Pilot Union Urges FAA To Reject Rainmaker's Drone Cloud-Seeding Plan (techcrunch.com)
(Saturday September 13, 2025 @11:34AM (BeauHD)
from the not-so-fast dept.)
- Reference: 0179195648
- News link: https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/09/13/0012220/pilot-union-urges-faa-to-reject-rainmakers-drone-cloud-seeding-plan
- Source link: https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/12/pilot-union-urges-faa-to-reject-rainmakers-drone-cloud-seeding-plan/
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch:
> Rainmaker Technology's [1]bid to deploy cloud-seeding flares on small drones is [2]being met by resistance from the airline pilots union , which has urged the Federal Aviation Administration to consider denying the startup's request unless it meets stricter safety guidelines. The FAA's decision will signal how the regulator views weather modification by unmanned aerial systems going forward. Rainmaker's bet on small drones hangs in the balance.
>
> The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) told the FAA that Rainmaker's petition "fails to demonstrate an equivalent level of safety" and poses "an extreme safety risk." Rainmaker is seeking an exemption from rules that bar small drones from carrying hazardous materials. The startup filed in July, and the FAA has yet to rule. Instead, it issued a follow-up request for information, pressing for specifics on operations and safety. In its filing, Rainmaker proposed using two flare types, one "burn-in-place" and the other ejectable, on its Elijah quadcopter, to disperse particles that stimulate precipitation. Elijah has a maximum altitude of 15,000 feet MSL (measured from sea level), which sits inside controlled airspace where commercial airliners routinely fly. Drones need permission from Air Traffic Control to fly inside this bubble. Rainmaker's petition says it will operate in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace unless otherwise authorized. ALPA notes the filing doesn't clearly state where flights would occur or what altitudes would be used. Rainmaker and ALPA did not reply to TechCrunch's requests for comment.
>
> The union also objects to the flares themselves, citing concerns about foreign object debris and fire safety. ALPA points out that the petition does not include trajectory modeling of the ejectable casings or analysis on the environmental impacts of chemical agents. However, Rainmaker says the flights will occur over rural areas and over properties owned by private landlords "with whom Rainmaker has developed close working relationships." [...] What happens next hinges on whether the FAA thinks those mitigations are sufficient. However it's decided, the agency's response will likely set the tone for novel cloud-seeding approaches.
[1] https://www.regulations.gov/document/FAA-2025-1630-0004
[2] https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/12/pilot-union-urges-faa-to-reject-rainmakers-drone-cloud-seeding-plan/
> Rainmaker Technology's [1]bid to deploy cloud-seeding flares on small drones is [2]being met by resistance from the airline pilots union , which has urged the Federal Aviation Administration to consider denying the startup's request unless it meets stricter safety guidelines. The FAA's decision will signal how the regulator views weather modification by unmanned aerial systems going forward. Rainmaker's bet on small drones hangs in the balance.
>
> The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) told the FAA that Rainmaker's petition "fails to demonstrate an equivalent level of safety" and poses "an extreme safety risk." Rainmaker is seeking an exemption from rules that bar small drones from carrying hazardous materials. The startup filed in July, and the FAA has yet to rule. Instead, it issued a follow-up request for information, pressing for specifics on operations and safety. In its filing, Rainmaker proposed using two flare types, one "burn-in-place" and the other ejectable, on its Elijah quadcopter, to disperse particles that stimulate precipitation. Elijah has a maximum altitude of 15,000 feet MSL (measured from sea level), which sits inside controlled airspace where commercial airliners routinely fly. Drones need permission from Air Traffic Control to fly inside this bubble. Rainmaker's petition says it will operate in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace unless otherwise authorized. ALPA notes the filing doesn't clearly state where flights would occur or what altitudes would be used. Rainmaker and ALPA did not reply to TechCrunch's requests for comment.
>
> The union also objects to the flares themselves, citing concerns about foreign object debris and fire safety. ALPA points out that the petition does not include trajectory modeling of the ejectable casings or analysis on the environmental impacts of chemical agents. However, Rainmaker says the flights will occur over rural areas and over properties owned by private landlords "with whom Rainmaker has developed close working relationships." [...] What happens next hinges on whether the FAA thinks those mitigations are sufficient. However it's decided, the agency's response will likely set the tone for novel cloud-seeding approaches.
[1] https://www.regulations.gov/document/FAA-2025-1630-0004
[2] https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/12/pilot-union-urges-faa-to-reject-rainmakers-drone-cloud-seeding-plan/
A reasonable concern from a biased source (Score:2)
by Tony Isaac ( 1301187 )
Clearly, the pilot union is mostly concerned about pilot jobs. But the proposal itself, seems sensible. These outfits shouldn't be able to just ignore controlled airspace.
Business model (Score:2)
by Fons_de_spons ( 1311177 )
This rainmaker business model, is it a subscription model? Do you subscribe for rain or do you subscribe for sun. Both I guess...
Interrupting large chaotic systems? (Score:1)
What could possibly go wrong?
Re: (Score:2)
Cloud seeding isn't new, just using drones to do it.
As for what could go wrong, one could argue that farming itself is interrupting a "large chaotic system." Perhaps we should stop farming altogether. Also, building cities interrupts large chaotic systems, literally affecting the climate in the area of the city. Perhaps we should stop building cities.
As with anything humans do, we need to be aware of, and manage, side effects.