Pilot union urges FAA to reject Rainmaker’s drone cloud-seeding plan

The Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) has urged the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to reject Rainmaker's proposal to use drone-based cloud-seeding operations. Rainmaker, a weather modification company, wants to use flares attached to drones to seed clouds and increase rainfall. However, ALPA has expressed concerns about the potential risks to aviation safety, arguing that the drone operations could interfere with commercial flights and pose a threat to pilots and passengers. The union has highlighted the need for thorough safety assessments and public input before any such operations are approved. They have emphasized the importance of maintaining the integrity of the national airspace and ensuring that all air traffic, including commercial flights, can operate safely. The FAA is currently reviewing Rainmaker's proposal, and the decision will have significant implications for the future of weather modification technologies and their integration with aviation.