Upstate NY airport one of six drone-testing sites nationwide

The Federal Aviation Administration has chosen an airport in upstate Oneida County as one of six test sites nationwide to study integrating unmanned aircraft known as drones into the civilian aviation system.

Griffiss Airport in upstate Rome was selected as a drone testing center, the FAA announced Monday. Other sites are in Alaska, Nevada, North Dakota, Texas and Virginia.

The FAA said Griffiss plans to focus its research on solving the complexities of integrating unmanned aircraft into congested Northeast airspace.

The selection of test sites is the first step the FAA takes to begin the process of combining unmanned aircraft with planes and helicopters in the nation's air traffic control system.

Picking an upstate New York site for the research "recognizes the state's leading role in the aerospace industry, as well as our considerable assets in innovation and research and development," Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said in a statement.

The FAA hopes to develop standards for civilian drone flights by 2015, according to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which will partner with Griffiss International on the drone research.

Earlier this month, Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos said on the CBS News program "60 Minutes" that his company was testing drones as package delivery vehicles. Bezos said that small helicopters might be able to transport and deliver packages of up to 5 pounds.

Researchers at the six sites will work on FAA goals that include system safety and data gathering, aircraft certification, command and control link issues, control station layout and certification, ground and airborne sense and avoid, and environmental impacts.

"These test sites will give us valuable information about how best to ensure the safe introduction of this advanced technology into our nation's skies," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement.