The UAV world

We live in a world in which the thirst for technology has increased dramatically in recent years. Because of the expansion of technological innovations, humanity has been able to create devices that could not even be imagined a few years ago. One of the best technological innovations we have created in this century are the UAVs, which are changing the way we see and interact with the world. Seeing a UAV fly over our head is becoming a usual scene nowadays. In recent years, the presence UAVs on the market has allowed their use to be within everyone's reach, for a large number of purposes. There are numerous uses associated with the drones, in a wide range of areas, and here are some of the most important in which drones ensure, with their service, an improvement in the retrieval of information, with a result that often increases social security and life quality. The assembly of infrastructures and construction sites. The technological advances of drones are the result of careful research, and their service is also useful in the engineering industry. The perspective offered by the drone is a great advantage for engineers who can best follow construction procedures and ensure site safety. The drones are a tool that also satisfies the passions of photographers and film makers, and to all the operators who are able to capture breathtaking images from the skies, that a view from the ground could not have resumed with the same effectiveness. The commercial drones have also revolutionized the agricultural sphere, allowing controls that previously had prohibitive due to high costs. To monitor crops, evaluate irrigation systems or the need to eradicate grasses, all those are possible through the use of UAV with such a contained cost. The drones are also an important instrumental aid for the control of infrastructures, bridges, roads or railway viability systems, to highlight any critical issues over time and carry out targeted maintenance.

Currently the FAA regulates the usage of drone based on whether they are operated for reactional/hoppy or for recreational/commercial (Commercial Operations Branch Part 107 UAS Operations, 2017). If the drone operator is flying for hobby purpose, he or she will fly under the special rule for model Aircraft under Part 101 Subpart E (Commercial Operations Branch Part 107 UAS Operations, 2017). While un the under hand if the drone operator is flying for other than recreational or hobby purposes he or she will fly under the FAA’s small UAS rule part 107 (Commercial Operations Branch Part 107 UAS Operations, 2017). Part 107 states that in order to fly a UAS for commercial purposes the pilot needs to earn a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA, which is valid for two years. Part 107 contains the specifications that are meant to regulate the UAS usage.

The rules governing sUAS operated under part 107 include (Commercial Operations Branch Part 107 UAS Operations, 2017):

·       The aircraft must be registered if over 0.55 lbs;

·       Must fly only in uncontrolled airspace;

·       Must keep the aircraft in sight (visual line-of-sight);

·       Must fly under 400 feet;

·       Must fly during the day;

·       Must fly at or below 100 mph;

·       Must yield right of way to manned aircraft;

·       Must NOT fly over people;

·       Must NOT operate from a moving vehicle.

The usage of UAVs for commercial purposes is wide spread all around the world. I personally know that in Europe drones are widely used in many different fields. For example, video recorded by UAVs are already used to measure traffic flows and to identify what are the potential risk for accidents to occur. The videos are also used to check the status of the air and to see if it is in compliance with the rules pertaining to emissions, and to analyze if there are any risks of landslides or flooding. Other fields in which drones are used are within archeology and precision farming.

           Drones play an increasing role in everyday life. But they can be a threat to air transportation if they invade spaces reserved for aircraft flights. I personally think that overtime the aircraft world and the UAV world will perfectly integrate into each other worlds. The obstacles that are currently encored are numerous but they are resolvable. One of the major obstacles is that also if the FAA recently established a UAS committee within it and is continuously making progresses, it is lacking with inconsistent procedures and keeps having limited resources (5 Major Obstacles For Unmanned Aircraft Systems, 2016). Another big issue is that rules only matter to the people that actually follow them (5 Major Obstacles For Unmanned Aircraft Systems, 2016). This being said, a lot of commercial drone flights are not complying with the FAA regulations and the recreational pilots are not taking the time to actually learn how to fly in a safety way the UAVs. Another problem that is postponing the integration of the UAVs into the national airspace is that there is no actual plan on how to manage in a safe way the operations of UAVs at altitude below 500ft (5 Major Obstacles For Unmanned Aircraft Systems, 2016). When you follow an UAV training course, you get information regarding the different types of airspaces. For example, you analyze the maps where you can identify the airport areas and you learn how to use those maps. But having access to all the rules can be complicated. So, technology comes to the rescue. Software for drone pilots are being developed by a Belgian company. They are developing free application for smartphones and tablets that allows drone pilots to see in real time if the area where they are flying in is free, or subject to appropriate permissions to ask or even if it is completely prohibited because it is dangerous for the air traffic. Another big challenge is that the aeronautical community it is very conservative and it takes year to make changes (5 Major Obstacles For Unmanned Aircraft Systems, 2016). Then there is the general public that is worried by both having their personal privacy being violated by those flying technologies and the safety concerns of having unmanned vehicles flying over their heads.

The United States has made remotely piloted aircraft the main weapon to counter Islamic terrorism, following the attacks on the Twin Towers. UAVs effectively replaced conventional invasion-based warfare operations and terrestrial control of the territories (Helmore, 2017). The advantages related to the use of unmanned drones are numerous such as: savings in economic terms, increasing safety in the missions and safety for pilots and US military, increasing accuracy in attacks (Helmore, 2017). Not a few, however, are the problems highlighted by the opponents of the UAVs usage within the military context. Ethical, for the killing of civilians on the bombed territories. Legal, in relation to international law (Helmore, 2017). Currently the military needs to get special waivers to fly the drones within the national airspace. UAVs have long been associated with low-cost war, a sense of disembodiment from conflict, and for inflicting a high number of civilian casualties (Helmore, 2017).

I currently hold an internship position as a test pilot at Skypersonic. Skerpsonic is a drone company that is specialized in the development and production of indoor drones. Their indoor drones have a special feature, which is that they are surrounded by a plastic cage in order to make them safer for their indoor usage. My job, within Skypersonic is to test the new prototypes that are being developed and see if they are properly functioning and to give any suggestions on how to improve them. Skypersonic is currently offering positions as internships for test pilots.

Reference:

Commercial Operations Branch Part 107 UAS Operations. (2017, September 07). Retrieved from

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/afx/afs/afs800/afs82

0/ part107_oper/

Helmore, E. (2017, March 13). US retires Predator drones after 15 years that changed the 'war on

terror'. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/13/predator-drone-

retire-reaper-us-military-obama

5 Major Obstacles For Unmanned Aircraft Systems. (2016, May 11). Retrieved from

https://www.wileyrein.com/newsroom-articles-5-Major-Obstacles-For-Unmanned-Aircraft-

Systems.html