UAVs

February 09, 2018 

By - Kalan Foster 

The Future is UAV's 

UAVs have become very popular in the 21st century and in 2014 they became a mainstream sensation over the holidays. The drones were much more affordable, durable, and they were less sophisticated than ever before. Drones are currently being used for recreational purposes, they’re being used sports, photography, videography, and tourism. Recreational drones must be registered with the FAA, they must weigh less than 55 pounds, they must be labeled with a registration number, and the owner must be 13 years or older. 

Source - Becoming a pilot 

Part 107 consists of the following: 

Unmanned aircraft must weigh less than 55 pounds, including payload, at takeoff

Fly in Class G airspace*

Keep the unmanned aircraft within visual line-of-sight*

Fly at or below 400 feet*

Fly during daylight or civil twilight*

Fly at or under 100 mph*

Yield right of way to manned aircraft*

Do not fly directly over people*

Do not fly from a moving vehicle, unless in a sparsely populated area*

The commercial use of UAV’s falls under part 107. However, the pilot must be certificated through the FAA; which consists of passing the aeronautical written exam, completing the RPC application, and a TSA background check. 

Commercial use of UAV

UAV’s are commercially operating in several different countries and the United States is lagging in the development of commercial operations. In a recent report UAV’s are being used for search and rescues in Australia, they are working on UAV’s that can operate in harsher climates. According to the verge “Lifeguards are testing out new drone technology in Australia have saved two people stranded off the coast of New South Wales state, as spotted by Quartz. The drone footage shows a birds-eye view of the ocean before the drone ejects the yellow floatation device, which inflates when it hits the water. The two teenage boys were caught about 700 meters (0.4 miles) offshore at Lennox Head in a swell of around three meters (9.8 feet). They were able to grab onto the floatation device and swim to shore”(PBS). 

- Little Ripper Life Saver 

In Canada UAV’s were used in an emergency. There was a fatal car accident that rolled off the road in Ontario, emergency responders were unsure that there were any victims. The terrain was difficult to navigate for responders, heavy forest coverage, and very steep. There has been a big demand from the health and administration to remove BFOV for emergency responders. In Canada it was approved, the received permission to fly UAV’s four nautical miles for search and rescues. So far, the government has been able to recognize how beneficial removing the BFOV from government entities and first responders (Theglobalandmail). 

NAS & UAVs

The integration of UAV’s into the national airspace system is imminent, they have already started testing the possibilities of integrating UAVs in simulations. NASA has a project in which they are trying to find safe and efficient was to integrates UAVs into the airspace. They are working on a system called Detect and Avoid or DAA for short. This feature will be used to program UAV’s to avoid incoming aircraft by deviating from its original course. This program will cost more money for both airport and airlines. Airports would have to restructure its operations and increase its workforce (NASA). 

Military Warfare

The military application of UAV’s has changed warfare greatly. The biggest change in drone warfare happened in 2002, the predator was used in Afghanistan to monitor al-Qaida. The predator was used as a targeting system for bombs, it was also used for search and rescues. Drones were the greatest threat to any military operation, they’re quiet, covert, and lethal. Drones are extremely efficient, and they are great for military operations. The predator is approximately $10,000 and its successor the reaper is approximately $13,000. These drones have reduced the cost of operations for the military because how efficient they are. Ethically the pilots have made great mistakes and the training required to operate these drones has increased significantly. 

Job Outlook

The association for unmanned vehicle systems international has projected that the job outlook for drones will increase by 100,000 jobs in the next decade.

 Here’s a list jobs available currently: https://momentumsolar.com/careers/ | https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/browse-career-and-job-categories/transportation-and-aviation/unmanned-aerial-vehicle-operator.html | https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Minnesota-Department-of-Transportation/jobs/Unmanned-Aircraft-System-27018cac3fe8a522?q=Drone+operator&vjs=3 

References 

Becoming a Pilot. (2017, February 10). Retrieved February 09, 2018, from https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/part_107/remote_pilot_cert/

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Frequently Asked Questions. (2018, February 01). Retrieved February 09, 2018, from https://www.faa.gov/uas/faqs/\

Press, J. L. (2014, December 10). Other countries are surpassing the US in commercial drone flights. Retrieved February 09, 2018, from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/countries-surpassing-us-commercial-drone-flights

Drones offer Ontario paramedics unprecedented and game-changing perspectives. (2018, January 17). Retrieved February 09, 2018, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/drones-offer-ontario-paramedics-unprecedented-and-game-changing-perspective/article37631225/

Dunbar, B. (2015, April 02). Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration in the National Airspace System. Retrieved February 09, 2018, from https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/FactSheets/FS-075-DFRC.html