US testing an 'air traffic control system' for drones

Exclusive: Guardian visits drone company PrecisionHawk developing safety tech for robot aircraft

The Guardian has gained access to the first tests of an experimental air traffic control system for drones that could open the skies to millions of low-flying unmanned aircraft.

On an isolated cattle ranch in rural North Carolina - and under the watchful eye of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) - drone startup PrecisionHawk is putting experimental drones in the air alongside paragliders. This is the first time that human pilots have officially shared US airspace with commercial drones.