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Bloomberg
Google asked the US Federal Aviation Administration for permission to test drones to research how the technology can help monitor and control fires, before abandoning the effort.
The Alphabet Inc. company’s climate and energy research group said it planned to use the drone at a private property in Firebaugh, California, according to a filing with FAA. Those plans have since fizzled. The FAA has previously granted waivers to other organisations that sought permission for similar operations.
The drone Google planned to use, weighing between 55 and 98.8 pounds was made by Homeland Surveillance & Electronics LLC and is mass-produced for agricultural applications. It holds about 5 gallons. Loaded up, HSE says the drone can fly for 8 to 15 minutes.
Alphabet’s drone moonshot, Wing, has mainly focused on autonomous drone delivery to increase access to goods, reduce traffic congestion in cities and help ease carbon emissions. The company said it began working on that technology in 2012.