Pilot Union Calls on FAA to Block Rainmaker’s Controversial Drone Cloud-Seeding Proposal

Pilot Union Calls on FAA to Block Rainmaker’s Controversial Drone Cloud-Seeding Proposal

Pilot Union Urges FAA to Reject Rainmaker's Drone Cloud-Seeding Plan: A Deep Dive into the Controversy The skies are increasingly becoming a battleground, not just for traditional aircraft, but for innovative technologies vying for airspace. Recently, Rainmaker, a company pioneering drone-based cloud seeding, found itself facing strong opposition from the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), the largest pilot union in the world. ALPA has formally urged the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to reject Rainmaker’s ambitious proposal, citing significant safety concerns and a lack of comprehensive risk assessment. What is Drone Cloud Seeding? Before diving into the controversy, let's understand the technology at the heart of it. Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique that aims to increase precipitation by dispersing substances into the air that serve as cloud condensation or ice nuclei. Traditionally, this has been done using manned aircraft. Rainmaker proposes a novel a…