Abstract

The NCAR / EOL Community Workshop on Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Atmospheric Research was held from 21 to 24 February 2017 to collect information about the needs of the NSF funded research community in using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for atmospheric research and to identify areas in which... Show moreThe NCAR / EOL Community Workshop on Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Atmospheric Research was held from 21 to 24 February 2017 to collect information about the needs of the NSF funded research community in using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for atmospheric research and to identify areas in which dedicated support may be most beneficial in fostering the use of UAS in atmospheric science. The workshop brought together over 100 scientists, engineers, and program officers from federal funding agencies to discuss four aspects of UAS in atmospheric research: science, operations, platforms, and instrumentation. Workshop recommendations emphasize the need for wide-ranging community support and address topics such as expert teams and workshops, community platforms, dedicated instrumentation and platform validation opportunities, weather forecasting and support in working within the aviation regulatory framework. Show less