UAVs

UAVs have begone a new era of transportation and thrill seeking in the civilian world. While there are now toys and camera drones for the fun seeking drone user, there are also starting to show a more commercial application. These drones come in handy when the operation would be dangerous for humans to undertake and by using a drone, the operator can cut down on time, costs, and man power for the job at hand. According to Divya Joshi, a business enthusiast holding an MBA and working on her masters, commercial drone usage has expanded to include:

“Aerial photography for journalism and film, Express shipping and delivery, Gathering information or supplying essentials for disaster management, Thermal sensor drones for search and rescue operations, Geographic mapping of inaccessible terrain and locations, Building safety inspections, Precision crop monitoring, Unmanned cargo transport, Law enforcement and border control surveillance, Storm tracking and forecasting hurricanes and tornadoes” (Joshi, 2017).

With all of these possible avenues for commercial drone use and with more coming out every day, the FAA is scrambling to make up the regulations necessary to keep people and property safe. Some of these new regulations are based on weight, commercial and private usage, and airspace and property usage. The Federal Aviation Regulations are under 14 CFR part 107, which states “No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft in Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport unless that person has prior authorization from Air Traffic Control (ATC)” (14 CFR Part 107, n.d.). This gives UAV pilots knowledge and understanding that they may not operate in airspace without the prior permission of the ATC of the airport.

2) Are UAVs being operated commercially in other countries? If so, where and for what purpose? 

UAVs are being used in multiple different countries outside of the U.S. In reference to the issuance of commercial permits, the United States has fallen severely behind. According to Joan Lowy, an associated press writer, who quoted “Several European countries have granted commercial permits to more than a 1,000 drone operators” (Lowy, 2014), “Australia has issued more than 180 permits to businesses engaged in aerial surveying, photography and other work, but limits the permits to drones weighing less than 5 pounds” (Lowy, 2014), and “Canada has had regulations governing the use of unmanned aircraft since 1996 and, as of September, had issued more than 1,000 permits this year alone” (Lowy, 2014). Based on these statistics, it is clearly seen that the United States has fallen very far behind in the drone industry. Some of this can be from the FAA not allowing the drone market to expand until the new regulations can be revised, or because it is a new industry in the U.S.

 I do see UAVs eventually integrating into the NAS eventually but not for a long time. The public perception of unmanned objects flying around with passenger and cargo airlines will take a longer time to adjust. The technology that would be necessary to control these drones is here and ready for use, but until the public will allow for it. Another problem on the logistics side of things would be in integrating the drones into fleets of carriers and convincing the carrier that new drones are worth the time, money, and effort to put into rotation.  

4) As for the military application of UAVs, how have they transformed military strategy? Has their integration been efficient (consider all aspects - from financial to ethical)?

Military application of UAVs has been around for a significantly longer the its civilian counterpart. Most of the time, it is widely more accepted then in the civilian world because of the avoidance of putting lives in danger. Some of the many uses, as explained by Stewart Smith, a freelance writer and former Naval solider, are “Anytime a drone can be used to protect the lives of the military men and women they will be armed with live video remote communications to ground troops, essential gear, or weapons” (Smith, 2017). There are also other uses for drones according to Smith such as reconnaissance and search and rescue ops (Smith, 2017). These new innovations have allowed for many more safer operations to be conducted with mitigated risk for the people operating these UAVs. It is very costly alternative, however, because of the added time of training new pilots and the purchase of the actual UAVs themselves. These two areas of ethics and financial output are very tender subjects, but the men and women who serve our country should always be given the first priority so that they can return safely to their families.

For all those interested in UAV piloting and management, indeed.com has many job offering to be had.   

https://www.indeed.com/q-Uav-Pilot-jobs.html

https://www.indeed.com/q-Uav-Operation-Manager-jobs.html

References

14 CFR Part 107. (n.d.) Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Retrieved from https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=e331c2fe611df1717386d29eee38b000&mc=true&node=pt14.2.107&rgn=div5#se14.2.107_136

Joshi, D. (2017, July 13). Exploring the latest drone technology for commercial, industrial and military drone uses. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/drone-technology-uses-2017-7 

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

Smith, S. (2017, January 10). Military and Civilian Drone Use (UAV, UAS) The Future of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/military-and-civilian-drone-use-4121099