Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAVs) are gaining more and more attention. Currently they are mostly used by the military and by hobbyists but the FAA has been slowly making progress in integrating them into the National Airspace System (NAS) since 2008.

There are three categories of operations with UAVs in the United States. The three are Public (governmental), Civil (non-governmental), and Model aircraft, which is hobby and recreational use only.  In order for a government agency to conduct UAV operations in the United States, they must first obtain a Certificate of Authorization (COA) from the FAA.  Some examples of public uses for UAVs include law enforcement agencies, border patrol, firefighting, and search and rescue ("Fact Sheet – Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)," 2014).  For use of civil UAVs, you must first get an Exemption or a Special Airworthiness Certificate from the FAA. This is the only way civilians can conduct operations other than for recreational use.  For recreational use of remote control aircraft, the following regulations are in place by the FAA ("Model Aircraft Operations," n.d.):

·       Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles

·       Keep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all times

·       Remain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operations

·       Don't fly within 5 miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flying

·       Don't fly near people or stadiums

·       Don't fly an aircraft that weighs more than 55 lbs.

·       Don't be careless or reckless with your unmanned aircraft – you could be fined for endangering people or other aircraft

A company called Lepton produces small UAVs with cameras that are being used today in a variety of ways that make life easier. They are currently being used in the real estate, construction, and agriculture fields.  Another company called Precision Hawk is creating drones for 3D mapping and surveying of terrain, primarily in the agriculture industry.  The drone is used to map land and so for example, farmers can get a birds-eye view and survey their entire property in a short amount of time.  This allows them to see if there are any problems with their crops without having to walk through the fields themselves.

I do see the use of UAVs being integrating into the NAS in the near future. The FAA is currently working on this as part of the implementation of NexGen ("Fact Sheet – Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)," 2014).  The FAA recently released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that would get rid of the need for an Airworthiness Certificate and allow for UAVs to be used in the civilian world in many different ways.

The public seems to be a bit afraid of drone implementation into the NAS and pilots feel that drones will one day take their jobs, and maybe for good reason.  Last month a drone landed on the White House’s lawn and although nothing happened, it shows how vulnerable we can be if terrorists used drones as a tool to harm people.  I think that another reason why the public perception is the way it is has to do with the fact that the majority of drones are currently being used to drone bombs, which is proof that drones are replacing pilots. Many people also believe that the use of drones may take away from their privacy and that the drones can act as an “eye in the sky”.

In the military, drones have been a major part of fighting the war on terrorism and have transformed our military strategy. Although it is safer to send a drone into a combat zone rather than sending a pilot, some people believe that it is unethical.

Overall, I believe that it is just a matter of time before UAVs are completely integrated into the NAS and delivering packages to your front door.  

References

Better Data For Smarter Business Decisions. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2015, from http://precisionhawk.com/index.html

Civilian Applications : Leptron Industrial Helicopter UAVs and Power Cell Technologies. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2015, from https://www.leptron.com/corporate/apps/

Fact Sheet – Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). (2014, January 6). Retrieved February 20, 2015, from http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=14153

Man Comes Forward in Drone Crash on White House Grounds. (2015, January 26). Retrieved February 20, 2015, from http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Device-Found-on-White-House-Grounds-289756051.html

Model Aircraft Operations. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2015, from https://www.faa.gov/uas/model_aircraft/

United States, Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration. (n.d.). Operation and Certification of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2015, from https://www.faa.gov/uas/