Kansas plans state’s first public summit on drones

? Kansas officials are planning a public summit on drones this fall.

The Kansas USA Summit will be Oct. 15 in Wichita. Tiffany Brown, aviation director for the Kansas Department of Transportation, said Wednesday the meeting’s main objective is to show legislators and the public the businesses and resources the state has in the young industry.

The Wichita Eagle reports a 2013 study by a trade group said Kansas is one of the top 10 states to gain economic benefit from unmanned aerial systems in terms of jobs and manufacturing.

The report projected the industry could have a $2.9 billion economic impact and create more than 3,700 jobs in the next 10 years in Kansas.

Brown says the summit will also address the safe operation of the drones.