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(June 2, 2011) The day could soon be coming when umanned planes will carry cargo and perhaps even passengers through U.S. airspace. That’s one of the goals of the Red River Valley Reseach Corridor. Northland Community and Technical College is part of a team of policy makers, researchers, aviation industry leaders, and entrepreneurs meeting in Grand Forks to find ways to demonstrate that unmanned planes are safe enough to routinely fly commercially over U.S. cities.
For the last two years, Northland College has used a five-million-dollar federal stimulus grant to develop a program to train students to repair unmanned vehicles, which are made of lightweight carbon fiber. The new program launches this August at Northland’s Thief River Falls Airport campus.
At Thursday’s UAS Action Summit, Northland was given a full scale model of a Northrup Grumman Block 10 unmanned aircraft. The Block 10 aircraft has been used in the global war on terror, flying 2,400 missions, most in support of combat operations. It’s also been used in humanitarian efforts and on counter drug missions on the US southern border. There is a fleet of nine actual Northrup Grumman Block 10’s, some of which are now being used by the US Navy and NASA.
The model was refurbished by Northland autobody students and faculty, and will be housed at Northland’s Aviation Maintenance facility. It will also be used to promote the new Unmanned Aircraft Systems Maintenance Program.
Pro wrestling historian, ring announcer, and columnist George Schire shares his new book, “Minnesota’s Golden Age of Wrestling” with an audience at Northwest Regional Library in Thief River Falls. Pioneer 90.1′s Glen Braget hosts this lively discussion of wrestling’s top personalities from 1954 through 1990. This podcast is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.