurred in the state of California alone between the years 2004 and 2011. (The listed incidents are Air Force-related, unless otherwise indicated.)

(See the full online database of crashes on the Washington Post website for full details of these and other drone crashes.)

Victorville crash: July 28, 2010

2004

Date: October 13, 2004
Location: Palmdale
Estimated damage: $1,721,973
Details: A brand-new Predator crashed . . . .


2005

Date: October 21, 2005
Location: Palmdale
Estimated damage: $6,796,497
Details: A Reaper on a training flight crashed . . . .

2008

Date: September 9, 2008
Location: undisclosed CA location
Estimated damage: N/A
Details: Reaper crash

Date: November 17, 2008
Location: undisclosed CA location
Estimated damage: N/A
Details: A Warrior (MQ-1C) owned by the Army crashed


2009

Fort Irwin crash: March 20, 2009

Date: March 20, 2009
Location: Fort Irwin
Estimated damage: $3,929,647
Details: A Reaper crashed . . . .

Date: May 28, 2009
Location: Rogers Dry Lake bed, adjacent to airfield at Edwards Air Force Base
Estimated damage: N/A
Details: Emergency landing by Global Hawk . . . .


2010

Date: July 28, 2010
Location: Victorville
Estimated damage: $5,000,000
Details: A Hummingbird (A160T Hummingbird) owned by the Army crashed . . . .

Victorville crash: April 20, 2010

Date: April 20, 2010
Location: Victorville
Estimated damage: $3,742,211
Details: A Predator crashed . . . .

Date: August 31, 2010
Location: two miles north of Gray Butte Airfield, Palmdale
Estimated damage: $10,300,000
Details: A brand-new Reaper crashed on private property . . . .


2011

Date: March 16, 2011
Location: undisclosed CA location
Estimated damage: N/A
Details: A Gray Eagle (MQ-1C) owned by the Army crashed . . . .

Count of California Drone Bases Tops National List

California has more bases approved for drone use than anywhere else in the country -- by a long shot.

According to the Department of Defense Report to Congress on Future Unmanned Aircraft Systems Training, Operations, and Sustainability (April 2012), California has eighteen (18) locations that have been designated as potential basing locations for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) [i.e. drones] (p. 8 ff.).

The table below gives information on the types of drones that are proposed for basing at each location.

BASE	Predator/Reaper type	Shadow/Raven type	Other
SCLA Victorville	MQ1B	RQ-11B
El Mirage	MQ1B, MQ1C
San Clemente Island	MQ1B, MQ9A	RQ-11B
Gray Butte	MQ1B, MQ9A
NAWS China Lake	MQ8
Pt Mugu	MQ8
Camp Morena		RQ-11B	WASP, PUMA
MCB Camp Pendleton		RQ-11B
SSTC, Imperial Beach		RQ-11B	WASP, PUMA
Simi Valley		RQ-11B	WASP, PUMA
Vandenberg AFB		RQ-11B
Camp Roberts		RQ-11B, RQ-7B	Scan Eagle
Fort Irwin		RQ-11B, RQ-7B
MCAGCC 29 Palms		RQ-11B, RQ-7B, RQ-21A	Scan Eagle
Beale AFB		RQ4, RQ4 BAMS
Filmore			WASP, PUMA
NAS Lemoore			UCLASS
March	TBA	TBA	TBA

Not surprisingly, California also tops the nation in the number of members (twelve) of the Congressional drones caucus.

Could it have anything to do with the fact that the drone industry is centered in California -- starting with San Diego-based General Atomics, the maker of the Predator and Reaper drone?

SPENDING AT BEALE AND MARCH

Beale has been heavily funded over the last decade for upgrades related to drones:

2003 - Global Hawk Squadron - operations/maintenance facility - $3.7 million
2003 - Global Hawk - upgrade maintenance dock - $4.6 million
2003 - Global Hawk dining facility - $3.5 million
2004 - Global Hawk - upgrade docks - $9.0 million
2004 - Global Hawk - 144 room dormitory - $14.6 million
2005 - Global Hawk - upgrade dock 2 - $8.3 million
2005 - Global Hawk - addition to age facility - $1.9 million
2005 - Global Hawk - two-bay maintenance hangar - $14 million

In addition, $17.4 million is allocated for 2013 for a BAMS maintenance and training facility at Beale. Even bigger expansion at Beale is scheduled for 2015 and 2016 -- $51 million and $35 million respectively.

Similarly, March was funded $6 million in 2007 for a Predator operations and training complex. and $8 million in 2010 for a TFI-Predator LRE beddown.

AIRSPACE ISSUES

Beale AFB (RQ-4): Beale AFB currently operates the CONUS-based AF fleet of RQ-4s. Operation from Beale is conducted under a COA issued by the FAA allowing the aircraft to climb into Class A airspace above Flight Level (FL) 180 and transit to operational locations.

March ARBI/SoCal Logistics Airport (MQ-l & MQ-9): An FAA COA requires chase aircraft to escort RPAs from Southern California Logistics Airport (formerly George AFB) to the R-2S08 Complex associated with Edwards AFB, NAS China Lake, and Fort Irwin.

The report further discloses that three locations operate under the status "Locations Requiring COAs [Certificate of Waiver or Authorization]":

• El Mirage/Grey Butte (MQ-1C)
• Simi Valley (RQ-llB Raven - Class G Notification)
• Camp Roberts (RQ-7B SHADOW)

This refers to: "locations where the Army currently conducts operations outside of Restricted Areas that require a COA from the FAA. In the majority of these locations, the purpose of the COA is to transition from the launch site to adjacent Restricted Areas. Additionally, the Raven can be operated using DoD-FAA agreed-to Class G airspace notification procedures for flights flown over Government-owned or -leased land." (DOD report, p. 20)