From the Salina (Kansas) Journal's online news site and reporter Michael Strand comes a story concerning a new unmanned aerial vehicle program at Kansas State University at Salina.

The college — one of just two in the country that is starting programs to train UAV operators — held an open house in order for students and faculty to see the equipment and hear about the current and future capabilities of unmanned flight. A number of UAVs were on display, as well as a large trailer the school acquired about a month ago which was filled with the computer equipment needed to fly the aircraft and monitor data the UAVs transmit back to command centers. For several months now, Kansas State at Salina has partnered with Flint Hills Solutions, a Wichita-based company that works as a liaison between various UAV makers and government agencies, such as FEMA and the National Guard. As groups of students and faculty visited the presentation, Flint Hills president Roger Powers explained that while some of the aircraft on display might look like the kind flown by hobbyists, they’re loaded with tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment, including video and infrared cameras that can be controlled from the ground, GPS systems, and electronics that allow them to fly missions autonomously.