First let’s talk a little reality … Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), or drones as most of us refer to them are coming … and they’re coming soon. That’s not necessarily all bad though. Drones can operate in places that are not safe to send a manned aircraft, as well as on missions where the duration would surely exhaust a human. They also come in a range of sizes from just a few pounds to the mammoth Global Hawk weighing in at about 32,000 lbs. or slightly larger than the Hawker 800 biz jet I used to fly.
The FAA’s come under fire from drone manufacturers and potential users for not acting quickly enough to draft regulations allowing these pilot-less aircraft to blend into civilian airspace with the rest of the civilian aircraft. But there’s a safety problem with moving too fast that no one seems to have addressed.
Give this show a listen though and tell us what you think. BTW, for the most up-to-date coverage on drones here in the U.S., give a listen to the UAV Digest produced by my Airplane Geeks comrades Max Flight and David Vanderhoof.
Rob Mark, Publisher – If you’re receiving this Jetwhine post by e-mail, click here to listen … even from a smartphone. You can also subscribe to The Aviation Minute at iTunes.
Rob,
My takeaway from the UAV Digest discussion was Commercial Operators losing their livelihood.
The movie industry is “gracious” enough to say that they are willing for the operator to have a Private Pilot license, oh, thank you very much.
One guy with less than 50 hours of experience is going to replace a Commercial Helicopter pilot, a commercial helicopter operator, mechanics required to keep the helo safely in the air, the FBO selling fuel, the instructors and sim operators who give the Helo pilot annual checkrides, etc etc.
To make money in the world of aviation you are supposed to have at least a Comm ticket, isn’t that what Commercial and commerce are?
I know that drones are inevitable. If I were smart I would start working in the field and ride the bow wave, but, I like flying too much. My two cents.
Thanks,
Mark