Current Status of UAV Use


     The use of UAVs in the civilian sector has been broadening over the years. For instance, smaller UAVs, also known as drones, are being used for such things as inspections of pipelines, towers, and offshore drilling rigs. Drones operated in the U.S. are regulated by the FAA, but some states have additional regulations regarding the use of drones. For example, here in Michigan it is illegal to use a drone to interfere with hunters and to use a drone to locate, hunt, trap, or catch animals. (Meola, 2017) Drones that are used for commercial purposes are regulated by Part 107 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. Commercial UAV pilots must be at least sixteen-years old and are required to have a remote pilot airmen certificate. (FAA, 2016) To fly a UAV for commercial purposes the pilot must have at least three miles visibility and not exceed 400 feet in altitude. However, if the UAV is within 400 feet of a structure, the pilot may exceed that altitude.

     The commercial use of UAVs around the world is increasing. For example, in Austrailia, UAVs are used extensively in agriculture. In Europe, UAVs are used for wildlife management, crop spraying, and some delivery applications.

     The integration of UAVs into the NAS is not a matter of if, but when. With the popularity of small UAVs growing, the cost of the equipment has decreased and the almost unlimited commercial possibilities are being explored. I foresee the use of larger UAVs used for cargo transport will be the first sector to enter the NAS. I think the main problem with this will not be a logistical problem. It will be more an issue with the perception. As with anything new, the general public will be wary of large unmanned aircraft flying with out a human aboard. The only logistical problem I can foresee is the cost of setting up this type of system. The technology already exists, but is exclusively used by the military. I am sure that, in the future, the technology will become available to the private sector.

      The use of UAVs has primarily been by the military. For the military UAVs have been a great asset when it comes to intelligence gathering and battlefield assessment. It was only recently that the military armed these UAVs with missiles and bombs. The advantage to using UAVs in combat is that they can be sent into hostile areas to be used to relay battlefield information which benefits the troops on the ground. The other benefit is that they can "hover" in an area without being spotted. (Miller, 2013) After all, can you put a price on human life? As with all technology, there is the possibility of misusing it.

     If you are looking for a job working with  UAVs, do not despair. There are plenty of jobs out there. I did a brief search on the Indeed site and found many employment opportunities dealing with UAVs. They range from pilot, operator, avionics tech, maintenance, and management.
   
REFERENCES

 Joshi, Divya. (July 13, 2017) Exploring th elatest drone technology for commercial, industrial, and military uses. Retrieved February 9, 2018 from 

from http://www.businessinsider.com/drone-technology-uses-2017-7

Meola, Andrew. (July 25, 20017) The FAA rules and regulations you need to know to keep your drone use legal Retrieved February 9,2018 from http://www.businessinsider.com/drone-technology-uses-2017-7http://www.businessinsider.com/drones-law-faa-regulations-2017-7

Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved February 9,0218, from  https://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=20516

Miller, Jack. (August 19.2013) Strategic Significance of Drone Operations for Warfare. Retrieved February 9, 2018 from http://www.e-ir.info/2013/08/19/strategic-significance-of-drone-operations-for-warfare/

Indeed (February 9, 20118). Retrieved February 9, 2018 from https://www.indeed.com/q-Uav-jobs.html

Indeed (February 9, 20118). Retrieved February 9, 2018 fromhttps://www.indeed.com/q-Uav-Operation-Manager-jobs.html

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Military Current and Future Use of UAVs

     The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for military applications is not new. The military has been using this technology in some shape or form beginning in the 19th century when Austrian forces launched balloons equipped with time-fused bombs against Italy. (Kantor, 2016) Even though the technology has advanced, the concept of using UAVs in the battlespace remains the same. Ask any soldier on the ground what their best friend is and they will answer "their weapon and battle buddy" followed closely by the "eye in the sky". The UAVs used today are so sophisticated that they can not only see over the next hill and farther, but can also be used to intercept and jam communications. They can also be armed with munitions and used as attack vehicles without putting soldiers in harms way.           If you have watched any news since we went to war with Iraq, you are familiar with the usual suspects in the military UAV aresenal. These are the Predator and all its v
Read more

Mental Illness and the Aviation Industry

            The Germanwings accident in 2015 brought the mental state of pilots top the forefront. According to the transcripts of the flight data recorder from that flight, Andreas Lubitz changed the autopilot settings to make a rapid descent that ultimately resulted in the aircraft striking the side of a remote spot in the Alps. The cockpit voice recorder recorded the sounds of the flight crew beating on the cockpit door after the pilot returned, probably from the bathroom. Also, just after the pilot left the cockpit, attempts to reach the aircraft were met with silence. The First Officer, Lubitz, had been grounded and had his training suspended in 2008 during a severe episode. (Huggler, 2017) He was later cleared to fly after he had recovered. In the months leading up to the crash, Lubitz was believed to be losing his eyesight. He had hidden this from Germanwings.             Mental illness in aviation is rare, but there are accidents and incidents that have occurred because
Read more
1) Describe the US-UAE Open Skies Agreement. List and describe two long-haul carriers that are a part of this agreement that also receive government subsidies.      The Open Skies Agreement is a policy that eliminates the governments involvement in the airline decision-making process. These decisions are routes, capacity, and pricing for international markets. (State Department) Two of the long-haul carriers in the Open Skies Agreement are Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways. Both airlines are based in the middle east and receive government subsidies. 2) Do any long-haul US carriers receive subsidies or have received subsidies in the past? If so, which airlines? Why?      The answer is yes. According to Kevin Mitchell, Business Travel Coalition chairman, every airline is funded by its’ home government. (McGee, 2015) When you fly commercially there are taxes and fees on that ticket. These are used to fund commercial aviation. This is not a new idea. The government was instrume
Read more