Rainmaker Technology’s bid for implementing cloudy torches on small drones is met by resistance from the Aviation Pilots Union, which has called on the federal aviation management to consider refusing the request of the startup unless it meets strict security guidelines.
FAA’s decision will signal how the regulator considers weather modification of unmanned air systems in the future. Rainmaker’s efforts on small drones hang in balance.
Air Line Pilots Association (Alpa) told FAA that Rainmaker’s petition “does not show a similar level of security” and pose “an extreme security risk.”
However, Rainmaker CEO Augustus Doricko said that an email that the union’s objections are based only on public communication, rather than non-public documents submitted to a few that outline all the company’s security data and risk limits.
Rainmaker seeks exemption from rules that prevent small donations from carrying dangerous materials. The startup that was filed in July and FAA has not yet regulated. Instead, it issued a follow -up request for information and pressed specifically about operation and security.
In his filing, Rainmaker suggested using two flare types, one “burn-in-place” and the other broadcast on his Elijah Quadcopter, to spread particles that stimulate rainfall. Elijah has a maximum height of 15,000 feet MSL (measured from sea level), which inside controlled airspace, where advertising routine flies. Drones need permission from air traffic control to fly inside this bubble.
Rainmaker’s Little says it will work in class G (uncontrolled) airspace, unless otherwise authorized. Alpa notes that the archiving does not clearly indicate where aircraft will occur or what heights would be used. However, Doricko said that they presented a few revealed that in addition to the flights limited to a maximum height of 15,000 feet MSL, they will be a leader in the airspace pre -designed to be safe by Aviation Authorités, “Canceling any reasonable concern for high height flight, but the airspace coordination.” Alpa did not respond to TechCrunch’s comments requests.
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The Union also objects to the fact that the torches themselves refer to concern for foreign object residues and fire safety. ALPA points out that the small one does not include trajectory modeling of the transmitted lining pipes or analysis of the environmental impact of chemical agents.
“Seeing their objection to the use of torches, has independent bodies such as this administration’s EPA and Multiple State Department of Natural Resources, the spread and environmental security of materials used in cloud seeds for over 70 years and never found any negative effect from cloud seeds,” Doricko said.
Sam Kim, Rainmaker’s Aviation Regulatory Manager, said the company respects the pilot’s union and hopes to “continue to strengthen our relationship with the organization” but claimed that the objection “shows a lack of understanding of why Rainmaker has been for this exception.”
“Our use of torches in unmanned system is solely for research purposes in a controlled flying environment and is not part of our major nuboing operations,” Kim added.
Dorickko said that a typical rain producer surgery spreads 50-100 grams of silver iodide and far less that in a flight with torches, while one of the flight of a commercial increased sources kilograms of uncomfortable volatile organic substances, sulfur oxids and soot to rain makers.
“Rainmaker is interested in doing the best, responsible atmospheric research, and thus compares tores with our propies aerosolic-compulsion system that will replace torches and emit only silver Idid. Alpa’s objection to this exemplifies their limited underline of our Conop, all this is the detrimental in the non-Public documents that are now underway.”
“See Alpa’s concerns about coordination with aviation authorities and airspace, our aircraft operations consist of TV signals, intentional coordination with local ATC, certified pilots and a collised avoidance system that the impression that electronic and physical observations,” he said.
However, Rainmaker says the flights will occur over rural areas and over properties owned by private landlords, “which Rainmaker has developed close work relations.”
Cloud-Seeding is already happening today, largely in the western United States, with crew aircraft that have flown in coordination with state agencies. SKI Resorts Commission operations to help keep their races white, and irrigation and water districts fly them to build snow pack in winter to help feed their reservoirs during the spring melt.
The general practice of cloud seed dates back to the 1950s. By spraying small batch for certain clouds, scientists found that the gname is inducing rainfall. Typically, cloud seed surgeries use silver Idide for the particles, mostly because they mimic the shape of ice crystals.
When a silver Iidide particle bumps into drops of water that is super -loaded, they are the drop to quickly freeze because its water is already below freezing. When the ice crystal is formed, it can grow rapidly if conditions are correct, faster than a liquid water drop would in similar corcum stances. Plus, the rapid growth helps the crystals adhere to waking length than a drop of water, which may evaporate before it has been lucky to fall as rainfall.
Rainmaker’s twist – doing this work with Drones Instead of Pilots – could from safer in the long term. The company points out that the flight profiles are closely defined, monitored by a remote pilot and trained crews, over rural areas, with other security checks in place.
What happens the next is related to the few thinks that these molds are sufficient. However, it has been decided that the Agency’s responsibility will suffer the tone of new cloud seed approaches.
9/13/2025: The story has been updated to include Rainmaker’s comments from Augustus Doricko, founder and CEO, and Sam Kim, Rainmakers Aviation Regulatory Manager.