Prospective, not committed

The proposed first site

A well-secured storage facility in Pueblo West is the proposed first host, subject to its owner's agreement and county approval. It is locally owned, gated with individual access codes, advertises around-the-clock access, and already uses continuous video surveillance. The name is withheld until the owner agrees to be named.

Why a storage facility

A well-secured storage facility in Pueblo West is the proposed first demonstration host. ▸Proposal It is a strong candidate because it is locally owned, advertises 24/7 access, has a gated layout with individual access codes, already uses 24/7 video surveillance, and has outdoor vehicle storage. ✓Verified The facility's name is deliberately withheld on this site until its owner has reviewed the concept and agreed to be named. ▸Proposal

Storage facilities in general suit the host role: controlled perimeters, power, communications, open internal lanes, distributed locations, and a direct security incentive. ▸Proposal

The site and its airspace

The property is approximately 4.5 acres: large enough to demonstrate useful patrol behavior, small enough to keep the flight tightly bounded. ✓Verified Under the current published configuration it sits in uncontrolled Class G airspace at the surface, roughly 11 nautical miles from Pueblo Memorial Airport's Class D area, so routine low patrols need no ATC permission; a small private-use, non-towered airport about two nautical miles away requires vigilance and yielding, not permission. ✓Verified Exact coordinates and identifying links are withheld with the facility's name; the full airspace analysis publishes when the site is named. The drive-up layout and open lanes can support a low patrol route, and the 24/7 tenant access creates a genuine after-hours security use case. ✓Verified

Sources: the low-altitude report, section 4 · report-vlos.md · checked 2026-08-23

What the site would need to add

• a level, marked landing pad with obstruction clearance; ▸Proposal
• a locked, weather-resistant enclosure for the assembled or staged aircraft; ▸Proposal
• physical perimeter and tamper alarms, plus camera monitoring of the pad itself; ▸Proposal
• fire-safe fuel or battery storage meeting local code; ▸Proposal
• wind, precipitation, and temperature sensing; ▸Proposal
• grounding and lightning protection; ▸Proposal
• redundant networking and backup power; and ▸Proposal
• safe access for inspection, refueling, maintenance, and recovery. ▸Proposal

Automatic robotic recharging is not required for a first pilot; a prepared landing area with human battery service or refueling between missions is enough. ▸Proposal

The engineering questions that come before any purchase

Phase 1 is site engineering, and the aircraft is chosen only after it: an accurate property map; measured rooflines, poles, wires, lights, signs, and trees; the best pilot observation position, and whether one position can see the whole desired route; one launch and recovery area; a route in continuous view; a low geofence and altitude ceiling; documentation of the nearby airport's traffic; and network coverage tests. ▸Proposal

What is being asked of the owner

The first conversation asks for permission to keep developing the concept together, not a signature or financial commitment. ▸Proposal The owner would be asked where a pad and enclosure could fit, what power and wired internet are available, which existing alarms and cameras produce the most useful alerts, what security problems matter most to the facility and its customers, what limited camera view would actually be valuable, and what would make the owner uncomfortable enough to stop the project. ?Open question

Open questions about this site

• Where exactly a protected pad and enclosure could fit, and its access, snow, dust, wind, lighting, drainage, and vandalism concerns. ?Open question
• Whether the site's primary internet connection can be backed up well enough for reliable remote control and video. ?Open question
• What in-kind or financial participation might be realistic if the public grant covers the public-safety system. ?Open question

Published August 24, 2026 at 00:38 UTC. Last updated August 24, 2026 at 01:30 UTC. Times come from this page's revision history and can be checked against it.